Choice-based relationship system (CRS)

• US 7,617,160 B1
• Filed: 02/05/2003
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Michael I. Grove
• Inventors: Grove, Michael, Grove, Deborah, Van der Veen, Larry, Strots, Alexei
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US10/361,099
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/500, 707 1- 6, 713182-185
• US Class Current: 705/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and apparatus for building relationship opportunities for event participants with similar interests before, during and after the event are disclosed. The method includes creating a profile of a first user registered for an event, the profile includes terms indicative of preferences and characteristics of the first user. The method also includes receiving an inquiry from the first user for at least one match based on at least one keyword and providing a list of matches to the user in response to the inquiry, wherein the match is a second user sharing similar interests with the first user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

electronically creating an event related profile of a first user registered for an event hosted by a third party provider where at least one user is unknown to a second user, the profile includes terms indicative of preferences with respect to the third party hosted event and characteristics of the first user;

electronically monitoring activities of the first user prior to, during, and after participation of a third party hosted event;

electronically automatically updating the profile of the first user according to third party hosted event activities of the first user;

electronically receiving an inquiry from the first user for at least one match with a second user based on at least one keyword;

electronically providing a list of matches of other users at the third party hosted event to the first user in response to the inquiry,

wherein the match is a second user sharing at least one relevant interest with the first user based on profiles of the first and second users, wherein the first user and the second user register to participate in at least one common or related third party hosted event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the event is a social or gathering event hosted by a third party intended for the matching of relevant interests of a group of two or more people.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the event is one of a business conference, a cruise, a social gathering or a virtual event hosted by a third party and conducted over a communication method where at least one user is unknown to the second user, and wherein at least one user does not have contact information of the second user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each term of the profile is associated with a taxonomy which includes metadata.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second users are matched based on a reputation index that measures relative trustworthiness of the first user and the second user based on a normalized user representing a model era normal user rather than an actual user of a group of users participating in the at least one common event or related event hosted by a third party.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein one user profile and any related information is encrypted uniquely for any event hosted by a third party for a purpose of exchange with a second user such that neither user obtains the other profile or any related information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile is associated with at least one event hosted by a third party with two or more user participants, wherein the profile includes metadata and/or taxonomy for identifying a relevancy of a term.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising searching profiles of other users to identify matches to the first user inquiry by comparing at least one keyword of the inquiry to terms of profiles of other users.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising searching profiles of other users to identify matches to the first user inquiry by comparing the profile of the first user to a normalized user profile and comparing profiles of other users to the user normalized profile.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the normalized user profile represents a typical user of the event, rather than an actual user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and at least one second user are unknown to each other and are matched based on reputation of the first and second users of entities that the first and second users are representing during the third party hosted event and wherein the reputation of the first and second users is specified via profiles of the first and second users.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reputation of the first and second users includes an executive title of the first and second users with respect to their entities being represented.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second users are matched further based on business objectives of the first and second users with respect to the event.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the business objectives comprise at least one of finding technology partners, finding investments, finding customers, and introducing the entity representing to inventors.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second users are matched further based on a business topic that the first and second users will discuss when the first and second users meet during the third party hosted event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one keyword indicates an activity unrelated to the third party hosted event that the first user would like to participate during the third party hosted event but outside of a schedule of the event, and wherein at least one second user unknown to the first user also indicates an interest in the activity via a profile of the second user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising presenting a list of facilities within a predetermined geographic proximity of the third party hosted event that provide the activity.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a secure data model exchange among user, third party hosted event, event provider, or user community profiles such that rules define what information is exchanged and such exchanges can be temporarily encrypted to prevent loss of data.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising integrating event based profile, meta-taxonomy, or other event based information from the user, community, event provider, or third party hosted event, wherein the information is temporarily unencrypted for matching engine to establish relevant matches.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for creating a profile of a first user registered for an event hosted by a third party where at least one user is unknown to a second user, the profile includes terms indicative of preferences with respect to the event and characteristics of the first user;

means for monitoring activities of the first user prior to, during, and after participation of the third party hosted event;

means for automatically updating the profile of the first user according to the third party hosted event activities of the first user;

means for receiving related to a third party hosted event an inquiry from the first user for at least one match with a second user based on at least one keyword;

means for providing a list of matches of other users at the third party hosted event to the first user in response to the inquiry,

wherein the match is a second user sharing similar interests with the first user based on profiles of the first and second users, wherein the first user and the second user register to participate in at least one common or related event hosted by a third party.

21. A machine-readable medium having instructions therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

electronically creating a profile of a first user registered for an event hosted by a provider where at least one user is unknown to a second user, the profile includes terms indicative of preferences with respect to a third party hosted event and characteristics of the first user;

electronically monitoring activities of the first user prior to, during, and after participation of the third party hosted event;

electronically automatically updating the profile of the first user according to the third party hosted event activities of the first user;

electronically receiving related to a third party hosted event an inquiry from the first user for at least one match with a second user based on at least one keyword;

electronically providing a list of matches of other users at the third party hosted event to the first user in response to the inquiry,

wherein the match is a second user sharing relevant interests with the first user based on profiles of the first and second users, wherein the first user and the second user register to participate in at least one common or related third party hosted event.