Method and system for establishing and using a social network to facilitate people in life issues

• US 7,984,070 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetSoc, LLC
• Original Assignee: Emily J. White
• Inventors: White, Emily J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, BINH VAN
• Application Number:
  US12/489,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 707/791
• US Class Current: 707/791
• 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 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide numerous applications and implementations of a social network to facilitate individuals to resolve various life issues. These issues may include issues that arise when individuals or families relocate, including logistic problems, assimilation of family members in a community, and roommate pairings. As will be described, embodiments described herein greatly facilitate corporations in relocating their employees logistically, and also assist employees and their families with life issues that may determine whether the employees'"'"' relocation will be a success.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a social connection, the method being implemented by one or more processors that combine to perform steps comprising:

(a) maintaining a list comprising a plurality of participants and one or more participant classes, wherein the list includes information associated with each of the participants and participant classes, and wherein the information associated with each participant includes biographical information and a geographic region that is deemed to be a residence for the that participant, and wherein the information associated with each participant class includes a geographic region that is of pertinence to the participant class;

(b) enabling the user to make a selection of a category from a plurality of categories;

(c) in conjunction with the selection of the category by the user, receiving an electronic communication from the user for an unidentified respondent, wherein the electronic communication contains an inquiry of the user, the inquiry specifying a topic and a geographic region;

(d) after receiving the selection of the category by the user, programmatically making a selection of a participant class for viewing the electronic communication, wherein the participant class corresponds to a plurality of individual participants that share an occupation and a geographic region of residence, wherein making the selection is based at least in part on (i) the selection of the category, (ii) the information associated with the participant class or individual participants that comprise the participant class, the information including the geographic region associated with the participant class or individual participants that comprise the participant class;

(e) enabling individual participants that comprise the participant class to respond to the inquiry, wherein each response is provided information about the participant responding to the inquiry;

wherein step (e) further comprises;

establishing an online communication forum for the user and the individual participants that comprise the participant class to communicate on; and

enabling the user and each participant of the participant class that responds to the inquiry to view the biographical information of the other;

performing one or more actions to monitor a response provided by one or more of the participants of the participant class to the inquiry, the one or more actions include processing a feedback from the user about one or more participants of the participant class that responded to the inquiry, the feedback including an indication from the user about a quality of the response from the one or more participants of the participant class that responded to the inquiry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the participant class also corresponds to a plurality of individual participants that share an interest.

3. A method for establishing a social connection, the method being implemented by one or more processors that combine to perform steps comprising:

(a) maintaining a list comprising a plurality of participants and one or more participant classes, wherein the list includes information associated with each of the participants and participant classes, and wherein the information associated with each participant includes biographical information and a geographic region that is deemed to be a residence for the that participant, and wherein the information associated with each participant class includes a geographic region that is of pertinence to the participant class;

(b) enabling the user to make a selection of a category from a plurality of categories;

(c) in conjunction with the selection of the category by the user, receiving an electronic communication from the user for an unidentified respondent, wherein the electronic communication contains an inquiry of the user, the inquiry specifying a topic and a geographic region;

(d) after receiving the selection of the category by the user, programmatically making a selection of a participant class for viewing the electronic communication, wherein the participant class corresponds to a plurality of individual participants that share a common interest and a geographic region of residence, wherein making the selection is based at least in part on (i) the selection of the category, (ii) the information associated with the participant class or individual participants that comprise the participant class, the information including the geographic region associated with the participant class or individual participants that comprise the participant class;

(e) enabling individual participants that comprise the participant class to respond to the inquiry, wherein each response is provided information about the participant responding to the inquiry;

wherein step (e) further comprises;

establishing an online communication forum for the user and the individual participants that comprise the participant class to communicate on; and

enabling the user and each participant of the participant class that responds to the inquiry to view the biographical information of the other;

performing one or more actions to monitor a response provided by one or more of the participants of the participant class to the inquiry, the one or more actions include processing a feedback from the user about one or more participants of the participant class that responded to the inquiry, the feedback including an indication from the user about a quality of the response from the one or more participants of the participant class that responded to the inquiry.