Computerized on-line dating service for searching and matching people
First Claim
1. In an on-line dating service, a method of searching a database of subscriber information in order to find at least one subscriber matching user search criteria, the subscriber information including preferences of subscribers to the service, wherein the users access the database by at least one of a telephone and a computer, wherein the subscriber information includes a date of last payment of a use fee by each subscriber and a date of last updating of a personal profile by each subscriber, the method comprising, by computer:
- (A) repeatedly(a) searching the database for records matching search criteria of a user, and(b) relaxing at least some of the search criteria, until at least a required number of matching records are found, wherein the required number of matching records is never less than one;
(B) reporting the matching records to the user, including(a) re porting a degree of match for each reported record; and
(b) indicating, for each reported record, a degree of match of each of the search criteria,(C) reordering the matching entries according to at least one of;
(a) a date of last payment of a use fee by each subscriber and(b) a date of last updating of a personal profile by each subscriber,wherein when the entries are reordered according to the date of last payment, the matching entries having a more recent date of the last payment are reported before others of the matching entries; and
when the entries are reordered according to the date of last updating, the matching entries having a more recent data of last updating are reported before others of the matching entries, andwherein the search criteria include at least one of;
a gender preference;
a geographic location preference;
an age preference;
appearance preferences;
religious belief preferences;
educational level preferences; and
a goal preference; and
wherein the goal preference is one of "romance";
"friendship" or "a walk on the wild side"; and
wherein the geographic location preference is at least one of;
a postal code, a country, a city, a suburb, a block, or a street; and
wherein the gender preference search criterion is never relaxed, andwherein the geographic location preference search criterion is only relaxed after other search criteria have been relaxed.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an on-line dating service, a database of subscriber information is searched to find at least one subscriber matching user search criteria. The subscriber information includes preferences of subscribers to the service. Personal preferences for a user are obtained as search criteria. The personal preferences and the subscriber information include at least: a gender preference; a geographic location preference; an age preference; appearance preferences; religious belief preferences; educational level preferences; and a goal preference, and the goal preference is one of "romance"; "friendship" or "a walk on the wild side", the geographic location preference is at least one of a postal code, a country, a city, a suburb, a block, or a street The subscriber information includes a date of last payment of a use fee by each subscriber and a date of last updating of a personal profile by each subscriber. The database is repeatedly searched for records matching the personal preferences of the user by at least a percentage match parameter value. The percentage match parameter is reduced by a value of say 10%, until at least a required number of matching records are found.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. In an on-line dating service, a method of searching a database of subscriber information in order to find at least one subscriber matching user search criteria, the subscriber information including preferences of subscribers to the service, wherein the users access the database by at least one of a telephone and a computer, wherein the subscriber information includes a date of last payment of a use fee by each subscriber and a date of last updating of a personal profile by each subscriber, the method comprising, by computer:
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(A) repeatedly (a) searching the database for records matching search criteria of a user, and (b) relaxing at least some of the search criteria, until at least a required number of matching records are found, wherein the required number of matching records is never less than one; (B) reporting the matching records to the user, including (a) re porting a degree of match for each reported record; and (b) indicating, for each reported record, a degree of match of each of the search criteria, (C) reordering the matching entries according to at least one of; (a) a date of last payment of a use fee by each subscriber and (b) a date of last updating of a personal profile by each subscriber, wherein when the entries are reordered according to the date of last payment, the matching entries having a more recent date of the last payment are reported before others of the matching entries; and when the entries are reordered according to the date of last updating, the matching entries having a more recent data of last updating are reported before others of the matching entries, and wherein the search criteria include at least one of;
a gender preference;
a geographic location preference;
an age preference;
appearance preferences;
religious belief preferences;
educational level preferences; and
a goal preference; andwherein the goal preference is one of "romance";
"friendship" or "a walk on the wild side"; andwherein the geographic location preference is at least one of;
a postal code, a country, a city, a suburb, a block, or a street; andwherein the gender preference search criterion is never relaxed, and wherein the geographic location preference search criterion is only relaxed after other search criteria have been relaxed.
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2. In an on-line dating service, a method of searching a database of subscriber information in order to find at least one subscriber matching user search criteria, the subscriber information including preferences of subscribers to the service, the method comprising, by computer:
repeatedly (a) searching the database for records matching search criteria of a user, and (b) relaxing at least some of the search criteria, until at least a required number of matching records are found. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In an on-line dating service, an apparatus of searching a database of subscriber information in order to find at least one subscriber matching user search criteria, the subscriber information including preferences of subscribers to the service, wherein the users access the database by at least one of a telephone and a computer, wherein the subscriber information includes a date of last payment of a use fee by each subscriber and a date of last updating of a personal profile by each subscriber, the apparatus comprising:
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(A) means for repeatedly (a) searching the database for records matching search criteria of a user, and (b) relaxing at least some of the search criteria, until at least a required number of matching records are found, wherein the required number of matching records is never less than one; (B) means for reporting the matching records to the user, including (a) means for reporting a degree of match for each reported record; and (b) means for indicating, for each reported record, a degree of match of each of the search criteria, (C) means for reordering the matching entries according to at least one of; (a) a date of last payment of a use fee by each subscriber and (b) a date of last updating of a personal profile by each subscriber, wherein when the entries are reordered according to the date of last payment, the matching entries having a more recent date of the last payment are reported before others of the matching entries; and when the entries are reordered according to the date of last updating, the matching entries having a more recent data of last updating are reported before others of the matching entries, and wherein the search criteria include at least one of;
a gender preference;
a geographic location preference;
an age preference;
appearance preferences;
religious belief preferences;
educational level preferences; and
a goal preference; andwherein the goal preference is one of "romance";
"friendship" or "a walk on the wild side"; andwherein the geographic location preference is at least one of;
a postal code, a country, a city, a suburb, a block, or a street; andwherein the gender preference search criterion is never relaxed, and wherein the geographic location preference search criterion is only relaxed after other search criteria have been relaxed.
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18. In an on-line dating service, an apparatus of searching a database of subscriber information in order to find at least one subscriber matching user search criteria, the subscriber information including preferences of subscribers to the service, the apparatus comprising:
means for repeatedly (a) searching the database for records matching search criteria of a user, and (b) relaxing at least some of the search criteria, until at least a required number of matching records are found. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. Computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform, in an on-line dating service, a method of searching a database of subscriber information in order to find at least one subscriber matching user search criteria, the subscriber information including preferences of subscribers to the service, wherein the users access the database by at least one of a telephone and a computer, wherein the subscriber information includes a date of last payment of a use fee by each subscriber and a date of last updating of a personal profile by each subscriber, the method comprising, by computer:
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(A) repeatedly (a) searching the database for records matching search criteria of a user, and (b) relaxing at least some of the search criteria, until at least a required number of matching records are found, wherein the required number of matching records is never less than one; (B) reporting the matching records to the user, including (a) reporting a degree of match for each reported record; and (b) indicating, for each reported record, a degree of match of each of the search criteria, (C) reordering the matching entries according to at least one of; (a) a date of last payment of a use fee by each subscriber and (b) a date of last updating of a personal profile by each subscriber, wherein when the entries are reordered according to the date of last payment, the matching entries having a more recent date of the last payment are reported before others of the matching entries; and when the entries are reordered according to the date of last updating, the matching entries having a more recent data of last updating are reported before others of the matching entries, and wherein the search criteria include at least one of;
a gender preference;
a geographic location preference;
an age preference;
appearance preferences;
religious belief preferences;
educational level preferences; and
a goal preference; andwherein the goal preference is one of "romance";
"friendship" or "a walk on the wild side"; andwherein the geographic location preference is at least one of;
a postal code, a country, a city, a suburb, a block, or a street; andwherein the gender preference search criterion is never relaxed, and wherein the geographic location preference search criterion is only relaxed after other search criteria have been relaxed. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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34. Computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform, in an on-line dating service, a method for searching a database of subscriber information in order to find at least one subscriber matching user search criteria, the subscriber information including preferences of subscribers to the service, the method comprising, by computer:
repeatedly (a) searching the database for records matching search criteria of a user, and (b) relaxing at least some of the search criteria, until at least a required number of matching records are found. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
Specification