Relationship support apparatus, relationship support method, and storage medium

• US 8,903,907 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Itaba, Masahiro, Kawahara, Noriaki, Tomita, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NICHOLAS R
• Application Number:
  US13/172,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/202
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Provided is a relationship support apparatus capable of preventing a user from inconsistently applying for relationships. An receiving section (32) receives an input of identification information of a desired relationship partner user, and further receives an input of identification information of the relationship-seeking user. A determination section (38) determines, based on the identification information of the relationship-seeking user and the identification information of the desired relationship partner user, whether or not an agreement has been reached on the relationship between the relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user. A suspension section (40) suspends, based on a result of the determining performed by the determination section (38), the relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user from carrying out a relationship-seeking activity with respect to another user.

Claims

1. A relationship support apparatus, in which information of a plurality of users looking for a relationship partner is registered, which supports the plurality of users in seeking an opportunity to have a relationship with each other, and which is communicably connected to terminals of the plurality of users, the relationship support apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that receives, from a terminal of a first relationship-seeking user, identification information of a desired relationship partner user, with whom the first relationship-seeking user desires to have a relationship, and further receives, from a terminal of the desired relationship partner user, identification information of a second relationship-seeking user, with whom the desired relationship partner user desires to have a relationship;

a determination unit that determines, based on the identification information of the desired relationship partner user and the identification information of the second relationship-seeking user that have been obtained through the receiving unit, whether or not an agreement has been reached on the relationship between the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user; and

a suspension unit that, when the determination unit determines that the agreement has been reached on the relationship between the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user, suspends the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user from carrying out a relationship-seeking activity with respect to other users,

wherein;

a mode of enabling the relationship-seeking activity to be carried out is defined as an active mode and a mode of disabling the relationship-seeking activity from being carried out is defined as a suspended mode, and

when a status of the first relationship-seeking user and a status of the desired relationship partner are in the suspended mode, the suspension unit prevents the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner from retrieving and viewing profiles of the other users and from contacting the other users.

2. The relationship support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when the status of the first relationship-seeking user and the status of the desired relationship partner are in the suspended mode, upon receipt by the receiving unit of a change request to change the suspended mode to the active mode from at least one of the terminal of the first relationship-seeking user and the terminal of the desired relationship partner user, the suspension unit changes the status of the first relationship-seeking user and the status of the desired relationship partner user from the suspended mode to the active mode based on the change request that has been obtained through the receiving unit.

3. The relationship support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when (i) the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner are in the active mode, (ii) the receiving unit receives a change request to change the active mode to the suspended mode from the terminal of the first relationship-seeking user along with the identification information of the desired relationship partner user, (iii) the receiving unit receives a change request to change the active mode to the suspended mode from the terminal of the desired relationship partner user along with the identification information of the second relationship-seeking user, and (iv) the determination unit determines that the second relationship-seeking user is the first relationship-seeking user, then;

the suspension unit changes the status of the first relationship-seeking user and the status of the desired relationship partner user from the active mode to the suspended mode; and

the determination unit notifies the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user that the agreement has been reached on the relationship between the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user.

4. The relationship support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

while the status of the first relationship-seeking user and the status of the desired relationship partner user are in the suspended mode, when the receiving unit receives a change request to change the suspended mode to the active mode from one of the terminal of the first relationship-seeking user and the terminal of the desired relationship partner user, the suspension unit changes the status of one of the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user from the suspended mode to the active mode based on the change request and notifies another one of the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user of the change of the status to the active mode.

7. The relationship support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when the agreement is reached on the relationship between the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user and the mode of the desired relationship partner user is not changed to the suspended mode during a predetermined period, the determination unit notifies at least one of the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user.

5. A relationship support method of registering information of a plurality of relationship-seeking users who seek a relationship and supporting the plurality of relationship-seeking users in seeking an opportunity to have a relationship with each other, the relationship support method comprising:

receiving, from a terminal of a first relationship-seeking user, identification information of a desired relationship partner user, with whom the first relationship-seeking user desires to have a relationship;

receiving, from a terminal of the desired relationship partner user, identification information of a second relationship-seeking user, with whom the desired relationship partner user desires to have a relationship;

determining, based on the identification information of the desired relationship partner user and the identification information of the second relationship-seeking user, whether or not an agreement has been reached on the relationship between the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user; and

when the determining determines that the agreement has been reached on the relationship between the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user, suspending the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user from carrying out a relationship-seeking activity with respect to other users,

wherein;

a mode of enabling the relationship-seeking activity to be carried out is defined as an active mode and a mode of disabling the relationship-seeking activity from being carried out is defined as a suspended mode, and

when a status of the first relationship-seeking user and a status of the desired relationship partner are in the suspended mode, the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner are prevented from retrieving and viewing profiles of the other users and prevented from contacting the other users.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored therein, the program causing a computer to function as a relationship support apparatus, in which information of a plurality of users looking for a relationship partner is registered, which supports the plurality of users in seeking an opportunity to have a relationship with each other, and which is communicably connected to terminals of the plurality of users, the program further causing the computer to function as:

a receiving unit that receives, from a terminal of a first relationship-seeking user, identification information of a desired relationship partner user, with whom the first relationship-seeking user desires to have a relationship, and further receives, from a terminal of the desired relationship partner user, identification information of a second relationship-seeking user, with whom the desired relationship partner user desires to have a relationship;

a determination unit that determines, based on the identification information of the desired relationship partner user and the identification information of the second relationship-seeking user that have been obtained through the receiving unit, whether or not an agreement has been reached on the relationship between the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user; and

a suspension unit that, when the determination unit determines that the agreement has been reached on the relationship between the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user, suspends the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner user from carrying out a relationship-seeking activity with respect to other users,

wherein;

a mode of enabling the relationship-seeking activity to be carried out is defined as an active mode and a mode of disabling the relationship-seeking activity from being carried out is defined as a suspended mode, and

when a status of the first relationship-seeking user and a status of the desired relationship partner are in the suspended mode, the suspension unit prevents the first relationship-seeking user and the desired relationship partner from retrieving and viewing profiles of the other users and from contacting the other users.