Apparatus, method and article to facilitate matching of clients in a networked environment

• US 9,537,706 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plentyoffish Media ULC (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plentyoffish Media ULC (Match Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frind, Markus, Oldridge, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Sall, El Hadji
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mendaye, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US13/971,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions

Abstract

Information related to apparently successful matches between two entities is collected, and culled based on a later indication that the match failed. Matches between two entities may be generated based on comparative information with other entities who appear to share some characteristics or preferences. Matches may be based on actual actions, in contrast to expressed preferences. Actual actions may be taken into account in addition to expressed preferences. Generation of matches may take into account geographical and/or temporal proximity and/or likelihood of receiving a response, in addition to other attributes of an entity. Matching algorithms may be updated based on entity input. Potential matches may be presented to third party entities for evaluation.

Claims

1. A method of operation in a matching service system of a matching service, the matching service system having at least one processor, at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, and a number of communications ports communicatively coupled to the at least one processor which provide communications with a plurality of end user devices, the end user devices logically associable with a plurality of end user client accounts of the matching service, each end user client account of the plurality of end user client accounts logically associable with a respective end user client of the matching service, the method comprising:

monitoring, by the at least one processor, communications with the plurality of end user devices;

receiving, by the at least one processor, indications that respective pairs of the end user clients are no longer participating in the matching service, each end user client identified as one end user client in a pair of end user clients based at least in part on the monitoring of the communications with the plurality of end user devices;

designating, by the at least one processor, each of the end user clients in a pair of end user clients for which an indication is received as a successfully paired end user client;

for each successfully paired end user client of the matching service, populating, by the at least one processor, a successfully paired end user clients database with information for the successfully paired end user client;

monitoring, by the at least one processor, communications with the end user devices for a reappearance of any of the successfully paired end user clients; and

for each of the successfully paired end user clients in the successfully paired end user clients database that reappear, culling, by the at least one processor, the information for at least the successfully paired end user client that reappears from the successfully paired end user client database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein culling the information for at least the successfully paired end user client that reappears from the successfully paired end user client database includes culling the information for the successfully paired end user client that reappears from the successfully paired end user client database and culling the information for a successfully paired end user client which is paired with the end user client that reappears.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring communications with the end user devices for a reappearance of any of the successfully paired end user clients includes monitoring for a reappearance of any of:

a combination of a given name, a surname provided by the successfully paired end user client or a screen name employed by the successfully paired end user client, credit card number, phone number, government issued identification number, and driver'"'"'s license number.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring communications with the end user devices for a reappearance of any of the successfully paired end user clients includes monitoring for a reappearance of any of:

an electronic mail address employed by the successfully paired end user client, a piece of information stored in a cookie on a respective end user device logically associated with the successfully paired end user client, or a browser profile for a browser.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying at least one piece of information provided by at least one of the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients, wherein the first plurality of successfully paired end user clients is a subset of a larger number of successfully paired end user clients, the first plurality of successfully paired end user clients including the end user clients for which the at least one piece of information has been verified.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein for each of the successfully paired end user clients the verifying occurs before populating the successfully paired database with the respective information for the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

electronically presenting at least some of the end user clients of at least some of the successfully paired end user clients with a survey; and

electronically receiving responses to the survey from at least some of the end user clients of at least some of the successfully paired end user clients, wherein the verifying is performed on a number of pieces of information contained in at least some of the received responses.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein verifying at least one piece of information provided by at least one of the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients includes verifying the at least one piece of information against an independent third party source of information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

correcting the at least one piece of information provided by at least one of the end user clients based at least in part on information from the independent third party source of information.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein verifying at least one piece of information provided by at least one of the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients includes verifying that the at least one piece of information provided by at least one of the end user clients is not a default choice provided to the end user client.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein verifying at least one piece of information provided by at least one of the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients includes verifying the at least one piece of information associated with a first user profile set up by a respective one of the at least one of the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients with a second user profile set up by the respective one of the at least one of the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an age provided by at least one of the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients, wherein the first plurality of successfully paired end user clients is a subset of a larger number of successfully paired end user clients, the first plurality of successfully paired end user clients including the end user clients with an age within a defined age range.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein for each of the successfully paired end user clients the determining an age occurs before populating the successfully paired database with the respective information for the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients, and wherein the age range is logically associated with a defined type of commitment for which the successfully paired database will be used to generate further paired end user clients.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein populating a successfully paired database with information for each of the successfully paired end user clients includes populating the successfully paired end user clients database with information collected during use of the matching service by the successfully paired end user client and which is indicative of non-profile related end user client interactions via the matching service.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the non-profile related end user client interactions include log in related interactions indicative of at least one of:

a login frequency or an amount of login time.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the non-profile related end user client interactions include a number of messaging related actions.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the messaging related actions include at least one of:

a length of messages sent by the at least one end user client, a respective identity of other end user clients that the at least one end user client messages, a respective identity of other end user clients that the at least one end user client views and does not message, or an indication of a number of views of another end user client by the at least one end user client before the at least one end user client messages the other end user client.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the messaging related actions include at least one of:

a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the at least one end user client does reply and a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the at least one end user client does not reply.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the messaging related actions include an indication of a frequency of messaging by the at least one end user client.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the non-profile related end user client interactions include a number of browsing actions.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the non-profile related end user client interactions include an indication of an operating system executed by at least one end user device logically associable with the at least one end user client.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the non-profile related end user client interactions include a selection of another end user client by the at least one end user client in response to a presentation to the at least one end user client of an image of the other end user client without profile information.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein populating a successfully paired end user clients database with information for each end user client of each respective pair of end user clients further includes populating the successfully paired end user clients database with profile information for the at least one end user client.

24. A matching service system of a matching service, comprising:

a number of communications ports which provide communications with a plurality of end user devices, the end user devices logically associable with a plurality of end user client accounts of the matching service, each end user client account of the plurality of end user client accounts logically associable with a respective end user client of the matching service;

at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium that stores at least one of processor executable instructions or data; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the communications ports and the at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium, and that;

monitors communications with the plurality of end user devices;

receives indications that respective pairs of the end user clients are no longer participating in the matching service, each end user client identified as one end user client in a pair of end user clients based at least in part on the monitoring of the communications with the plurality of end user devices;

designates each of the end user clients in a pair of end user clients for which an indication is received as a successfully paired end user client;

for each successfully paired end user client of the matching service, populates a successfully paired end user clients database with information for each successfully paired end user client;

monitors communications with the end user devices for a reappearance of any of the successfully paired end user clients; and

for each of the successfully paired end user clients in the successfully paired end user clients database that reappear, culls the information for at least the successfully paired end user client that reappears from the successfully paired end user clients database.

25. The matching service system of claim 24 wherein the at least one processor culls the information for the successfully paired end user client that reappears from the successfully paired end user client database and culls the information for a successfully paired end user client which is paired with the end user client that reappears.

26. The matching service system of claim 24 wherein the at least one processor monitors communications for a reappearance of any of:

a combination of a given name and a surname provided by the successfully paired end user client, a screen name employed by the successfully paired end user client, credit card number, phone number, government issued identification number, and driver'"'"'s license number.

27. The matching service system of claim 24 wherein the at least one processor monitors communications for a reappearance of any of:

an electronic mail address employed by the successfully paired end user client, a piece of information stored in a cookie on a respective end user device logically associated with the successfully paired end user client, or a browser profile for a browser.

28. The matching service system of claim 24 wherein the at least one processor further:

verifies at least one piece of information provided by at least one of the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients, wherein the first plurality of successfully paired end user clients is a subset of a larger number of successfully paired end user clients, the first plurality of successfully paired end user clients including the end user clients for which the at least one piece of information has been verified.

29. The matching service system of claim 28 wherein the at least one processor further:

causes an electronic presentation of a survey to at least some of the end user clients of at least some of the successfully paired end user clients; and

electronically receives responses to the survey from at least some of the end user clients of at least some of the successfully paired end user clients, wherein the verification is performed on a number of pieces of information contained in at least some of the received responses.

30. The matching service system of claim 28 wherein the at least one processor verifies the at least one piece of information against an independent third party source of information.

31. The matching service system of claim 30 wherein a default choice provided to the end user client is the first day of any month.

32. The matching service system of claim 30 wherein the at least one processor further:

corrects the at least one piece of information provided by at least one of the end user clients based at least in part on information from the independent third party source of information.

33. The matching service system of claim 28 wherein the at least one processor verifies the at least one piece of information associated with a first user profile set up by the respective end user client with a second user profile set up by the respective end user client.

34. The matching service system of claim 24 wherein the at least one processor further:

determines an age provided by at least one of the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients, wherein the first plurality of successfully paired end user clients is a subset of a larger number of successfully paired end user clients, the first plurality of successfully paired end user clients including the end user clients with an age within a defined age range.

35. The matching service system of claim 34 wherein for each of the successfully paired end user clients the at least one processor determines a respective age before populating the successfully paired end user clients database with the respective information for the end user clients of the successfully paired end user clients, and wherein the age range is logically associated with a defined type of commitment for which the successfully paired end user clients database will be used to generate further paired end user clients.

36. The matching service system of claim 24 wherein the at least one processor populates the successfully paired end user clients database with information collected during use of the matching service by the at least one end user client and which is indicative of non-profile related end user client interactions via the matching service.

37. The matching service system of claim 36 wherein the non-profile related end user client interactions include log in related interactions indicative of at least one of:

a login frequency or an amount of login time.

38. The matching service system of claim 36 wherein the non-profile related end user client interactions include a number of messaging related actions.

39. The matching service system of claim 38 wherein the messaging related actions include at least one of:

a length of messages sent by the at least one end user client, a respective identity of other end user clients that the at least one end user client messages, a respective identity of other end user clients that the at least one end user client views and does not message, or an indication of a number of views of another end user client by the at least one end user client before the at least one end user client messages the other end user client.

40. The matching service system of claim 38 wherein the messaging related actions include at least one of:

a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the at least one end user client does reply or a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the at least one end user client does not reply.

41. The matching service system of claim 38 wherein the messaging related actions include an indication of a frequency of messaging by the at least one end user client.

42. The matching service system of claim 36 wherein the non-profile related end user client interactions include a number of browsing actions.

43. The matching service system of claim 36 wherein the non-profile related end user client interactions include an indication of an operating system executed by at least one end user device logically associable with the at least one end user client.

44. The matching service system of claim 36 wherein the non-profile related end user client interactions include a selection of another end user client by the at least one end user client in response to a presentation to the at least one end user client of an image of the other end user client without profile information.

45. The matching service system of claim 36 wherein the at least one processor further populates the successfully paired end user clients database with profile information for the at least one end user client.