Matching members with shared interests
First Claim
1. A method of identifying one or more matching members of an online communication service for a match recipient, the method comprising the following operations performed by at least one processor:
- maintaining a member profile for the match recipient, the member profile including at least one personal attribute of the match recipient;
accessing a contacts list maintained for the match recipient, the contacts list of the match recipient including direct contacts of the match recipient;
identifying matching members for the match recipient, the identification of matching members comprising;
analyzing the accessed contacts list of the match recipient to identify one or more entities from the direct contacts of the match recipient whose member profiles share at least one personal attribute with the match recipient; and
identify one or more additional entities as matching members for the match recipient by analyzing contacts lists of the identified direct contacts to successively identify entities that share at least one personal attribute with the match recipient;
forming a group of matching members comprising at least the identified one or more entities and the identified on or more additional entities who are currently online;
causing an identifier for the matching members of the group to be displayed to the match recipient in a user interface for the online communication service; and
displaying information representing the at least one personal attribute shared by each of the matching members and the match recipient.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A “buddy member match” feature is directed to matching computer users of like interests, particularly computer users who are members of an online service provider. In general, a member (the match recipient) may update or create a member profile maintained by a service provider such as AOL. Once the match recipient has a member profile, a search is initiated to identify matching members by comparing the member profile of the match recipient to the member profiles of other members. Matching members are other members whose member profiles have at least one personal attribute matching an attribute of the match recipient'"'"'s member profile. When contact information of the matching member is displayed, the contact information is accompanied by an indication that the contact information belongs to a matching member.
29 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of identifying one or more matching members of an online communication service for a match recipient, the method comprising the following operations performed by at least one processor:
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maintaining a member profile for the match recipient, the member profile including at least one personal attribute of the match recipient; accessing a contacts list maintained for the match recipient, the contacts list of the match recipient including direct contacts of the match recipient; identifying matching members for the match recipient, the identification of matching members comprising; analyzing the accessed contacts list of the match recipient to identify one or more entities from the direct contacts of the match recipient whose member profiles share at least one personal attribute with the match recipient; and identify one or more additional entities as matching members for the match recipient by analyzing contacts lists of the identified direct contacts to successively identify entities that share at least one personal attribute with the match recipient; forming a group of matching members comprising at least the identified one or more entities and the identified on or more additional entities who are currently online; causing an identifier for the matching members of the group to be displayed to the match recipient in a user interface for the online communication service; and displaying information representing the at least one personal attribute shared by each of the matching members and the match recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A non-transitory computer-usable medium storing a computer program for identifying one or more matching members of an online communication service for a match recipient, the computer program comprising instructions for causing at least one processor to:
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maintain a member profile for the match recipient, the member profile including at least one personal attribute of the match recipient; access a contacts list maintained for the match recipient, the contacts list of he match recipient including direct contacts of the match recipient;
identify matching members for the match recipient, the identification of matching members comprising;analyzing the accessed contacts list of the match recipient to identify one or more entities from the direct contacts of the match recipient whose member profiles share at least one personal attribute with the match recipient; and identifying one or more additional entities as matching members for the match recipient by analyzing contacts lists of the identified direct contacts to successively identify entities that share at least one personal attribute with the match recipient; form a group of matching members comprising at least the identified one or more entities and the identified one or more additional entities who are currently online; cause an identifier for the matching members of the group to be displayed to the match recipient in a user interface for the online communication service; and display information representing the at least one personal attribute shared by each of the matching members and the match recipient. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification