Mentor-protege matching system and method

• US 20060031087A1
• Filed: 08/03/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mentornet
• Original Assignee: Mentornet
• Inventors: Fox, Stephanie J., Muller, Carol B.
• Application Number:
  US11/197,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031087A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/205 Education administration or guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for bi-directionally matching a protégé and a mentor among participants in an online environment includes registering the protégé so that he or she can be uniquely identified within the online environment. A mentor profile is received including demographic and/or personal information about the mentor, as well as the mentor'"'"'s preferences regarding potential protégés. A protégé profile is also received including demographic and/or personal information about the protégé, as well as the protégé'"'"'s preferences regarding potential mentors. One or more recommended mentor-protégé matches are bi-directionally calculated based on the information and preferences. One or more coaching prompts and evaluation requests are sent to matched participants.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for bi-directionally matching a proté

gé and

a mentor among participants in an online environment, comprising;

(a) registering participants for identification within the online environment;

(b) receiving at least one mentor profile including demographic or personal information, or both, about the mentor, as well as the mentor'"'"'s preferences regarding potential proté

gé

s;

(c) receiving at least one proté

gé

profile including demographic or personal information, or both, about the proté

gé

, as well as the proté

gé

'"'"'s preferences regarding potential mentors;

(d) bi-directionally calculating one or more recommended mentor-proté

gé

matches based on the mentor and proté

gé

profile information and preferences; and

(e) outputting results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bi-directional calculating comprises comparing information and preferences of multiple pairs of mentor-proté

gé

profiles.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bi-directional calculating further comprises:

(i) computing a percentage for each area based on how closely the areas match;

(ii) summing to obtain a total match score; and

(iii) determining that the total match score is above a predetermined match score.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the bi-directional calculating further comprises:

(iv) setting a weight to one or more information or preferences areas within the mentor or proté

gé

profiles, or combinations thereof; and

(v) multiplying the percentage by the weight provided to each area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein demographic information includes age, location, gender, race/ethnicity or citizenship, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal information includes education, employment, a personal statement or a reference contact, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferences include gender, degree, alma mater, employer, work sector, location or ethnicity, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending one or more coaching prompts to one or more matched participants.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the results comprise multiple candidate matches, and the method further comprises receiving a match selection from a participant out of the multiple candidate matches.

10. A computer-implemented method for managing a relationship between a proté

gé and

a mentor among participants in an online environment, comprising;

(a) registering participants for identification within the online environment;

(b) receiving participant profiles including demographic or personal information about the participants, or the participant'"'"'s preferences regarding potential matches, or combinations thereof;

(c) computing one or more recommended mentor-proté

gé

matches based on the mentor and proté

gé

profiles;

(d) outputting results;

(e) selecting a pair of matched participants from the results; and

(f) sending one or more coaching prompts to one or more matched participants.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the computing comprises comparing information of multiple pairs of mentor-proté

gé

profiles.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the results comprise multiple candidate matches, and the selecting comprises receiving a match selection from a participant out of the multiple candidate matches.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending a relationship evaluation request to one or more participants.

14. A server-based computer system for bi-directionally matching a proté

gé and

a mentor among participants in an online environment, comprising;

(a) a main web site server for registering participants, from one or more remote client computers connected to the server by a network connection, for identification within the online environment;

(b) a database server for receiving a mentor profile from a second remote client computer also connected to the server by a network connection, including demographic or personal information, or both, about the mentor, as well as the mentor'"'"'s preferences regarding potential proté

gé

s, and for receiving a proté

gé

profile from the first or a third network-connected remote client computer including demographic or personal information, or both, about the proté

gé

, as well as the proté

gé

'"'"'s preferences regarding potential mentors; and

(c) one or more processors for bi-directionally calculating one or more recommended mentor-proté

gé

matches based on the mentor and proté

gé

profile information and preferences, and outputting results.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the bi-directional calculating comprises comparing information and preferences of multiple pairs of mentor-proté

gé

profiles.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the bi-directional calculating further comprises:

(i) computing a percentage for each area based on how closely the areas match;

(ii) summing to obtain a total match score; and

(iii) determining that the total match score is above a predetermined match score.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the bi-directional calculating further comprises:

(iv) setting a weight to one or more information or preferences areas within the mentor or proté

gé

profiles, or combinations thereof; and

(v) multiplying the percentage by the weight provided to each area.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein demographic information includes race, age, location, gender, ethnicity or citizenship, or combinations thereof.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the personal information includes education, employment, a personal statement or a reference contact, or combinations thereof.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the preferences include gender, degree, alma mater, employer, work sector, location or ethnicity, or combinations thereof.

21. The system of claim 14, further comprising an email server for sending one or more coaching prompts to the mentor or proté

gé

, or both.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the results comprise multiple candidate matches and are configured to permit a participant to select a match.

23. A server-based computer system for managing a relationship between a proté

gé and

a mentor among participants in an online environment, comprising;

(a) a main web site server for registering participants, from one or more remote client computers connected to the server by a network connection, for identification within the online environment;

(b) a database server for receiving participant profiles also from remote client computers connected to the server by a network connection, including demographic or personal information about the participants, or the participant'"'"'s preferences regarding potential matches;

(c) one or more processors for computing one or more recommended mentor-proté

gé

matches based on the profile information, and outputting results from which matched participants are selected; and

(d) an email server for sending one or more coaching prompts to one or more of the matched participants.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the computing comprises comparing information of multiple pairs of mentor-proté

gé

profiles.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the results comprise multiple candidate matches and are configured to permit a participant to select a match.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the email server further for sending a relationship evaluation request to one or more participants.

27. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of bi-directionally matching a proté

gé and

a mentor among participants in an online environment, the method comprising;

(a) registering participants for identification within the online environment;

(b) receiving a mentor profile including demographic or personal information, or both, about the mentor, as well as the mentor'"'"'s preferences regarding potential proté

gé

s;

(c) receiving a proté

gé

profile including demographic or personal information, or both, about the proté

gé

, as well as the proté

gé

'"'"'s preferences regarding potential mentors;

(d) bi-directionally calculating one or more recommended mentor-proté

gé

matches based on the mentor and proté

gé

profile information and preferences; and

(e) outputting results.

28. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the bi-directional calculating comprises comparing information and preferences of multiple pairs of mentor-proté

gé

profiles.

29. The one or more storage devices of claim 28, wherein the bi-directional calculating further comprises:

(i) computing a percentage for each area based on how closely the areas match;

(ii) summing to obtain a total match score; and

(iii) determining that the total match score is above a predetermined match score.

30. The one or more storage devices of claim 29, wherein the bidirectional calculating further comprises:

(iv) setting a weight to one or more information or preferences areas within the mentor or proté

gé

profiles, or combinations thereof; and

(v) multiplying the percentage by the weight provided to each area.

31. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein demographic information includes race, age, location, gender, ethnicity or citizenship, or combinations thereof.

32. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the personal information includes education, employment, a personal statement or a reference contact, or combinations thereof.

33. The one or more storage device of claim 27, wherein the preferences include gender, degree, alma mater, employer, work sector, location or ethnicity, or combinations thereof.

34. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises sending one or more coaching prompts to the mentor or proté

gé

, or both.

35. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the results comprise multiple candidate matches, and the method further comprises receiving a match selection from a participant out of the multiple candidate matches.

36. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of managing a relationship between a proté

gé and

a mentor among participants in an online environment, the method comprising;

(a) registering participants for identification within the online environment;

(b) receiving participant profiles including demographic or personal information about the participants, or the participant'"'"'s preferences regarding potential matches, or combinations thereof;

(c) computing one or more recommended mentor-proté

gé

matches based on the mentor and proté

gé

profiles;

(d) outputting results;

(e) selecting a pair of matched participants from the results; and

(f) sending one or more coaching prompts to one or more matched participants.

37. The one or more storage devices of claim 36, wherein the computing comprises comparing information of multiple pairs of mentor-proté

gé

profiles.

38. The one or more storage devices of claim 36, wherein the results comprise multiple candidate matches, and the selecting comprises receiving a match selection from a participant out of the multiple candidate matches.

39. The one or more storage devices of claim 36, wherein the method further comprises sending a relationship evaluation request to one or more participants.