Method for grouping computer subscribers by common preferences to establish non-intimate relationships

• US 7,092,952 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited, LLC
• Original Assignee: Peter Wilens
• Inventors: Wilens, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAUBAIDI, HAYTHIM J
• Application Number:
  US09/997,018
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/100, 707/102, 707/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method for grouping computer subscribers by common preferences to establish non-intimate relationships. The method of the present invention provides a subscriber access to a computerized database having stored non-intimate profile information from fellow subscribers. The user registers and stores non-intimate profile information into a database. The present invention groups the user with at least two of the fellow subscribers to form at least one group based on similarities between the subscriber'"'"'s profile information and the fellow subscriber'"'"'s profile information. The present invention utilizes an algorithm to determine a level of similarity between the subscriber'"'"'s profile information and the fellow subscribers'"'"' profile information, wherein preferences are assigned integer values concatenated to form a lookup key and used to access an entry in a table containing the corresponding similarity value between two preferences. The similarity values between all profile preferences are added to create a final similarity total for the subscribers. Multi-way matching is also employed to ensure that similarity values for each subscriber in the group and all other subscribers in said group exceeds a threshold value. The list of subscribers in the group as well as similarities between the subscribers in the group are displayed for viewing and for editing by the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for grouping subscribers by common preferences, the steps comprising:

providing a subscriber access to a computerized database having stored profile information from fellow subscribers;

registering and storing profile information from said subscriber into said database;

grouping said subscriber with at least two of said fellow subscribers to form at least one group based on similarities between said subscriber'"'"'s profile information and said fellow subscribers'"'"' profile information wherein all of the subscribers'"'"' profiles in said group are similar to each other;

utilizing an algorithm to determine a level of similarity between said subscriber'"'"'s profile information and said fellow subscribers'"'"' profile information, wherein preferences are assigned integer values concatenated to form a lookup key, and used to access an entry in a table containing the corresponding similarity value between two preferences; and

summing similarity values for all profile preferences to create a final similarity total for said subscribers; and

communicating said final similarity of said group to said subscribers.

2. The method stated in claim 1, wherein said step of utilizing an algorithm further comprises the steps of:

requiring that the similarity values between subscribers exceeds a threshold value.

3. A method for grouping subscribers by common preferences, the steps comprising:

providing a subscriber access to a computerized database having stored profile information from fellow subscribers;

registering and storing profile information, including biographical information on personal preferences, of said subscriber into said database;

entering a group selection criteria that identifies characteristics and interests which subscribers must have to be included in a candidate group;

creating a candidate list of subscribers based on the group selection criteria;

grouping said subscribers from said candidate list with at least two fellow subscribers to form at least one group based on similarities between said subscriber'"'"'s profile information and said fellow subscribers'"'"' profile information wherein all of the subscribers'"'"' profiles in said group are similar to each other;

grouping said subscriber with at least two of said fellow subscribers by applying an algorithm to determine a level of similarity between said subscriber and said fellow subscribers, wherein preference disclosed in said subscriber'"'"'s profile information are assigned integer values concatenated to form a lookup key and used to access an entry in a table containing the corresponding similarity value between the two preferences;

summing similarity values for all profile preferences to create a final similarity total for said subscribers;

providing capability whereby said subscriber selects final group members from the candidate list; and

displaying said group of said subscribers.

4. The method stated in claim 3, wherein the size of the group can be specified for grouping of said subscribers into said group.

5. The method stated in claim 4, wherein the subscribers'"'"' preferred meeting times are considered as criteria in grouping said subscribers into said group.

6. A method for grouping subscribers by common preferences, comprising the steps of:

providing a subscriber access to a computerized database having stored profile information from fellow subscribers;

registering and storing profile information of said subscriber into said database;

using an algorithm to determine a level of similarity between said subscriber and other subscribers'"'"' profile information, wherein profile fields are assigned values and used to create a lookup key to access an entry in a table containing the corresponding similarity value between two fields;

summing similarity values for said subscriber and other subscribers to create final similarity totals between subscribers;

grouping said subscriber with at least two of said fellow subscribers to form at least one group based on similarity totals between all subscribers in said group; and

communicating said final similarity of said group to said subscribers.

7. A method for grouping subscribers by common preferences, comprising the steps of:

providing a subscriber access to a computerized database having stored profile information from fellow subscribers;

registering and storing profile information of said subscriber into said database;

using an algorithm to determine a level of similarity between said subscriber and other subscribers'"'"' profile information, wherein profile fields are assigned values and used to create a lookup key to access an entry in a table containing the corresponding similarity value between two fields;

summing similarity values for said subscriber and other subscribers to create final similarity totals between subscribers;

grouping said subscriber with at least two of said fellow subscribers to form at least one group wherein multiple fields in each subscribers'"'"' profile are similar; and

communicating said final similarity of said group to said subscribers.

8. A method for grouping subscribers by common preferences, comprising the steps of:

providing a subscriber access to a computerized database having stored profile information from fellow subscribers;

registering and storing profile information of said subscriber into said database;

using an algorithm to determine a level of similarity between said subscriber and other subscribers'"'"' profile information, wherein profile fields are assigned values and used to create a lookup key to access an entry in a table containing the corresponding similarity value between two fields;

summing similarity values for said subscriber and other subscribers to create final similarity totals between subscribers;

grouping said subscriber with at least two of said fellow subscribers to form at least one group of a specified size wherein multiple fields in each subscribers'"'"' profile are similar; and

communicating said final similarity of said group to said subscribers.