Apparatus and method for online dating service providing threaded messages with a notes and diary function

• US 20060059160A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Match Group, LLC (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smola, Egon, Wang, Wei, Rocca, Tracy D., Truong, Vu Hao Thi, Clancy, Maurice L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A notes function and a diary function for an online dating service is provided. Each subscriber to the online dating service has access to a message center for communicating messages between candidates. The messages in the message center are organized as threads. Additionally, a subscriber may create and edit a note associated with a candidate and/or an email message between the subscriber and the candidate. The note is by default accessible to the subscriber and inaccessible to the candidate. Furthermore, the message center can provide a facility for enabling a subscriber to create a diary regarding online dating service activities. The diary can include the authored notes, summaries, impressions, videos, movies, pictures, graphics, colors, messages, threaded messages, threaded list views, and the like.

Claims

1. A method for enabling communication in an online dating service, comprising:

storing a message that is communicated between a user and another user, wherein a profile is associated with the other user;

associating the message with the profile;

enabling the user to provide a note that is associated with at least one of the profile or the message, wherein the note is accessible to the user and by default inaccessible to the other user; and

enabling display of the note to the user along with at least one of the profile or the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the note includes at least one of a picture, text, emoticon, audio file, graphic, movie, color, or animation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is at least one of an email message, an Short Message Service (SMS) message, Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message, instant messaging (IM) message, internet relay chat (IRC) message, or blog message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile includes at least one of income, education, hobbies, politics, marital status, birthday, age, picture, graphic, profession, audio message, thumbnail image, or geographical location associated with the other user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling display of the note to the user along with the at least one of the profile or the message further comprises:

if the user requests to view the message, displaying the message to the user such that the message includes a note link, wherein the note link indicates that the note is associated with the message; and

if the user clicks on the note link, displaying the note.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to share access of the note with the other user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to access a thread list view that includes the profile; and

enabling the user to access a thread view for the profile, wherein the thread view displays a thread associated with the profile, wherein the thread includes the message, and wherein the association of the note with the profile provides a direct correspondence between the note and the profile.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to access a thread list view that includes the profile; and

enabling the user to access a thread view for the profile, wherein the thread view displays a thread associated with the profile, wherein the thread includes the message, and wherein the association of the note with the profile includes associating the note with the message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling display of the note to the user along with the at least one of the profile or the message further includes:

displaying a note link along with the profile, wherein the note link indicates that the note is associated with the profile; and

if the user clicks on the note link, displaying the note.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the note link is displayed as at least one of a graphical image or a thumbnail image.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a diary to store the note and at least one of the profile or the message.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling editing of the diary and at least one of its contents.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the diary includes at least one of a picture, text, emoticon, audio file, graphic, movie, color, video, or animation.

14. A method for managing communications in an online dating service, comprising:

storing a plurality of profiles, wherein a separate user is associated with each profile;

enabling display of a thread list view for each user, wherein the thread list view displays a thread list that indicates a profile for each other user with which a message has been exchanged between the user and the other user;

if, in the thread list view, the user selects a profile in the thread list, displaying a thread view which includes a history of messages communicated between the user and another user associated with the selected profile; and

enabling the user to edit a note such that the note is associated with at least one of a profile in the thread list, or a communicated message associated with the profile, and wherein the note is accessible to the user and by default inaccessible to the user associated with the profile.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the thread view displays a history of communication between the user and the other user, a collapsible inline summary of the communication, and a photo thumbnail of the other user.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, for each user:

enabling the user to organize the display of the plurality of profiles in the thread list view by hierarchically sorting first those profiles for which the user has associated at least one note.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising enabling the user to delete at least one profile from the thread list.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising, for each user:

enabling the user to save profiles in a saved profile list for the user;

enabling display of the saved profile list, along with a note link for each profile for which at least one note has been created by the user, and further along with a view thread link for each profile that is included in the thread list for the user; and

if the user clicks on the view thread link, displaying the thread view for the profile.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein, for each user, the thread view further includes at least one draft message saved by the user, wherein a display of a draft message is visually differentiated from a message that has been communicated between the user and the other user.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising enabling the user to save the note from within the thread view.

21. The method of claim 14, enabling the user to create and edit the note from within the thread list view.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a diary to store the note and at least one of the profile or the message.

23. A server for communicating in an online dating service, comprising:

a transceiver that is arranged to receive and transmit information on a network; and

a processor that is arranged to communicate with the transceiver, wherein the processor is arranged to perform actions, including;

storing a message that is communicated between a user and another user, wherein a profile is associated with the other user;

associating the message with the profile;

enabling the user to provide a note that is associated with at least one of the profile or the message, wherein the note is accessible to the user and by default inaccessible to the other user; and

enabling display of the note to the user along with at least one of the profile or the message.

24. A client for communicating in an online dating service, comprising:

a transceiver that is arranged to receive and transmit information on a network; and

a processor that is arranged to communicate with the transceiver, wherein the processor is arranged to perform actions, including;

enabling display of a thread list view for each user, wherein the thread list view displays a thread list that indicates a profile for each other user with which a message has been exchanged between the user and the other user;

if, in the thread list view, the user selects a profile in the thread list, enabling display of a thread view which includes a history of messages communicated between the user and another user associated with the selected profile; and

enabling the user to edit a note such that the note is associated with at least one of a profile in the thread list or a communicated message associated with the profile, wherein the note is accessible to the user and by default inaccessible to the user associated with the profile.

25. Computer-executable instructions embodied on a computer-readable medium, the instructions enabling actions for communication in an online dating service, comprising:

storing a message that is communicated between a user and another user, wherein a profile is associated with the other user;

associating the message with the profile;

enabling the user to provide a note that is associated with at least one of the profile or the message, wherein the note is accessible to the user and by default inaccessible to the other user; and

enabling display of the note to the user along with at least one of the profile or the message.

26. A mobile device for communicating in an online dating service, comprising:

a transceiver that is arranged to receive and transmit information on a network through at least a wireless interface; and

a processor that is arranged to communicate with the transceiver, wherein the processor is arranged to perform actions, including;

enabling display of a thread list view for each user, wherein the thread list view displays a thread list that indicates a profile for each other user with which a message has been exchanged between the user and the other user;

if, in the thread list view, the user selects a profile in the thread list, enabling display of a thread view which includes a history of messages communicated between the user and another user associated with the selected profile; and

enabling the user to edit a note such that the note is associated with at least one of a profile in the thread list or a communicated message associated with the profile, wherein the note is accessible to the user and by default inaccessible to the user associated with the profile.