Method and system to connect and match users in an electronic dating service

• US 7,203,674 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2002
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morgan Cohen
• Original Assignee: Morgan Cohen
• Inventors: Cohen, Morgan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cindy
• Application Number:
  US10/078,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/102, 705/5, 709/206, 709/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Described herein is a method and system for connecting and matching users in an electronic dating service. In one embodiment of the invention, subscribers, or users, of the dating service are connected for a brief duration of time. During that time the users have a date, or more specifically, a real-time conversation. After the real-time conversation, the users are disconnected from each other and separately asked if they enjoyed the date, or in other words if they felt a mutual attraction, and if they would like to have further contact with each other. If both users respond affirmatively then they are allowed further contact with each other.

Claims

1. In an electronic dating service, a computer implemented method comprising:

establishing an electronic connection between a first personal computing device of a first user and a second personal computing device of a second user to allow the first and second user to have a person-to-person date via a real-time communication, for a predefined duration;

ending said electronic connection between said first personal computing device of said first user and said second personal computing device of said second user after the predefined duration;

after said electronic connection between said first personal computing device of said first user and said second personal computing device of said second user ends, automatically prompting the first and second users to produce a response indicating whether they felt interest in each other during the person-to-person date, each of the first and second users being prompted irrespective of an indication from the other user;

determining a two-way match if both first and second user indicate an interest in each other; and

if the two-way match occurs and both first and second user indicate that they would like to extend the date, re-establishing the electronic connection between said first personal computing device of said first user and said second personal computing device of said second user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising apprising the first and second user whether a two-way match occurs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the electronic connection includes utilizing a telephony server to establish a telephone connection between the first personal computing device of said first user and the second personal computing device of said second user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the electronic connection includes utilizing a telephony server to receive a telephone call from the first and second user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the electronic connection includes utilizing a telephony server to place a telephone call to the first and second user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the electronic connection includes utilizing a telephony server to place a telephone call to the first user and receive a telephone call from the second user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic connection includes any one of an audio, video, or audio-video connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the users have not spoken to each other previously.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, maintaining profile information about the first and second user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing profile information of the first and second user to each other.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said profile information includes contact information, and further comprising providing contact information about one user to the other only if a two-way match occurs.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising informing the first and second user of time remaining in the predefined duration.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the first and second user to rate each other'"'"'s comportment during the real-time communication.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the first and second user to indicate if they would like to extend the date, only if a two-way match occurs.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining an account for the first and second user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said account can receive credit card payment.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring the duration of the real-time communication between the users; and

deducting from the account an amount corresponding to the real-time communication duration.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring the duration between establishing the real time connection and reception of the users'"'"' matching responses; and

deducting from the account an amount based upon said duration.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring whether the user disconnects during the real time communication; and

deducting from the user'"'"'s account an amount based upon the predefined duration that the electronic connection was expected to sustain.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether the first or second user has sufficient credit in the account to meet the predefined duration that the electronic connection is expected to sustain; and

prompting said user to credit the account, if said credit is insufficient.

21. In an electronic dating service, a computer implemented method comprising:

presenting to a user an interface wherein the user may choose to go on a group date;

presenting to the user a list of upcoming group-date events;

determining if there is space available in an upcoming group-date event within the list for the user;

determining if the user meets specified criteria for the upcoming group-date event, the specified criteria depending on a profile of the user;

after the user selects the upcoming group-date event, automatically defining a round of dates for the user;

when the upcoming group-date event starts, allowing the user to participate in the round of dates; and

if a number of users who have signed up for the event within a predefined interval before the event is insufficient,

canceling the event, and

informing the signed up users electronically of the cancellation.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

validating that the group-date event does not conflict with another existing group-date event or with an invited date.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

performing a validation to ensure that there are sufficient credits in the user'"'"'s account for at least one group-date event, based on the estimated time for a complete group-date event; and

reserving credits for the group-date event, if there are sufficient credits in the account; and

prompting the user to credit the account if there are insufficient credits in the account.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising

pairing compatible users in the group-date event who have not previously had a date;

and

allowing the paired users to have an electronic date.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein an electronic date comprises:

establishing an electronic connection between the paired compatible users to allow the paired compatible users to have a real-time communication, for a predefined duration;

ending said electronic connection between said paired compatible users after the predefined duration;

prompting the paired compatible users to indicate whether they had interest in each other; and

determining a two-way match if both the paired compatible users indicate an interest in each other.

26. A system for an electronic dating service comprising:

a plurality of personal computing devices, utilized by a plurality of users, connected to each other via a network; and

a controller to

(a) establish an electronic connection between the plurality of personal computing devices to allow the plurality of users to have a person-to-person date via a real-time communication,

(b) disconnect the plurality of personal computing devices after a predefined duration of time,

(c) after-the electronic connection between the plurality of personal computing devices ends, automatically prompt the plurality of users to produce a negative or affirmative response whether they felt an attraction for each other during the person-to-person date, each of the plurality of users being prompted irrespective of an indication from the other user, and

(d) determine a two-way match if the plurality of users indicate affirmative responses.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the controller is to:

display to a first user of the plurality of users a list of other users, said other users previously matched with said first user;

allow the first user to select a second user from the list;

inform the second user of the first user'"'"'s identity; and

prompt the second user to accept or reject a date from the first user.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the controller is to establish an electronic connection between the first and second users if the second user accepts the date.

29. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

establishing an electronic connection between a first personal computing device of a first user and second personal computing device of a second user to allow the first and second user to have a person-to-person date via a real-time communication, for a predefined duration;

ending said electronic connection between said first personal computing device of said first user and said second personal computing device of said second user after the predefined duration;

after said electronic connection between said first and second users ends, automatically prompting the first and second users to produce a response indicating whether they felt interest in each other during the person-to-person date, each of the first and second users being prompted irrespective of an indication from the other user;

determining a two-way match if both first and second user indicate an interest in each other; and

if the two-way match occurs and both first and second user indicate that they would like to extend the date, re-establishing the electronic connection between said first personal computing device of said first user and said second personal computing device of said second user.