Method and system for identifying people who are likely to have a successful relationship

• US 20040162821A1
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eHarmony Incorporated (ParshipMeet Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: eHarmony Incorporated (ParshipMeet Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Carter, Steven R., Buckwalter, J. Galen, Warren, Neil Clark, Parsons, Thomas D., Forgatch, Gregory T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

The functions and operations of a matching service are disclosed. This includes approximating the satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others and identifying candidates for a relationship with the user based on the approximated satisfaction. This also includes approximating the satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship with a particular candidate. The matching service also identifies two parties for a relationship. The matching service makes available a plurality of communication levels at which the parties can communicate. Each communication level allows the parties to exchange information in a different format. The parties are permitted to exchange information at one of the communication levels.

Claims

1. A method of operating a matching service, comprising:

approximating the satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others;

identifying candidates for a relationship with the user based on the approximated satisfaction; and

approximating the satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship with a particular candidate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein approximating the satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others includes generating an approximate individual satisfaction index for the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein approximating the satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others includes generating an individual satisfaction estimator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the individual satisfaction estimator includes a relationship between an individual satisfaction index and one or more questions answered by the user.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a survey from the user, the user having provided answers to a plurality of inquiries in the survey, at least a portion of the answers being associated with a number; and

comparing answers provided by the user to an individual satisfaction estimator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

classifying the user based on the approximated satisfaction that the user has in the relationships that person forms with others; and

identifying the candidates such that the candidates fall within the same class as the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein approximating the satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship includes generating an approximate couple satisfaction index for the user and the particular candidate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein approximating the satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship includes generating a couple satisfaction estimator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the couple satisfaction estimator includes a relationship between an individual satisfaction index and one or more questions answered by the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a survey from the user, the user having provided answers to a plurality of inquiries in the survey, at least a portion of the answers being associated with a number;

selecting a candidate to be matched with the user, the candidate having provided answers to a second survey, at least a portion of the answers provided by the candidate being associated with a number; and

comparing at least a portion of the answers provided by the user and at least a portion of the answers provided by the selected candidate to a couple satisfaction estimator.

11. A method for operating a matching service, comprising:

receiving a plurality of surveys completed by different individuals, each survey including a plurality of inquiries into matters which are relevant to each individual forming relationships with other people, at least a portion of the inquiries having answers that are associated with a number; and

using answers to the inquiries in a performing a factor analysis on the answers to the inquiries to identify a plurality of factors.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the factor analysis is a principal component analysis.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting the factors that most highly predict satisfaction in a relationship.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the factors includes performing a linear regression on the factors and an individual satisfaction index.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the factors includes performing a correlation analysis on the factors and an individual satisfaction index.

16. A method operating a matching service, comprising:

inputting into a neural network information provided by a user of the matching service; and

receiving from the neural network a list of one or more candidates that the neural network has determined will be successful in a relationship with the individual.