US Patent 7831580 Owner-brokered knowledge sharing machine

The invention discloses a system and method for promoting information or knowledge sharing among users registered to a computer network by allowing an information or knowledge owner to locate or directly access private information, to publish information for direct access by knowledge requesters, or to broker information or knowledge with an information or knowledge requester. This invention also discloses a system and method which allow an organization to develop and manage a reward system based on the frequency of an information or knowledge owner's contribution to information or knowledge sharing and the frequency of an information or knowledge requestor's use of shared knowledge.