System and method of adaptive personalization of search results for online dating services

• US 7,882,039 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Match Group, LLC (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smola, Egon, Wang, Wei, Weiss, Aaron Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Plucinski; Jamisue A
• Assistant Examiner(s): SENSENIG, SHAUN D
• Application Number:
  US11/191,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

A system and method are directed towards automatically modifying an online dating service'"'"'s search results based on adaptive personalizations from a user'"'"'s activities. A user provides input to questions that seek information regarding the user. The invention employs the input to identify a list of candidates for a potential long-term social relationship with the user. The invention may then develop a unified search score for each candidate that represents a weighted sum of normalized search subscores. The subscores represent various user activities, affinities with a candidate, frequencies of viewing a candidate profile, and feedback about a candidate from the user. The unified search score for each candidate is then used to rank order the results presented to the user.

Claims

1. A method for use in managing an online dating search with at least one network device including a processor that executes instructions for enabling actions, comprising:

determining a user'"'"'s search criteria for a candidate for a dating relationship online;

performing a search for a list of candidates employing the search criteria;

determining, using the processor, a unified search score for each candidate in the list of candidates, wherein the determined unified search score includes a summation of a plurality of sub-scores, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sub-scores is based on whether the user has been presented with a candidate'"'"'s profile more than a pre-determined number of times without the user viewing details of the candidate'"'"'s profile;

rank ordering each candidate in the list of candidates based on the unified search score of each candidate; and

displaying at least a portion of the rank ordered list of candidates on a computer screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a unified search score for each candidate further comprises determining a plurality of subscores for each candidate based on adaptive personalizations of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of subscores represent at least one of a personality compatibility subscore, a relationship style compatibility subscore, a one-way search subscore, a reverse search subscore, an activity level, and a subscore indicating a geographical distance between a candidate in the list of candidates and the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the unified search score for each candidate further comprises:

determining a user activity subscore based on an order in which the user has contacted at least two candidates; and

including within the unified search score a numeric value associated with the determined user activity subscore.

5. A client device that is configured for use in managing an online dating search, comprising:

a display;

a transceiver for receiving and sending information to another computing device;

a processor in communication with the display and the transceiver that includes instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including;

sending a user'"'"'s search criteria for a candidate for a dating relationship online;

requesting a search for a list of candidates employing the search criteria;

displaying at least a portion of a rank ordering of the list of candidates, wherein the rank ordering is determined by;

determining a plurality of subscores for each candidate that, in part, are based at least on whether the user has been presented with a candidate'"'"'s profile more than a pre-determined number of times without the user viewing details of the candidate'"'"'s profile;

determining a unified search score for each candidate from the each candidate'"'"'s plurality of sub-scores; and

rank ordering the candidates in the list based on each candidate'"'"'s unified search score.

6. The client device of claim 5, wherein the client device is a mobile device.

7. The client device of claim 5, wherein determining the unified search score for each candidate further comprises determining the unified search score for each candidate, in part, by combining weighted normalized subscores for each candidate.

8. The client device of claim 7, wherein the rank ordering is further determined by:

receiving an update to at least one of the plurality of weights; and

dynamically updating the rank ordering of each candidate in the same list of candidates based on the updated weights.

9. The client device of claim 5, wherein determining a plurality of sub-scores for each candidate further comprises determining a subscore for at least one of a one-way search criteria sub-score, a reverse search criteria subscore, a distance subscore, a number of times the user has viewed a candidate'"'"'s profile, and a number of replies a candidate has received within a predetermined time.

10. The client device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of subscores is based on a user rating provided with at least one of a slider bar, a button, and a drop-down menu, to rate the candidate.

11. A server device that is configured for use in managing an online dating search, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving and sending information to another computing device;

a processor in communication with the transceiver; and

a memory in communication with the processor for storing data and machine instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including;

obtaining a user'"'"'s search criteria for a candidate for a dating relationship online;

performing a search for a list of candidates employing the search criteria;

determining a unified search score for each candidate in the list of candidates, wherein the determined unified search score includes a summation of a plurality sub-scores, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sub-scores is based on whether the user has been presented with a candidate'"'"'s profile more than a pre-determined number of times without the user viewing details of the candidate'"'"'s profile;

rank ordering each candidate in the list of candidates based on the unified search score of each candidate; and

providing at least a portion of the rank ordered list of candidates to the other computing device.

12. The server device of claim 11, wherein the other computing device is a mobile device employable by the user to communicate with the server.

13. The server device of claim 11, wherein determining the unified search score further comprises combining a weighted subscore associated with a compatibility feedback about a candidate in the list of candidates with a weighted subscore associated with at least one of a user activity or affinity indicator associated with the candidate.

14. The server device of claim 11, wherein determining the unified search score further comprises:

determining a plurality of subscores based on at least one of an initial user test score, an additional user test score, a one-way search criteria score, a reverse search criteria subscore, an activity score, a distance score, an score reflecting a number of times the user has viewed a candidate'"'"'s profile, a score reflecting a number of replies a candidate has received, or an affinity score;

normalizing each of the plurality of subscores; and

combining the plurality of subscores, wherein each of the plurality of subscores are weighted prior to combining them.

15. The server device of claim 11, wherein the unified search score further comprises a combination of a plurality of adaptive personalization subscores.

16. A computer readable storage medium for managing an online dating search over a network, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed enable a computing device to perform the actions of:

receiving a user'"'"'s search criteria for a candidate for a dating relationship online;

performing a search for a list of candidates employing the search criteria;

determining a unified search score for each candidate in the list of candidates based on adaptive personalizations of the user, wherein at least one of the adaptive personalizations is based on whether the user has been presented with a candidate'"'"'s profile more than a pre-determined number of times without the user viewing details of the candidate'"'"'s profile;

rank ordering each candidate in the list of candidates based on the unified search score of each candidate; and

providing to another computing device at least a portion of the rank ordered list of candidates.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the other computing device is a mobile device.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein at least one adaptive personalization is associated with a compatibility feedback associated with at least one candidate in the list of candidates.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the adaptive personalizations further comprises a plurality of values associated with at least one of a user'"'"'s activity history, affinity information, a user profile, or a feedback rating.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the adaptive personalizations further comprise a plurality of values indicating at least one of whether the user has provided or received communications with a candidate, whether a candidate has a degree of closeness with another candidate in the list of candidates, whether the user has provided feedback on a candidate, a number of times the user has seen a candidate profile in a prior candidate list, or a degree to which a candidate is similar to another candidate.

21. An apparatus of managing an online dating search, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving and sending information to another computing device;

means for determining a user'"'"'s search criteria for a candidate for a dating relationship online;

means for determining a list of candidates based, at least in part, on the search criteria;

means for determining user personalizations for each candidate in the list of candidates, wherein at least one of the personalizations is based on whether the user has been presented with a candidate'"'"'s profile more than a pre-determined number of times without the user viewing details of the candidate'"'"'s profile;

means for employing at least some of the user personalizations to rank order each candidate in the list of candidates; and

means for providing at least a portion of the rank ordered list of candidates towards the other computing device.

22. A method for use in managing an online dating search with at least one network device including a processor that executes instructions for enabling actions, comprising:

determining a user'"'"'s search criteria for a candidate for a dating relationship online;

performing a search for a list of candidates employing the search criteria;

determining, using the processor, a unified search score for each candidate in the list of candidates based at least on a degree to which the candidate profile is similar to another candidate profile the user has previously expressed interest in, wherein the determined unified search score includes a summation of a plurality of weights for at least one sub-score, wherein the plurality of weights includes at least one of a predetermined weight, an adaptive weight, or a user defined weight, wherein determining the unified search score for each candidate further comprises determining a user activity subscore based on an order in which the user has contacted at least two candidates, and wherein a numeric value associated with the determined user activity subscore is included within the unified search score and wherein at least one of the plurality of subscores is based on whether the user has been presented with a candidate'"'"'s profile more than a pre-determined number of times without the user viewing details of the candidate'"'"'s profile;

adjusting the determined unified search score such that the adjusting compensates for a similar rating for a portion of the candidates in the list previously provided by the user when a size of that portion of candidates in the list is at least a predetermined amount of the plurality of candidates;

rank ordering each candidate in the list of candidates based on the unified search score of each candidate; and

displaying at least a portion of the rank ordered list of candidates on a computer screen.