System and method for coaching a user on a website

• US 9,560,156 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Match Group, LLC (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Match.com LLC (Match Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rana, Manu, Fratiani, Anthony L., Wilson, Beth
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pant, Ranjan
• Application Number:
  US13/921,441
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers

Abstract

Methods and systems for coaching an end user are disclosed. Information related to a user profile and/or user activity of an end user is collected in a memory. An analysis engine analyzes information against a metric. A metric may represent or include one or more characteristics of a (typical) successful end user. Said metric may be statistically determined in various ways. A rules engine generates a coaching message for output to the end user if the information does not meet the metric, wherein the one or more coaching messages provokes (or suggests) the end user to change the user profile and/or the user activity of the end user to meet the metric.

Claims

1. A method for improving an online dating system and utilization thereof through a coaching mechanism, comprising:

collecting, in a memory, information related to a user profile, wherein the user profile belongs to a cohort of user profiles of a plurality of cohorts of user profiles, wherein each of the plurality of cohorts of user profiles is defined by one or more of the following;

sex, age, geographic area, ethnicity, and cultural background;

identifying, by an analysis engine, a logical hierarchy of metrics corresponding to the cohort of user profiles, wherein each metric in the logical hierarchy of metrics indicates a characteristic statistically representative of user profiles of successful end users in the cohort of user profiles, and wherein the logical hierarchy of metrics comprises an arrangement of metrics that is unique to the cohort of user profiles and is different from arrangements of metrics others of the plurality of cohorts of user profiles;

analyzing, by the analysis engine, the information against at least one metric, wherein the at least one metric is selected based on the logical hierarchy of metrics;

generating, by a rules engine, a coaching message for graphical output to an endpoint associated with the user profile if the information does not meet the at least one metric, wherein the rules engine changes the user profile on the online dating system to meet the at least one metric without receiving an input, via the coaching message, accepting the coaching message and the coaching message notifies the endpoint of the changing of the user profile on the online dating system to meet the at least one metric;

and

calculating an updated boundary value of the at least one metric based on changes in user profiles of the cohort of user profiles, when it is determined that the updated boundary value of the at least one metric is different from a current boundary value of the at least one metric updating metrics representative of the user profiles of the successful end users in the cohort of user profiles to adapt the coaching mechanism.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, by the analysis engine, the information against a further metric; and

generating, by the rules engine, a further coaching message for graphical output to the endpoint associated with the user profile if the information does not meet the further metric, wherein the further coaching message provokes a further change the user profile on the online dating system and/or user activity of the user profile on the online dating system to meet the further metric.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the at least one metric and the further metric are arranged according to the arrangement of metrics in the logical hierarchy of metrics; and

the respective analyzing and generating steps for the at least one metric and the further metric are performed in an order according to the logical hierarchy of metrics.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein:

the coaching message and the further coaching message are stored in a queue of coaching messages; and

the coaching messages in the queue are provided as output to the endpoint associated with the user profile in an order provided by the queue.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, by the analysis engine, the information against one or more metrics according to a predetermined schedule, or upon one or more changes to the user profile and/or user activity of the user profile.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coaching message comprises a user interface part that the endpoint can act upon to perform an action which changes the user profile on the online dating system and/or the user activity of the user profile on the online dating system to meet the at least one metric.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the current boundary value is used to determine whether the information related to a user profile of a particular end user meets the at least one metric or does not meet the at least one metric.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the successful end users maintain communications with other end users.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations for improving an online dating system and utilization thereof through a coaching mechanism, the operations comprising:

collecting information related to a user profile, wherein the user profile belongs to a cohort of user profiles of a plurality of cohorts of user profiles, wherein each of the plurality of cohorts of user profiles is defined by one or more of the following;

sex, age, geographic area, ethnicity, and cultural background;

identifying a logical hierarchy of metrics corresponding to the cohort of user profiles, wherein each metric in the logical hierarchy of metrics indicates a characteristic statistically representative of user profiles of successful end users in the cohort of user profiles, and wherein the logical hierarchy of metrics comprises an arrangement of metrics that is unique to the cohort of user profiles and is different from arrangements of metrics others of the plurality of cohorts of user profiles;

analyzing the information against at least one metric, wherein the at least one metric is selected based on the logical hierarchy of metrics;

generating a coaching message for graphical output to an endpoint associated with the user profile if the information does not meet the at least one metric, wherein the user profile on the online dating system is changed to meet the at least one metric without receiving an input, via the coaching message, accepting the coaching message and the coaching message notifies the endpoint of the changing of to the user profile on the online dating system to meet the at least one metric;

and

calculating an updated boundary value of the at least one metric based on changes in user profiles of the cohort of user profiles, when it is determined that the updated boundary value of the at least one metric is different from a current boundary value of the at least one metric updating metrics representative of the user profiles of the successful end users in the cohort of user profiles to adapt the coaching mechanism.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprises:

analyzing the information against a further metric; and

generating a further coaching message for graphical output to the endpoint associated with the user profile if the information does not meet the further metric, wherein the further coaching message provokes a further change the user profile on the online dating system and/or user activity of the user profile on the online dating system to meet the further metric.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 10, wherein:

the at least one metric and the further metric are arranged according to the arrangement of metrics in the logical hierarchy of metrics; and

the respective analyzing and generating steps for the at least one metric and the further metric are performed in an order according to the logical hierarchy of metrics.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 11, wherein

the coaching message and the further coaching message are stored in a queue of coaching messages;

and

the coaching messages in the queue are provided as output to the endpoint associated with the user profile in an order provided by the queue.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprises:

analyzing the information against one or more metrics according to a predetermined schedule, or upon one or more changes to the user profile and/or user activity of the user profile.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 9, wherein the coaching message comprises a user interface element that the endpoint can act upon to perform an action which changes the user profile on the online dating system and/or the user activity of the user profile on the online dating system to meet the at least one metric.

15. A server comprising:

a memory configured to collect information related to a user profile, wherein the user profile belongs to a cohort of user profiles of a plurality of cohorts of user profiles, wherein each of the plurality of cohorts of user profiles is defined by one or more of the following;

sex, age, geographic area, ethnicity, and cultural background; and

one or more processors configured to;

identify a logical hierarchy of metrics corresponding to the cohort of user profiles, wherein each metric in the logical hierarchy of metrics indicates a characteristic statistically representative of user profiles of successful end users in the cohort of user profiles, and wherein the logical hierarchy of metrics comprises an arrangement of metrics that is unique to the cohort of user profiles and is different from arrangements of metrics others of the plurality of cohorts of user profiles;

analyze the information against at least one metric, wherein the at least one metric is selected based on the logical hierarchy of metrics;

generate a coaching message for graphical output to an endpoint associated with the user profile if the information does not meet the at least one metric, wherein the user profile on the online dating system is changed to meet the at least one metric without receiving an input, via the coaching message, accepting the coaching message and the coaching message notifies the endpoint of the changing of the user profile of the end user on the online dating system to meet the at least one metric;

and

calculating an updated boundary value of the at least one metric based on changes in user profiles of the cohort of user profiles, when it is determined that the updated boundary value of the at least one metric is different from a current boundary value of the at least one metric update metrics representative of the user profiles of the successful end users in the cohort of user profiles to adapt the coaching mechanism.

16. The server according to claim 15, wherein:

the analysis engine is further configured to analyze the information against a further metric; and

the rules engine is further configured to generate a further coaching message for graphical output to the endpoint associated with the user profile if the information does not meet the further metric, wherein the further coaching message provokes a further change the user profile on the online dating system and/or user activity of the user profile on the online dating system to meet the further metric.

17. The server according to claim 16, wherein:

the at least one metric and the further metric are arranged according to the arrangement of metrics in the logical hierarchy of metrics; and

the respective analyzing and generating steps for the at least one metric and the further metric are performed in an order according to the logical hierarchy of metrics.

18. The server according to claim 15, wherein:

the coaching message and the further coaching message are stored in a queue of coaching messages; and

the coaching messages in the queue are provided as output to the endpoint associated with the user profile in an order provided by the queue.

19. The server according to claim 15, wherein

the analysis engine is further configured to analyze the information against one or more metrics according to a predetermined schedule, or upon one or more changes to the user profile and/or user activity of the user profile.

20. The server according to claim 15, wherein the coaching message comprises a user interface element that the endpoint can act upon to perform an action which changes the user profile on the online dating system and/or the user activity of the user profile on the online dating system to meet the at least one metric.