SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RELEVANT BUSINESS NETWORKING BASED IN CONTROLLED RELEVANCY GROUPS, RESPONSILIBITES AND MEASURED PERFORMANCE

• US 20130041952A1
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BoardSeat Inc.
• Original Assignee: BoardSeat Inc.
• Inventors: Silas, Gregory Robert, Grech, Peter Anthomy
• Granted Patent: US 9,117,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A business networking system and method for groups of people within a variety of business types to organize themselves into specific and relevant categories in order to maximize the exchange of relevant information and further development of relevant business contacts. The method and system offer tools for registering members and sub-dividing those registered members into smaller relevant groups. The method matches members of similar backgrounds and business experiences and provides communications, messaging and meetings for relevant. The system provides tools to encourage reciprocal relevant communications, both online and in the real world, between members. All activity is tracked and grouped into a plurality of statistics that are then ranked and shared with members. The statistics are used by the TBS system as a scorecard or as punishment in the form of expulsion from the categorized group.

Claims

1. A method of automated business networking between individuals comprising:

a) establishing and maintaining a remotely accessible database structure regarding individual members of a business networking group including data elements for member categories and member business functions, wherein said database structure includes hierarchical data elements for member categories and member business functions;

b) collecting and storing data in said database regarding individual members of said business networking group including individual data elements for member category and member business function, wherein said collection and storage of data includes identification of said hierarchical category data elements and business function data elements for individual members;

c) presentation of lists of members restricted to specified levels of said hierarchical category data elements or said hierarchical business function data elements;

d) providing for networking events between members on said lists;

e) tracking said networking events between and among particular members as inter-member activity; and

f) accumulating data records of each said inter-member activity and providing said records said particular members.

2. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 1, wherein said specified level includes only those members at the same hierarchical level or below.

3. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 2, wherein said specified level includes only those members at the same hierarchical level or below in respect of both said category and said business function.

4. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

identification of potential colleagues for any member from said lists based upon specific identification or by said category or function;

providing for invitations between members to become colleagues of each other;

providing for acceptance of any said colleague invitation;

identification of accepted invitations as colleagues for individual members; and

accumulating data records of each said colleague and providing said records to said colleagues.

5. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 4, further comprising the step of providing a minimum inter-member activity level between colleagues.

6. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 5 further comprising removing said colleague identification if said minimum inter-member activity level is not met.

7. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 1, wherein said networking events are electronic communications and inter-personal events.

8. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 7, wherein said networking events are threaded communications.

9. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing for a plurality of societies of members;

providing specifications for entry into named societies;

providing for creation of a named society by a first member which named society includes criteria for entry into said named society;

providing for invitations between members of a named society and non-members of that society to enter the respective named society;

providing for acceptance of a said society invitation if said specifications and said criteria are met by said non-member;

identification of accepted society invitations as society member; and

accumulating data records of inter-member activity in respect of each said society as intra-society activity.

10. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 9, wherein said networking events are electronic communications and inter-personal events.

11. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

providing a minimum intra-society activity level between respective society members in each said society; and

removing a society member from any society if said minimum intra-society activity level is not met.

12. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 11, wherein said criteria are based upon said hierarchical data elements for member categories and member business functions.

13. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 12, further comprising the step of identification of potential members for a named society based upon at least one of its respective specifications or its respective criteria.

14. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 13, wherein said criteria include at least one of required elements or preferred elements.

15. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 14, further comprising the step of removing any society member from any society if said required specifications or criteria cease to be met.

16. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 9, further comprising the step of providing for a single passcode criteria whereby said 1^st member may invite a specific member to participate in a society.

17. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 9, wherein each of said societies is either a public society or private society.

18. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 17, wherein said public societies are identified to members by society name, criteria and membership.

19. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 17, wherein said private societies are identified to members by society name.

20. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 9, wherein said method is carried out by stored procedures within said database structure.

21. The method of automated business networking between individuals according to claim 9, wherein said acceptance of said society invitation requires a vote among society members.

22. An automated business networking system between individuals including computers servers, data storage devices, data input devices and data viewing devices comprising computing devices which:

a) establish and maintain a remotely accessible database structure regarding individual members of a business networking group including data elements for member categories and member business functions, wherein said database structure includes hierarchical data elements for member categories and member business functions;

b) collect and store data in said database regarding individual members of said business networking group including individual data elements for member category and member business function, wherein said collection and storage of data includes identification of said hierarchical category data elements and business function data elements for individual members;

c) present lists of members restricted to specified levels of said hierarchical category data elements or said hierarchical business function data elements;

d) provide for networking events between members on said lists;

e) track said networking events between and among members as inter-member activity;

f) identify potential colleagues for any member from said lists based upon specific identification or by said category or function;

g) provide for invitations between members to become colleagues of each other;

h) provide for acceptance of any said colleague invitation;

i) identify accepted invitations as colleagues for individual members; and

j) accumulate data records of each said inter-member activity in respect of each said colleague and provide said records to each said colleague.