Computer-based networking service and method and system for performing the same

• US 20020194049A1
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: TTB Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Boyd, John Edward
• Granted Patent: US 6,963,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Methods and systems for assisting individuals (101) arrange meetings such as networking meeting with other individuals (101) at a specified time (or within a specified time range) and/or at a specified place (or within a specified geographic region). More specifically, methods and systems for allowing individuals (110) to post an invitation to for a meeting on an on-line network and for allowing one or more other individuals (101) to accept such invitation.

Claims

1. An on-line networking method for arranging a meeting between two or more users comprising:

(a) receiving a proposed invitation from an invitor, said proposed invitation comprising proposed invitation information including a time and a place for a proposed meeting; and

(b) providing or displaying said proposed invitation information at a location accessible by one or more users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said invitation information does not include a specific intended guest(s).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said method arranges a meeting between two or more anonymous users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said invitation information is provided or displayed to said one or more users via a computer-based network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said invitation information is provided or displayed to said one or more users via the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said invitation information is accessible via an on-line bulletin board.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating steps (a) and (b) a plurality of times to obtain a plurality of invitations.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of invitations include at least 10 invitations.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of invitations include at least 100 invitations.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of invitations include at least 1000 invitations.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of invitations include at least 10,000 invitations.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of invitations are searchable by said one or more users.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of invitations are categorized by location of proposed meeting, time of proposed meeting or combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said plurality of invitations are categorized by one or more invitee criteria.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an acceptance from at least one acceptor, said acceptor being one of said one or more users.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing, displaying or transmitting said acceptance to said invitor

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said proposed invitation information further includes one or more invitee criteria selected from the group consisting of profession, education, employer, income, net worth, restaurant preference, meeting cost price range, food preference, city of residence, place of birth, nationality, hobbies, interests, college/university attending or attended, high school attended and former employers.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of receiving from said invitor user a confirmation of said acceptance from said invitor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said confirmation is provided, displayed or transmitted to said acceptor.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said invitation information is automatically removed after said proposed meeting time.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said acceptance is provided to said invitor by letter, email, telephone and/or facsimile.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said proposed invitation information does not include the gender of the invitor.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein said one or more invitee criteria does not include a preferred gender for the invitee.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the inviting user when said proposed invitation is received to confirm receipt.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the information sent by the inviting user based on a criteria thereof.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the proposed meeting information based on a searchable criteria.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein said proposed invitation information is not actively transmitted to said one or more users.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein said proposed invitation information is passively made available to said one or more users via a network.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a matching available user from a database including available users for selected invitations.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said available users designate themselves as being available for selected invitations.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising automatically generating an acceptance for said available user to transmit, provide or display to said invitor.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving at least one acceptance from said one or more users and updating said invitation information include said acceptance.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein said invitation information includes a maximum number of acceptances.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said invitation information is removed or designated as full when said maximum number of acceptance are received.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising creating and sending a confirmation message to each participant of said proposed meeting for confirmation.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said confirmation message includes the date and time of the meeting.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein said confirmation message includes an identification of each user participant.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein said proposed invitation information is provided on a web page.

39. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the invitation to expire after an appropriate time period.

81. A system or apparatus for arranging a meeting between a first user and one or more second users comprising:

(a) a memory for storing at least a secure database;

(b) a communication port; and

(c) a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to performing the methods of any one of claims 1-69.

84. A system for arranging a meeting between a first user and one or more second users comprising:

a network to which said first user and said one or more second users have access and across which the first user and said one or more second users can communicate information using respective computer devices;

a server application operable to communicate across the network or a link to said server application, said server application operable to perform the methods of any one of claims 1-69.

90. A system for performing the methods of any one of claims 1-69.

91. An apparatus for performing the methods of any one of claims 1-69.

92. The system of claim 90, wherein said apparatus does not comprise a means for matching a first user with a second user.

93. The apparatus of claim 91, wherein said apparatus does not comprise a means for matching a first user with a second user.

40. An on-line method of facilitating a networking meeting between two or more users comprising:

(a) searching a database including one or more invitations for invitations matching search criteria of a user, said invitations including a time and place for a proposed meeting; and

(b) reporting the matching invitations to the user.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said invitations further include one or more invitee criteria selected from the group consisting of profession, education, employer, income, net worth, restaurant preference, meeting cost price range, food preference, city of residence, place of birth, nationality, hobbies, interests, college/university attending or attended, high school attended and former employers.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein said search criteria includes said time of meeting, place of meeting or combinations thereof.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein said search criteria includes search criteria selected from the group consisting of profession, education, employer, income, net worth, restaurant preference, meeting cost price range, food preference, city of residence, place of birth, nationality, hobbies, interests, college/university attending or attended, high school attended and former employers.

44. The method of claim 40, comprising repeatedly searching the database for invitations matching said search criteria and relaxing at least some of the search criteria until at least a required number of matching invitations are found.

45. The method of claim 40, further comprising receiving an acceptance of one of said matching invitations from said user.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising receiving a request for additional information regarding said matching invitation from said user.

48. The stored invitation of claim 47, further comprising intended guest criteria selected from the group consisting of profession, education, employer, income, net worth, restaurant preference, meeting cost price range, food preference, city of residence, place of birth, nationality, hobbies, interests, college/university attending or attended, high school attended and former employers.

49. The stored invitation of claim 47, further comprising an identification for a user associated with said invitation.

47. A stored invitation on a public bulletin board accessible by one or more users via a computer network, said invitation being for a proposed meeting and comprising:

(a) a proposed time of said proposed meeting;

(b) a proposed place for said proposed meeting;

or

(c) combinations of (a) and (b).

50. A method for facilitating arrangement of a networking meeting between two or more users, comprising:

(a) creating a computer readable file including proposed invitation information pertaining to a proposed invitation for a proposed meeting;

(b) uploading at least a portion of the computer readable file to a medium accessible via a computer network;

(c) searching information in the uploaded computer readable file for the presence of a desirable proposed invitation corresponding to criteria designated by a user;

(d) informing said user when at least some of the designated information has been found in the searching step; and

(e) making available to the user additional information present in a portion of the computer readable file other than the uploaded portion in response to a request by the user.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said proposed invitation information includes time and location of said proposed meeting.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein said proposed invitation information further includes one or more invitee criteria selected from the group consisting of profession, employer, salary, restaurant preference, meeting cost price range, food preference, city of residence, place of birth, nationality, hobbies, interests, college/university attending or attended, high school attended and former employers.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein said criteria designated by a user includes time of said proposed meeting, location of said proposed meeting or combinations thereof.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein said criteria designated by said user further includes one or more invitee criteria selected from the group consisting of profession, employer, salary, restaurant preference, meeting cost price range, food preference, city of residence, place of birth, nationality, hobbies, interests, college/university attending or attended, high school attended and former employers.

55. The method of claim 50, wherein said additional information includes one or more invitee criteria selected from the group consisting of profession, employer, salary, restaurant preference, meeting cost price range, food preference, city of residence, place of birth, nationality, hobbies, interests, college/university attending or attended, high school attended and former employers.

56. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of permitting the user to send information via the computer network to a location at which the computer readable file is maintained.

57. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of automatically searching the uploaded portion of the computer readable file at designated intervals for the presence of information corresponding to information provided by the user in response to a request by the user.

58. The method of claim 50, wherein the step of creating the computer readable file comprises:

(i) receiving information pertaining to one or more proposed invitations; and

(ii) categorizing said one or more proposed invitations in accordance with a categorizing criteria of the proposed invitation information.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said categorizing criteria includes time of said one or more proposed invitations, location of said proposed one or more invitations or combinations thereof.

60. The method of claim 50, further comprising

(a) creating another computer readable file including another proposed invitation information pertaining to another proposed invitation for another proposed meeting;

(b) uploading at least a portion of the another computer readable file to said medium accessible via a computer network;

(c) including the uploaded portion of the computer readable file with the another computer readable file; and

wherein the searching step comprises the step of searching the uploaded portion of the computer readable file via another computer readable file.

61. The method of claims 50 or 60, further comprising:

when the at least some of the designated information has been found during the searching step, discontinuing searching the uploaded portion of the computer readable file via the another computer readable file; and

after discontinuing the searching, accessing the information in the other portion of the computer readable file other than the uploaded portion in response to a request from the user.

62. A method comprising:

(a) creating and storing a computer readable file on a medium accessible via a computer network;

(b) importing into the computer readable file a portion of another computer readable file including information pertaining to a proposed invitation;

(c) searching the computer readable file at the medium for the presence of information corresponding to information designated by a user;

(d) informing the user when at least some of the designated information has been found in the searching step; and

(e) making available to the user additional information present in a portion of the another computer readable file other than the first portion in response to a request by a user.

63. A method of operating a computer system to facilitate an exchange between two or more parties, said exchange involving an invite and at least one acceptance of the invite, said invite and said at least one acceptance establishing a meeting between said two or more parties comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving from a first party first data including an identity of said first party and an invite comprising a time and location of a proposed meeting;

(b) receiving from a second party a search request comprising at least one search criterion;

(c) receiving from said second party second data including an identity of said second party and an acceptance of said invite; and

(d) transmitting said acceptance to said first party.

64. The method of claim 63, further comprising repeating steps (a)-(d).

65. The method of claim 63, wherein said parties are anonymous parties.

66. The method of claim 63, wherein said meeting is a dining meeting at a restaurant.

67. The method of claim 63, wherein said invite further comprises an acceptance requirement comprising at least one criterion for the second party selected from the group consisting of profession, age, education, birthplace or combinations thereof.

68. The method of claim 63, wherein second data includes at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of profession, age, education, birthplace or combinations thereof.

69. The method of claim 63, wherein said invite is posted on a bulletin board accessible via a computer network.

70. A system or apparatus for arranging a meeting between a first user and one or more second users comprising secure data base means, operatively connected to:

(a) means for receiving first user information from said first user, said first user information including an invitation to a proposed meeting, said invitation including a time and place;

(b) means for storing said first user information in said secure database means;

(c) means for receiving, from said one or more second users, a search request to the secure database means, said search request comprising at least one search criterion to be satisfied;

(d) means for processing said search request from said one or more second users to determine if said first user information satisfies said at least one search criterion; and

(e) means for communicating to said one or more second users first user information satisfying said at least one search criterion.

71. The system or apparatus of claim 70, further comprising means for receiving, from said one or more second users an acceptance of said invitation.

72. The system or apparatus of claim 71, further comprising means for communicating said acceptance of said invitation to said first user.

73. The system or apparatus of claims 71 or 72, further comprising means for confirming time and place of said meeting between said first user and said one or more second users.

74. The system or apparatus of claim 70, further comprising means for authenticating authorship or transmission of said first user information from said first user.

75. The system or apparatus of claim 74, wherein said means for authenticating includes means for executing a cryptographic operation using a cryptographic key.

76. The system or apparatus of claim 74, wherein said means for authenticating includes means for recognizing an identifier selected from the group consisting of a password, a name, and an identification number.

77. The system or apparatus of claim 70, where the means for receiving first user information comprises means for receiving information in encrypted form and means for decrypting any encrypted information.

78. The system or apparatus of claim 70, further comprising means for providing a communication channel between said first user and said one or more second users.

79. The system or apparatus of claim 70, wherein said means for providing a communication channel comprises means for providing an asynchronous communication channel.

80. The system or apparatus of claim 70, further comprising means for receiving payment from said first user, said one or more second users or both.

82. A system for arranging a meeting between a first user and one or more second users comprising:

a user interface for allowing said first user to communicate an invitation through the system for a proposed meeting to said one or more second users;

a transport medium interface for allowing the system to transport the invitation between said first user and said one or more second users; and

a computer subsystem in communication with the client interface and transport medium for generating a database including said invitation, said invitation including a specified time and specified location for said proposed meeting.

83. A system for arranging a meeting between a first user and one or more second users comprising:

a network to which said first user and said one or more second users have access and across which the first user and said one or more second users can communicate information using respective computer devices;

a server application operable to communicate across the network or a link to said server application, said server application operable to;

receive a proposed invitation from an invitor, said proposed invitation comprising proposed invitation information including a time and place for a proposed meeting; and

provide or display said proposed invitation information at a location accessible by one or more users.

85. A system for arranging a meeting between two or more users, comprising:

(a) means for creating a computer readable file including proposed invitation information pertaining to a proposed invitation for a proposed meeting;

(b) means for uploading at least a portion of the computer readable file to a medium accessible via a computer network;

(c) means for searching information in the uploaded computer readable file for the presence of a desirable proposed invitation corresponding to criteria designated by a user;

(d) means for informing said user when at least some of the designated information has been found in the searching step; and

(e) means for making available to the user additional information present in a portion of the computer readable file other than the uploaded portion in response to a request by the user.

86. A system for an on-line networking method for arranging a meeting between two or more users comprising:

means for receiving a proposed invitation from an invitor, said proposed invitation comprising proposed invitation information including a time and place for a proposed meeting; and

means for providing or displaying said proposed invitation information at a location accessible by one or more users.

87. A system for an on-line method of facilitating a networking meeting between two or more users comprising:

(a) means for searching a database including one or more invitations for invitations matching search criteria of a user, said invitations including a time and place for a proposed meeting; and

(b) means for reporting the matching invitations to the user.

88. A system comprising:

a. means for creating and storing a computer readable file on a medium accessible via a computer network;

b. means for importing into the computer readable file a portion of another computer readable file including information pertaining to a proposed invitation;

c. means for searching the computer readable file at the medium for the presence of information corresponding to information designated by a user;

d. means for informing the user when at least some of the designated information has been found in the searching step; and

e. means for making available to the user additional information present in a portion of the another computer readable file other than the first portion in response to a request by a user.

89. A system for facilitating an exchange between two or more parties, said exchange involving an invite and at least one acceptance of the invite, said invite and said at least one acceptance establishing a meeting between said two or more parties comprising:

(a) means for receiving from a first party first data including an identity of said first party and an invite comprising a time and location of a proposed meeting;

(b) means for receiving from a second party a search request comprising at least one search criterion;

(c) means for receiving from said second party second data including an identity of said second party and an acceptance of said invite; and

(d) means for transmitting said acceptance to said first party.

94. A method for establishing a meeting at a specified time and at a specified location between one or more anonymous users comprising the steps of:

viewing, using a computer, an invitation for said meeting at said specified time and said specified location; and

transmitting, using said computer, a request to accept said invitation.

95. The method of claim 94, further comprising receiving at a time subsequent to said accepting said invitation a confirmation of said scheduled meeting.