Method and computer system for matching mobile device users for business and social networking

• US 7,970,912 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Floshire Mark KG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bourne, Julian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neurauter, Jr.; George C
• Application Number:
  US12/205,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 709/208, 709/227, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A business or social networking method described herein enables mobile device users to meet one another, on a permission basis. Whether a given pair of mobile device users are introduced depends on whether a server determines they are in intellectual or “cognitive” proximity, which is typically a function of one or more factors. Individuals who match to a given degree or threshold are said to be in intellectual proximity. When given mobile devices users are within physical proximity of one another during an overlapping time window, the server determines whether the users are also within a given intellectual proximity. If so, and if both users have opted to receive new introductions, the server issues a mutual collaboration opportunity message to the users to determine whether they desire an introduction. If the mobile device users agree to be introduced, the server establishes a direct private messaging session between them.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving registration information at a server from computing devices to create individual profiles;

determining, based on the individual profiles, whether a first profile associated with a first mobile device in communication with the server is within intellectual proximity to a second profile associated with a second mobile device in communication with the server, wherein intellectual proximity is determined at least in part by relative management stratum of the first profile and second profile, wherein management stratum is afforded a first weight in response to the first profile and the second profile including a specific business networking intent objective, and a second weight, less than the first weight, in response to the first profile and the second profile including a non-specific business networking intent objective;

in response to the first profile and the second profile being in intellectual proximity, issuing a mutual collaboration opportunity message to the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to receiving messages from the first mobile device and the second mobile device indicating agreement for introduction, establishing a direct private messaging session between the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the issuing the mutual collaboration opportunity message further comprises sending information regarding proximity of the first mobile device to the second mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at the server information regarding location of individual mobile devices associated with the individual profiles including the first mobile device and the second mobile device;

wherein the determining comprises determining whether the first mobile device and the second mobile device and the first profile and the second profile are within a combined intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity;

and wherein the issuing the mutual collaboration opportunity comprises issuing the mutual collaboration opportunity in response to determining that the first mobile device and the second mobile device and the first profile and the second profile are within the combined intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the receiving the information regarding location comprises at least one of receiving the information from a location server and receiving the information from the individual mobile devices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the issuing the mutual collaboration opportunity message comprising masking personally identifying information from the mutual collaboration opportunity message.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising searching by the server for additional information regarding an individual profile.

8. The method claim 7 further comprising sending from the server a message confirming an identification of the additional information relating to a given individual profile to a mobile device associated with the given individual profile.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving at the server from a mobile device associated with a given individual profile a command to activate the given individual profile for matching.

10. A method comprising:

receiving at a server information regarding location of individual mobile devices associated with individual profiles associated with the server, the individual mobile devices including a first mobile device and a second mobile device;

determining whether the first mobile device associated with a first profile of the individual profiles and the second mobile device associated with a second profile of the individual provides and the first profile and the second profile are within a combined intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity;

issuing a collaboration opportunity message to at least one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device in response to determining that the first mobile device and the second mobile device and the first profile and the second profile are within the combined intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity; and

wherein the intellectual proximity comprises determining, based on the individual profiles, whether the first profile is within intellectual proximity to the second profile, wherein intellectual proximity is determined at least in part by a business networking intent objective of at least one of the first profile and the second profile being specific or non-specific.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising in response to receiving messages from the first mobile device and the second mobile device indicating agreement for introduction, establishing a direct private messaging session between the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the issuing the collaboration opportunity message further comprises sending information regarding proximity of the first mobile device to the second mobile device.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the issuing the collaboration opportunity message comprising masking personally identifying information from the collaboration opportunity message.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising searching by the server for additional information regarding an individual profile.

15. The method claim 14 further comprising sending from the server a message confirming an identification of the additional information relating to a given individual profile to a mobile device associated with the given individual profile.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving at the server from a mobile device associated with a given individual profile a command to activate the given individual profile for matching.

17. A method comprising:

receiving at a server a search query from a first mobile device;

based on the search query, identifying one or more prospects from a set of individual profiles based on the one or more prospects having, with respect to the first mobile device and a first profile associated with the first mobile device, a given intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity in combination with a given match of the search query;

sending to the first mobile device information identifying the one or more prospects;

in response to receiving a message from the first mobile device regarding at least one of the one or more prospects, enabling communication between the first mobile device and a second mobile device associated with the at least one of the one or more prospects;

wherein determining the intellectual proximity comprises determining, based on the individual profiles, whether the first profile is within intellectual proximity to a given individual profile, wherein intellectual proximity is determined at least in part by a business networking intent objective of at least one of the first profile and the given individual profile being specific or non-specific.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein identifying a given intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity in combination with a given match of the search query comprises weighing individual factors based on information received in connection with the first profile.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising in response to receiving messages from the first mobile device and the second mobile device indicating agreement for introduction, establishing a direct private messaging session between the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the enabling communication further comprises sending information regarding proximity of the first mobile device to the second mobile device.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the sending to the first mobile device information identifying the one or more prospects comprising masking personally identifying information regarding the one or more prospects.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising searching by the server for additional information regarding an individual profile.

23. The method claim 21 further comprising sending from the server a message confirming an identification of the additional information relating to a given individual profile to a mobile device associated with the given individual profile.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving at the server from a mobile device associated with a given individual profile a command to activate the given individual profile for matching.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that in response to execution by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving registration information to create individual profiles;

determining, based on the individual profiles, whether a first profile associated with a first mobile device in communication with the computing device is within intellectual proximity to a second profile associated with a second mobile device in communication with the computing device, wherein intellectual proximity is determined at least in part by relative management stratum of the first profile and second profile, wherein management stratum is afforded a first weight in response to the first profile and the second profile including a specific business networking intent objective, and a second weight, less than the first weight, in response to the first profile and the second profile including a non-specific business networking intent objective;

in response to the first profile and the second profile being in intellectual proximity, issuing a mutual collaboration opportunity message to the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising in response to receiving messages from the first mobile device and the second mobile device indicating agreement for introduction, establishing a direct private messaging session between the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving information regarding location of individual mobile devices associated with the individual profiles including the first mobile device and the second mobile device;

wherein the determining comprises determining whether the first mobile device and the second mobile device and the first profile and the second profile are within a combined intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity;

and wherein the issuing the mutual collaboration opportunity comprises issuing the mutual collaboration opportunity in response to determining that the first mobile device and the second mobile device and the first profile and the second profile are within the combined intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity.

28. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that in response to execution by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving at a server information regarding location of individual mobile devices associated with individual profiles associated with the computing device, the individual mobile devices including a first mobile device and a second mobile device;

determining whether the first mobile device associated with a first profile of the individual profiles and the second mobile device associated with a second profile of the individual provides and the first profile and the second profile are within a combined intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity;

issuing a collaboration opportunity message to at least one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device in response to determining that the first mobile device and the second mobile device and the first profile and the second profile are within the combined intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity; and

wherein the intellectual proximity comprises determining, based on the individual profiles, whether the first profile is within intellectual proximity to the second profile, wherein intellectual proximity is determined at least in part by a business networking intent objective of at least one of the first profile and the second profile being specific or non-specific.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28 wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising further comprising in response to receiving messages from the first mobile device and the second mobile device indicating agreement for introduction, establishing a direct private messaging session between the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

30. A non-computer readable medium storing instructions that in response to execution by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving at a server a search query from a first mobile device;

based on the search query, identifying one or more prospects from a set of individual profiles based on the one or more prospects having, with respect to the first mobile device and a first profile associated with the first mobile device, a given intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity in combination with a given match of the search query;

sending to the first mobile device information identifying the one or more prospects;

in response to receiving a message from the first mobile device regarding at least one of the one or more prospects, enabling communication between the first mobile device and a second mobile device associated with the at least one of the one or more prospects;

wherein determining the intellectual proximity comprises determining, based on the individual profiles, whether the first profile is within intellectual proximity to a given individual profile, wherein intellectual proximity is determined at least in part by a business networking intent objective of at least one of the first profile and the given individual profile being specific or non-specific.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30 wherein identifying a given intellectual proximity, temporal proximity, and physical proximity in combination with a given match of the search query comprises weighing individual factors based on information received in connection with the first profile.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30 wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising in response to receiving messages from the first mobile device and the second mobile device indicating agreement for introduction, establishing a direct private messaging session between the first mobile device and the second mobile device.