Apparatus, means and methods for automatic community formation for phones and computer networks
First Claim
1. A method for automatic formation of electronic communities, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a database for unique user identifier and associated search strings;
b) entering a first unique identifier for a first user and a first associated search string into said database;
c) determining whether said first search string substantially matches a search string previously stored in said database;
d) querying said first user whether said first user wants to join a community in response to a matching search string;
e) querying second user associated with said matching search string whether said second user wants to join a community with said first user; and
f) forming a community if said first user and said second user both respond affirmatively to community formation. g) said community will initially be anonymous—
without specific identifying information until both parties agree to identify themselves to the other. h) displaying matches according to user preference to have matches sorted by date, closeness of search term, volume of similar searches, or a combination of some or all of these variables. i) contacting these additional matches will be accomplished in the same manner as d)-g) shown above. j) creating “
MySearch”
pages with the results of various searching and matching shown, as well as k) the creation of certain organizational Searching and Matching pages to collect with permission the results of various searches and matching using this invention and making same available with appropriate levels of security.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic telephone, Internet or intranet community formation system that utilizes spoken words or matching search terms. The invention utilizes wireless and wired voice communications, database and list serve technology to archive and match users based upon their search terms entered into a telephone system or a search engine, Internet, intranet, extranet, local area network, wide area networked, wired, wireless or standalone computer. A community formation system refers to a means of inviting one or more persons to communicate via voice, email or other method and join in a discussion. Invitations to join would be sent via an email, SMS, instant messaging, phone, web browser, email or fax communication. The user would have control over whether s/he wanted to be invited into a community, the age of desired matches, the closeness or breadth of the matches, the duration of the community, and the type of community—voice or text. Also, users have the ability to a.) conduct joint searches and b.) jointly and severally rate the content information, websites, or other subjects, and c.) to pick settings to establish his or her actual identity or to adopt an anonymous identity.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for automatic formation of electronic communities, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a database for unique user identifier and associated search strings;
b) entering a first unique identifier for a first user and a first associated search string into said database;
c) determining whether said first search string substantially matches a search string previously stored in said database;
d) querying said first user whether said first user wants to join a community in response to a matching search string;
e) querying second user associated with said matching search string whether said second user wants to join a community with said first user; and
f) forming a community if said first user and said second user both respond affirmatively to community formation. g) said community will initially be anonymous—
without specific identifying information until both parties agree to identify themselves to the other.h) displaying matches according to user preference to have matches sorted by date, closeness of search term, volume of similar searches, or a combination of some or all of these variables. i) contacting these additional matches will be accomplished in the same manner as d)-g) shown above. j) creating “
MySearch”
pages with the results of various searching and matching shown, as well ask) the creation of certain organizational Searching and Matching pages to collect with permission the results of various searches and matching using this invention and making same available with appropriate levels of security. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24)
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18. The method of setting the level of matching desired with respect to closeness, age of search, security and other constraints;
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22. The method of permitting users to choose to take advantage of speech to text and text to speech technologies;
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25. The apparatus for accomplishing 1a.-1k., 2-24.
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26. the means for accomplishing 1a.-1k., 2-24.
Specification