Mutual interest inferencing system and method

• US 8,060,462 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manyworlds Incorporated
• Inventors: Moneypenny, Naomi Felina, Flinn, Steven Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen
• Application Number:
  US12/773,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/603
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/046 Forward inferencing; Production systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method and system for generating, revealing, and delivering explanations of computer-based inferences of expected levels of interest between people is described. The inferences may be based, at least in part, on behavioral information. The method and system may include variations of a mutual commitment process that only reveals a first party'"'"'s inferred or expressed interest in a second party if a reciprocal inferred or expressed interest is confirmed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented people matching method comprising:

inferring the expected level of mutual interest by two parties based, at least in part, on a computer-generated inference of non-explicitly indicated preferences from a plurality of behaviors, wherein at least one of the plurality of behaviors is generated through use of a mobile computing device; and

revealing to one of the parties the inference of the expected level of mutual interest.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a behavior associated with a behavior category, wherein the behavior category is selected from a group consisting of navigation and access behaviors, collaborative behaviors, direct feedback behaviors, subscription and self-profiling behaviors, physiological response behaviors, and environmental conditions and physical location behaviors.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

accessing a location from a location-aware device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

revealing an inferred interest on a non-guaranteed bilateral basis.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

delivering an explanation of why a mutual interest was inferred.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing an expression of interest by a first party toward a second party.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether to reveal mutual expressions of interest to the parties.

8. A computer-implemented people matching system comprising:

a computer-implemented function to infer the expected level of mutual interest between two parties from a plurality of behaviors; and

a computer-implemented function to reveal to one of the two parties the inference of the expected level of mutual interest.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a behavior associated with a behavior category, wherein the behavior category is selected from a group consisting of navigation and access behaviors, collaborative behaviors, direct feedback behaviors, subscription and self-profiling behaviors, physiological response behaviors, and environmental conditions and physical location behaviors.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a mobile computing device.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a location generated by a location-aware device.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a computer-implemented function to reveal an inferred interest on a non-guaranteed bilateral basis.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a computer-implemented function to deliver an explanation of why an expected level of mutual interest was inferred.

14. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a computer-implemented function to determine a first party'"'"'s expression of interest in a second party.

15. A computer-implemented people matching system comprising:

a computer-implemented people matching function, wherein the matching is based, at least in part, on an inference of non-explicitly indicated preferences from a plurality of behaviors; and

a computer-implemented function to deliver an explanation for the matching of two people.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a behavior associated with a behavior category, wherein the behavior category is selected from a group consisting of navigation and access behaviors, collaborative behaviors, direct feedback behaviors, subscription and self-profiling behaviors, physiological response behaviors, and environmental conditions and physical location behaviors.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a mobile computing device.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a location generated by a location-aware device.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a computer-implemented function to reveal the matching to one of the parties.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

a computer-implemented function that does not guarantee a revelation of the matching to both of the matched parties.