Method and system for identifying people who are likely to have a successful relationship

• US 8,635,167 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eHarmony Incorporated (ParshipMeet Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: eHarmony Incorporated (ParshipMeet Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Buckwalter, J. Galen, Carter, Steven R., Forgatch, Gregory T., Parsons, Thomas D., Warren, Neil Clark
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/287,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/319
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

The functions and operations of a matching service are disclosed. This includes approximating the satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others and identifying candidates for a relationship with the user based on the approximated satisfaction. This also includes approximating the satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship with a particular candidate. The matching service also identifies two parties for a relationship. The matching service makes available a plurality of communication levels at which the parties can communicate. Each communication level allows the parties to exchange information in a different format. The parties are permitted to exchange information at one of the communication levels.

Claims

1. A method of operating a matching service, comprising:

using a processor to approximate a relationship satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in relationships that the user forms with others;

using the processor to identify a plurality of candidates for a relationship with the user based on the approximated relationship satisfaction; and

approximating a coupling satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship with each of the plurality of candidates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein approximating the relationship satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others includes generating an approximate individual satisfaction index for the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein approximating the relationship satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others includes generating an individual satisfaction estimator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the individual satisfaction estimator includes a relationship between an individual satisfaction index and one or more questions answered by the user.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a survey from the user, the user having provided answers to a plurality of inquiries in the survey, at least a portion of the answers being associated with a number; and

comparing answers provided by the user to an individual satisfaction estimator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

classifying the user based on the approximated relationship satisfaction that the user has in the relationships that person forms with others; and

identifying the candidates such that the candidates fall within the same class as the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein approximating the coupling satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship includes generating an approximate couple satisfaction index for the user and a particular candidate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein approximating the coupling satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship includes generating a couple satisfaction estimator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the couple satisfaction estimator includes a relationship between an individual satisfaction index and one or more questions answered by the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a survey from the user, the user having provided answers to a plurality of inquiries in the survey, at least a portion of the answers being associated with a number;

selecting a candidate to be matched with the user, the candidate having provided answers to a second survey, at least a portion of the answers provided by the candidate being associated with a number; and

comparing at least a portion of the answers provided by the user and at least a portion of the answers provided by the selected candidate to a couple satisfaction estimator.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inputting into a neural network information provided by the user; and

receiving from the neural network the plurality of candidates based on the approximated relationship satisfaction and the approximated coupling satisfaction for each of the plurality of candidates.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request by the user to communicate with a selected candidate at a requested communication level;

determining whether the selected candidate is interested in communicating with the user; and

facilitating communication between the user and the selected candidate at the requested communication level if it is determined that the selected candidate agreed to communicate with the user at the requested communication level.

13. A system of operating a matching service, comprising:

a satisfaction approximator executed on a processor of the system, wherein the satisfaction approximator is configured to approximate a relationship satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others; and

a candidate identifier executed on the processor of the system, wherein the candidate identifier is configured to identify a plurality of candidates for a relationship with the user based on the approximated relationship satisfaction, wherein the satisfaction approximator is further configured to approximate a coupling satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship with each of the plurality of candidates.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the satisfaction approximator is configured to approximate the relationship satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others by generating an approximate individual satisfaction index for the user.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the satisfaction approximator is configured to approximate the relationship satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others by generating an individual satisfaction estimator.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the individual satisfaction estimator includes a relationship between an individual satisfaction index and one or more questions answered by the user.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a receiver executed on the processor of the system, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a survey from the user, the user having provided answers to a plurality of inquiries in the survey, at least a portion of the answers being associated with a number; and

a comparator executed on the processor of the system, wherein the comparator is configured to compare answers provided by the user to an individual satisfaction estimator.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a classifier executed on the processor of the system, wherein the classifier is configured to classify the user based on the approximated relationship satisfaction that the user has in the relationships that person forms with others; and

a selector executed on the processor of the system, wherein the selector is configured to identifying the candidates such that the candidates fall within the same class as the user.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the satisfaction approximator approximates the coupling satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship by generating an approximate couple satisfaction index for the user and a particular candidate.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the satisfaction approximator approximates the coupling satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship by generating a couple satisfaction estimator.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the couple satisfaction estimator includes a relationship between an individual satisfaction index and one or more questions answered by the user.

22. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a receiver executed on the processor of the system, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a survey from the user, the user having provided answers to a plurality of inquiries in the survey, at least a portion of the answers being associated with a number;

a selector executed on the processor of the system, wherein the selector is configured to select a candidate to be matched with the user, the candidate having provided answers to a second survey, at least a portion of the answers provided by the candidate being associated with a number; and

a comparator executed on the processor of the system, wherein the comparator is configured to compare at least a portion of the answers provided by the user and at least a portion of the answers provided by the selected candidate to a couple satisfaction estimator.

23. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a neural network executed on the processor of the system, wherein the neural network is configured to receive information provided by the user and determine the plurality of candidates based on the approximated relationship satisfaction and the approximated coupling satisfaction for each of the plurality of candidates.

24. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a communication platform executed on the processor of the system, wherein the communication platform is configured to;

receive a request by the user to communicate with a selected candidate at a requested communication level;

determine whether the selected candidate is interested in communicating with the user; and

facilitate communication between the user and the selected candidate at the requested communication level if it is determined that the selected candidate agreed to communicate with the user at the requested communication level.