Method and apparatus for arranging social meetings

• US 20060143214A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ties Social Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mordechai Teicher
• Inventors: Teicher, Mordechai
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Individuals, couples, and families subscribe to a computerized service for facilitating the arrangement of their outings and social meetings. Subscribers fill in wish-lists to specify their level of interest in specific attractions, in getting together with specific other subscribers, and in arranging their preferred schedules for outings. An encounter generator processes the subscriber wish-lists to identify matches of subscribers who are interested in the same attraction, who favor each other'"'"'s company, and who are free at the same time. The system notifies the matched subscribers, optionally offering ticketing and/or reservation assistance. Partial matches are optionally referred to the respective subscribers for negotiating the unmatched schedule or attraction. The system is adaptable to serve singles who wish to identify and get to know a prospective mate through mutual visits to attractions, as well as individuals, couples, and families who want to go out with their existing friends or make new friends.

Claims

1. A method for arranging, for a community of subscribers, social meetings at offered attractions, the method comprising:

receiving a wish-list from each participating subscriber from a plurality of subscribers from the community, said wish-list includes a scoring of said participating subscriber'"'"'s level of interest for meeting other subscribers from the community;

generating an encounter, said generating includes;

picking an ensemble of subscribers for said encounter in response to said wish-lists of said plurality of subscribers, and

assigning an attraction from the offered attractions to said ensemble; and

presenting said encounter to said ensemble'"'"'s subscribers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating said generating at least one additional time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said each participating subscriber'"'"'s wish-list also includes a timing of said participating subscriber'"'"'s preferred schedule for visiting the offered attractions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said each participating subscriber'"'"'s wish-list also includes a policy of said participating subscriber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning an attraction is responsive to said wish-lists of said ensemble'"'"'s subscribers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating an encounter also includes selecting a schedule for said encounter in response to said wish-lists of said ensemble'"'"'s subscribers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the offered attractions include commercial attractions, the method further comprising communicating with at least one attraction provider servers and receiving the commercial attractions therefrom.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising booking with respect to said encounter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said scoring includes an indication whether said participating subscriber agrees to meet each of said other subscribers in a couple setting; and

said ensemble being of exactly two subscribers only if said indication of said two subscribers with respect to each other is mutually positive for a couple setting.

3. The method of claim 3, wherein said each participating subscriber'"'"'s wish-list also includes a ranking of said participating subscriber'"'"'s level of interest for attractions from the offered attractions.

11. A method for arranging, for a community of subscribers, social meetings at offered attractions, the method comprising:

receiving a wish-list from each participating subscriber from a plurality of subscribers from the community, said wish-list of said participating subscriber including;

a scoring of said participating subscriber'"'"'s level of interest for meeting other subscribers from the community,

a ranking of said participating subscriber'"'"'s level of interest for attractions from the offered attractions, and

a timing of said participating subscriber'"'"'s preferred schedule for visiting the offered attractions;

generating an encounter, said generating including;

picking an ensemble of subscribers for said encounter in response to said wish-lists of said plurality of subscribers,

assigning an attraction from the offered attractions for said encounter, and

selecting a schedule for said encounter; and

presenting said encounter to said ensemble'"'"'s subscribers.

12. An apparatus for arranging, for a community of subscribers, social meetings at offered attractions, the apparatus comprising:

a subscriber interface communicating with subscriber terminals; and

a processor configured to;

communicate with said subscriber terminals and receive a wish-list from each participating subscriber from a plurality of subscribers from the community, said wish-list includes a scoring of said participating subscriber'"'"'s level of interest for meeting other subscribers from the community,

generate an encounter, said generate operation includes picking an ensemble of subscribers for said encounter in response to said wish-lists of said plurality of subscribers and assigning an attraction from the offered attractions to said ensemble, and

communicate with subscriber terminals of the ensemble'"'"'s subscribers and present said encounter to said ensemble'"'"'s subscribers.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said processor is further configured to repeat said generate operation at least one additional time.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said each participating subscriber'"'"'s wish-list also includes a ranking of said participating subscriber'"'"'s level of interest for attractions from the offered attractions.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said each participating subscriber'"'"'s wish-list also includes a timing of said participating subscriber'"'"'s preferred schedule for visiting the offered attractions.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said each participating subscriber'"'"'s wish-list also includes a policy of said participating subscriber.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said assigning an attraction is responsive to said wish-lists of said ensemble'"'"'s subscribers.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said generate operation also includes selecting a schedule for said encounter in response to said wish-lists of said ensemble'"'"'s subscribers.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the offered attractions include commercial attractions, said apparatus further including an attraction interface interfacing with at least one attraction provider servers and said processor is further configured to communicate with said at least one attraction provider servers and of receive said commercial attractions therefrom.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said processor is further configured to facilitate booking with respect to said encounter.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

said scoring includes an indication whether said participating subscriber agrees to meet each of said other subscribers in a couple setting; and

said ensemble being of exactly two subscribers only if said indication of said two subscribers with respect to each other is mutually positive for a couple setting.

22. An apparatus for arranging, for a community of subscribers, social meetings at offered attractions, the apparatus comprising:

(i) a subscriber interface communicating with subscriber terminals; and

(ii) a processor is further configured to;

communicate with said subscriber terminals and receive a wish-list from each participating subscriber from a plurality of subscribers from the community, said wish-list of said participating subscriber includes;

a scoring of said participating subscriber'"'"'s level of interest for meeting other subscribers from the community,

a ranking of said participating subscriber'"'"'s level of interest for attractions from the offered attractions, and

a timing of said participating subscriber'"'"'s preferred schedule for visiting the offered attractions;

generate of an encounter, said generate operation includes;

picking an ensemble of subscribers for said encounter in response to said wish-lists of said plurality of subscribers,

assigning an attraction from the offered attractions for said encounter, and

selecting a schedule for said encounter; and

present said encounter to said ensemble'"'"'s subscribers.

23. A system for arranging, for a community of subscribers, social meetings at offered attractions, the system comprising:

a plurality of subscriber terminals operable by the subscribers; and

an encounter generator configured to;

communicate with said subscriber terminals and receive a wish-list from each participating subscriber from a plurality of subscribers from the community, said wish-list includes a scoring of said participating subscriber'"'"'s level of interest for meeting other subscribers from the community,

generate an encounter, said generate operation includes picking an ensemble of subscribers for said encounter in response to said wish-lists of said plurality of subscribers and assigning an attraction to said ensemble,

communicate with subscriber terminals of the ensemble'"'"'s subscribers for presenting said encounter to said ensemble'"'"'s subscribers, and

repeat said generate operation at least one additional time.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the offered attractions include commercial attractions, said system further comprising at least one attraction provider servers, and said encounter generator is further configured to receive said commercial attractions from said at least one attraction provider servers.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said encounter generator is further configured to facilitate booking with respect to said encounter.

26. A software product stored on a computer-readable medium to instruct a computer to:

communicate with community subscribers and receive a wish-list from each participating subscriber from a plurality of subscribers from said community;

generate an encounter, said generate includes;

picking an ensemble of subscribers for said encounter in response to said wish-lists of said plurality of subscribers, and assigning an attraction to said ensemble; and

communicate with the ensemble'"'"'s subscribers and present said encounter to said ensemble'"'"'s subscribers.