Inferential people matching method, system, and device

• US 9,924,306 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Flinn, Steven Dennis, Moneypenny, Naomi Felina
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US14/678,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/046 Forward inferencing; Production systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

An inferential people matching method, system, and device infers people'"'"'s mutual interests in making contact with each other from usage behaviors associated with computer-implemented systems. The usage behaviors may comprise monitored geographic location information that is associated with portable processor-based devices. In accordance with the inference of mutual interest, recommendations of each of two people are generated for delivery to the other of the two people. Expressions of interest between the two people are determined based on usage behaviors exhibited by the two people in response to the recommendations. These post-recommendation usage behaviors may include gestures and physiological responses. A bilateral expression of interest is revealed to the two people if the bilateral expression of interest that is determined from the expressions of interest is sufficient.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors, comprising:

automatically determining, based on the one or more processors inferring usage behaviors by a plurality of users with respect to a computer-implemented system, a mutual interest in establishing contact between a first user and a second user of the plurality of users;

based on the determined mutual interest, generating a first recommendation, comprising a representation of the second user, for delivery to the first user;

based on the determined mutual interest, generating a second recommendation, comprising a representation of the first user, for delivery to the second user;

determining a first expression of interest in the second user based on one or more behaviors exhibited by the first user in response to receiving the first recommendation;

determining a second expression of interest in the first user based on one or more behaviors exhibited by the second user in response to receiving the second recommendation;

determining a bilateral expression of interest between the first user and the second user based on the first expression of interest and the second expression of interest; and

revealing to the first user and the second user the bilateral expression of interest.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein one of the inferred usage behaviors corresponds to a geographic location associated with a location-aware portable device.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the location-aware portable device comprises a global positioning system receiver.

4. The method of claim 2,

wherein the one of the inferred usage behaviors comprises a mobility of at least one of the first user or the second user inferred based on the geographic location of the at least one of the first user or the second user.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the representation of the second user comprises a picture of the second user.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the one or more behaviors exhibited by the first user comprises a gesture performed by the first user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering computer-generated content corresponding to the first recommendation to the first user, wherein the computer-generated content comprises a reference to established relationships between users of the computer-implemented system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a contact feature to enable the first user to contact the second user.

9. A system comprising one or more processor-based devices configured to:

automatically determine, based on the one or more processors inferring usage behaviors by a plurality of users with respect to a computer-implemented system, a mutual interest in establishing contact between a first user and a second user of the plurality of users;

based on the determined mutual interest, generate a first recommendation, comprising a representation of the second user, for delivery to the first user;

based on the determined mutual interest, generate a second recommendation, comprising a representation of the first user, for delivery to the second user;

determine a first expression of interest in the second user based on one or more behaviors exhibited by the first user in response to receiving the first recommendation;

determine a second expression of interest in the first user based on one or more behaviors exhibited by the second user in response to receiving the second recommendation;

determine a bilateral expression of interest between the first user and the second user based on the first expression of interest and the second expression of interest; and

reveal to the first user and the second user the bilateral expression of interest.

10. The system of claim 9,

wherein one of the inferred usage behaviors corresponds to a geographic location associated with a location-aware portable device.

11. The system of claim 10,

wherein the location-aware portable device comprises a global positioning system receiver.

12. The system of claim 10,

wherein the one of the inferred usage behaviors comprises a mobility of at least one of the first user or the second user inferred based on the determined geographic location of the at least one of the first user or the second user.

13. The system of claim 9,

wherein at least one of the inferred usage behaviors comprises a tagging behavior performed by the first user.

14. The system of claim 9,

wherein a first one of the inferred usage behaviors comprises the first user establishing a computer-implemented relationship between the first user and a third user of the plurality of users, and wherein a second one of the inferred usage behaviors comprises the second user establishing a computer-implemented relationship between the second user and the third user.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processor-based devices are further configured to:

deliver computer-generated content corresponding to the first recommendation to the first user, wherein the computer-generated content comprises a reference to established computer-implemented relationships between users of the computer-implemented system.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processor-based devices are further configured to:

determine a common interest of the first user and the second user from the inferred usage behaviors; and

deliver computer-generated content corresponding to the first recommendation to the first user, wherein the computer-generated content comprises a reference to the common interest of the first user and the second user.

17. A portable processor-based device comprising:

a global positioning system receiver; and

one or more processors configured to;

access geographic location information from the global positioning system receiver;

provide the geographic location information to a computer-implemented matching system that determines a level of mutual interest in establishing contact between a first user of the portable processor-based device and a second user of a second processor-based device, wherein the level of mutual interest is inferred, at least in part, from the geographic location information;

receive a recommendation comprising a representation of the second user, wherein the recommendation is generated based on the level of mutual interest;

determine a first expression of interest based on one or more behaviors exhibited by the first user in response to receiving the recommendation;

provide the determined first expression of interest to the computer-implemented matching system, which determines a bilateral expression of interest between the first user and the second user, wherein the bilateral expression of interest is determined the first expression of interest and a second expression of interest based on one or more behaviors exhibited by the second user in response to receiving a recommendation comprising a representation of the first user;

receive, the computer-implemented matching system, an indication of the bilateral expression of interest between the first user and the second user; and

reveal the indication of the bilateral expression of interest to the first user.

18. The portable processor-based device of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive, from the computer-implemented matching system, content corresponding to the recommendation comprising the representation of the second user, wherein the content comprises a reference to a proximity of the first user to the second user based on the geographic location information.

19. The portable processor-based device of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

monitor a gesture behavior associated with use of the portable processor-based device by the first user;

wherein the one or more processors determine the first expression of interest exhibited by the first user is based on the gesture behavior.

20. The portable processor-based device of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

monitor an involuntary physiological response associated with use of the portable processor-based device by the first user;

wherein the one or more processors determine the first expression of interest exhibited by the first user based on the involuntary physiological response.