Systems and methods for online compatibility matching and ranking

• US 8,782,038 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eHarmony Incorporated (ParshipMeet Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: eHarmony Incorporated (ParshipMeet Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Mishra, Arvind, Steiner, Greg, Lewis, Ashley, Twomey, Cormac, Essas, Joseph, Barker, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US13/452,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 705/319, 707719-728, 707748-758
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

The field of the invention relates to systems and methods for operation of a matching service, and more particularly to systems and methods that enable online compatibility matching and ranking. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a matching system server coupled to a public network and accessible to one or more users. The matching system server includes a database that stores match profile data associated with the one more users, wherein the match profile data includes self-identified preferences. The matching server system is configured to correlate a first user'"'"'s match profile data with one or more of the plurality of users'"'"' match profile data to identify a set of potential matches for the first user based on a relaxed set of self-identified preferences and calculate a compatibility value for each match in the set of potential matches.

Claims

1. A computer-based system for presenting interpersonal relationship analysis, comprising:

a matching server system, operatively coupled to a public network, having a database that stores match profile data associated with a plurality of users, wherein the match profile data includes self-identified preferences, each defined as a specific numerical value, and a previous history of matches and satisfaction rate, wherein the matching server system is configured to;

compare the self-identified preferences of a first user'"'"'s match profile data with the match profile data of one or more other users;

calculate a mathematical distance between the self-identified preferences of the first user and the match profile data of the one or more other users, wherein the mathematical distance is a quantitative difference between the numerical values of the first user'"'"'s self-identified preferences and corresponding numerical values of the match profile data of the one or more other users;

identify an initial set of potential matches for the first user based on a maximum distance between the self-identified preferences of the first user and the match profile data of the one or more other users;

calculate one or more compatibility values for each potential match in the initial set of potential matches, wherein the one or more compatibility values are calculated based, at least in part, on the previous history of matches and satisfaction rate of each match in the initial set and the first user, and remove each potential match that does not satisfy one or more minimum compatibility values;

if the number of potential matches does not meet a minimum threshold value, then identify an expanded set of potential matches for the first user by increasing the maximum distance.

2. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein the matching server system is further configured to sort each potential match by compatibility value.

3. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein the matching server system enables a first user to initiate electronic communication with a potential match that satisfies one or more compatibility scores.

4. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein the self-identified preferences are assigned different importance levels by the first user.