Method and system for connecting proximately located mobile users based on compatible attributes

• US 20020090954A1
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telcontar
• Inventors: Hendrey, Geoffrey R., Tanaka, Hirohisa A., King, Joseph D., Koopman, Philip Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 6,542,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 2001/085 Partner search devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method and system for connecting proximately located telecommunications units are disclosed. The method and system may be used in a location aware telecommunications system that can determine the location of a telecommunications unit (TU) being used within the system. A user may be connected to one or more other users when they have compatible attributes and when they are located within a predetermined distance of each other. The connection may be established between TUs of two or more users, based on attribute and distance information maintained by a server computer, upon the request of an initiating user'"'"'s TU.

Claims

1. A method for connecting proximately located telecommunications units, comprising the step of connecting a first telecommunications unit (TU) with at least one other TU, wherein the at least one other TU is selected based at least in part on the physical distance between the first TU and each of the at least one other TUs, and at least in part on a compatibility of personal attributes associated with a user of each TU;

wherein at least one TU is a mobile telecommunications unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting step connects a plurality of TUs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting step is performed in response to a request for a matchmaking connection by a user of the first TU.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the second TU comprises the steps of:

(i) creating a list of users that are possible matches to a first user of the first TU;

(ii) sorting the list in a predetermined order;

(iii) traversing the list until a second user meeting a predefined criteria is met; and

(iv) selecting a TU associated with the second user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the list is sorted in order of decreasing match score, and the predetermined criteria is that the TU associated with the second user is physically located within a predetermined distance of the first TU.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the list is sorted in order of increasing physical distance of TUs from the first TU, and the predetermined criteria is that the second user has a match score at least equal to a predetermined minimum threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein as the distance between the first TU and the current possible match increases, the predetermined minimum threshold increases.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein personal identifying information of each user is hidden from each other user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other TU must be in a first predetermined mode in order to be selected as a match for the first TU.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each TU is a mobile telecommunications unit.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting step is performed automatically when a predefined criteria is met.

11. A computer readable medium for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to perform a method for connecting proximately located telecommunications units, wherein the method comprises the step of connecting a first telecommunications unit (TU) with at least one other TU, wherein the at least one other TU is selected based at least in part on the physical distance between the first TU and each of the at least one other TUs, and at least in part on a compatibility of personal attributes associated with a user of each TU;

wherein at least one TU is a mobile telecommunications unit.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the connecting step connects a plurality of TUs.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the connecting step is performed in response to a request for a matchmaking connection by a user of the first TU.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein selecting the second TU comprises the steps of:

(i) creating a list of users that are possible matches to a first user of the first TU;

(ii) sorting the list in a predetermined order;

(iii) traversing the list until a second user meeting a predefined criteria is met; and

(iv) selecting a TU associated with the second user.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the list is sorted in order of decreasing match score, and the predetermined criteria is that the TU associated with the second user is physically located within a predetermined distance of the first TU.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the list is sorted in order of increasing physical distance of TUs from the first TU, and the predetermined criteria is that the second user has a match score at least equal to a predetermined minimum threshold.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein as the distance between the first TU and the current possible match increases, the predetermined minimum threshold increases.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein personal identifying information of each user is hidden from each other user.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one other TU must be in a first predetermined mode in order to be selected as a match for the first TU.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein each TU is a mobile telecommunications unit.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the connecting step is performed automatically when a predefined criteria is met.

21. A system for connecting proximately located telecommunications units, comprising:

a processor;

memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform the step of connecting a first telecommunications unit (TU) with at least one other TU, wherein the at least one other TU is selected based at least in part on the physical distance between the first TU and each of the at least one other TUs, and at least in part on a compatibility of personal attributes associated with a user of each TU;

wherein at least one TU is a mobile telecommunications unit.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the connecting step connects a plurality of TUs.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the connecting step is performed in response to a request for a matchmaking connection by a user of the first TU.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein selecting the second TU comprises the steps of:

(i) creating a list of users that are possible matches to a first user of the first TU;

(ii) sorting the list in a predetermined order;

(iii) traversing the list until a second user meeting a predefined criteria is met; and

(iv) selecting a TU associated with the second user.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the list is sorted in order of decreasing match score, and the predetermined criteria is that the TU associated with the second user is physically located within a predetermined distance of the first TU.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the list is sorted in order of increasing physical distance of TUs from the first TU, and the predetermined criteria is that the second user has a match score at least equal to a predetermined minimum threshold.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein as the distance between the first TU and the current possible match increases, the predetermined minimum threshold increases.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein personal identifying information of each user is hidden from each other user.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one other TU must be in a first predetermined mode in order to be selected as a match for the first TU.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein each TU is a mobile telecommunications unit.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the connecting step is performed automatically when a predefined criteria is met.