System And Method For Social Networking

• US 20120173316A1
• Filed: 12/31/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jason Stephans
• Original Assignee: Jason Stephans
• Inventors: Stephans, Jason
• Application Number:
  US12/983,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173316A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

A method for facilitating social networking includes receiving and storing personal information from a member of a website, which includes a publicly displayed identifier such as that individual'"'"'s vehicle license plate number. An advertisement suitable for public display (e.g. a bumper sticker) is used to advertise to other individuals that the first individual is a member of the website. A query is received at the website, via a network, from a second individual in accordance with the advertisement; the query includes the publicly displayed identifier. The method further includes receiving contact information from the second individual; providing to the second individual at least a portion of the personal information of the first individual; providing the second individual with the opportunity to send his/her contact information to the first individual; and providing the first individual with the opportunity to make a social networking connection with the second individual.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating social networking, comprising the steps of:

receiving personal information from a first individual, said information including a publicly displayed identifier associated with the first individual;

storing the personal information, of which some of the personal information being retrievable using the publicly displayed identifier;

delivering, or making available to the first individual an advertisement suitable for public display;

receiving from a second individual a query in accordance with said advertisement, the query including the publicly displayed identifier;

receiving contact information from the second individual, assuming said contact information has not already been received;

retrieving the personal information of the first individual in accordance with the query;

providing to the second individual at least a portion of the personal information of the first individual;

transmitting to the first individual a message reporting the query from the second individual; and

depending upon the first individual'"'"'s review of the second individual'"'"'s contact information, the first individual may make a social networking connection with the second individual,

wherein said steps are performed using a computing device configured to communicate with the first individual and with the second individual via a network.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the publicly displayed identifier is a license plate number on a vehicle owned or operated by the first individual.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement includes the name, initials, or logo of a website to which the first individual submits said personal information and the second individual submits said query.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said advertisement is a sticker suitable for display on the vehicle.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said delivering step further comprises causing the sticker to be sent to the first individual in a physical form, advertising to other individuals that the first individual is a member of the website.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting to the first individual a message reporting the query.

7. A method according to claim 1, depending upon the first individual'"'"'s review of the second individual'"'"'s contact information, providing the second individual with the opportunity to make a social networking connection with the first individual via the means provided for on the website.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a member profile for the first individual in accordance with the received personal information stored in said storing step;

establishing a member profile for the second individual in accordance with the received contact information; and

storing the member profiles,

wherein the member profile for the second individual is established prior to providing to the second individual personal information of the first individual.

9. A method for facilitating social networking, comprising the steps of:

receiving personal information from a first individual;

assigning an identifier to the first individual;

storing the personal information, the personal information being retrievable using the identifier;

delivering to the first individual an advertisement suitable for public display;

receiving from a second individual a query in accordance with said advertisement, where the advertisement as displayed includes said identifier or information associated therewith, the query including said identifier or information associated therewith;

receiving contact information from the second individual;

retrieving the personal information of the first individual in accordance with the query;

providing to the second individual at least a portion of the personal information of the first individual;

transmitting to the first individual a message reporting the query from the second individual; and

depending upon the first individual'"'"'s review of the second individual'"'"'s contact information, the first individual may make a social networking connection with the second individual via the means provided for on the website,

wherein said steps are performed using a computing device configured to communicate with the first individual and with the second individual via a network.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the advertisement includes the name of a website to which the first individual submits said personal information and the second individual submits said query.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said advertisement is a sticker suitable for display on a vehicle owned or operated by the first individual.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said delivering step further comprises causing the sticker to be sent to the first individual in a physical form, advertising to other individuals that the first individual is a member of the website.

13. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of transmitting to the first individual a message reporting the query.

14. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a member profile for the first individual in accordance with the received personal information stored in said storing step;

establishing a member profile for the second individual in accordance with the received contact information; and

storing the member profiles,

wherein the member profile for the second individual is established prior to providing to the second individual personal information of the first individual.

15. A system comprising:

a server configured to

communicate with a first individual and a second individual over a network;

receive personal information from a first individual, said information including a publicly displayed identifier associated with the first individual;

cause delivery, or making available to the first individual of an advertisement suitable for public display;

receive from a second individual a query in accordance with said advertisement, the query including the publicly displayed identifier;

receive contact information from the second individual;

provide to the second individual at least a portion of the personal information of the first individual;

transmit to the first individual a message reporting the query from the second individual; and

depending upon the first individual'"'"'s review of the second individual'"'"'s contact information, provide the second individual with the opportunity to make a social networking connection with the first individual via the means provided for on the website.

16. A system according to claim 15, further comprising a storage device, and wherein the server is configured to

store the personal information of the first individual, the personal information being retrievable using the publicly displayed identifier;

and

retrieve the personal information of the first individual in accordance with the query.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the server is configured to

establish a member profile for the first individual in accordance with the received personal information stored in said storing step;

establish a member profile for the second individual in accordance with the received contact information; and

store the member profiles,

wherein the member profile for the second individual is established prior to providing to the second individual personal information of the first individual.

18. A system according to claim 16, wherein the publicly displayed identifier is a license plate number on a vehicle owned or operated by the first individual.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein said advertisement is a sticker suitable for display on the vehicle.

20. A system according to claim 16, wherein

the server hosts a website for communicating with the first individual and the second individual, and to which the first individual submits said personal information and the second individual submits said query;

and

the advertisement includes the name, initials, or logo of the website.