Method and apparatus for matching registered profiles

• US 6,249,282 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tele-Publishing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tele-Publishing Incorporated
• Inventors: Dunn, Kevin A., Sutcliffe, Andrew B
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thomas T.
• Application Number:
  US09/479,482
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 345/331, 345/329, 345/339, 707/3, 707/6, 707/102, 707/501, 707/203
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system of matching a first user with at least one other user of the system by comparing criteria data of the first user with characteristic data of the at least one other user and criteria data of the at least one other user with characteristic data of the first user. The characteristic and criteria data can be obtained via the Internet, and more specifically through a series of web site screens that prompt the user for characteristic and preference data. The system performs the comparison of the respective characteristic and criteria data to provide a list of matches to the first user. The first user is furnished with information that allows the first user to contact the other users for which a match has been found.

Claims

1. In a system for matching user information comprising a networked computer system, a plurality of publishers, and a plurality of users, a method of matching a first user of a system with at least one other user of the system, comprising the steps of:

soliciting characteristic and criteria data from a plurality of users by a plurality of publishers;

storing the characteristic and criteria data of the users of the system on the networked computer system, the characteristic data including an identity of the publisher that solicited a particular user'"'"'s data and establishing an affiliation between the user and the publisher who solicited the user'"'"'s data;

providing publishers with a means for blocking matches between users affiliated with the publisher and users affiliated with selected other publishers;

comparing the criteria data of a first user with the characteristic data of at least one other user of the system;

comparing the criteria data of the at least one other user with the characteristic data of the first user;

providing information associated with the at least one other user to the first user for the case where at least some of the characteristic data of the at least one other user matches the criteria data of the first user, and at least some of the characteristic data of the first user matches the criteria data of the at least one other user, wherein the publisher affiliation of the at least one user can form a basis to prevent the information associated with the at least one other user from being provided to the first user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic data of the first user includes age data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the criteria data of the first user includes a desired range of ages with respect to the at least one other user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the characteristic data elements of the first user is selected from the group consisting of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, parental status, smoking status, drinking status, body type, education level, height, and geographic location.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the criteria data of the first user is selected from the group consisting of age range, gender, ethnicity, religion, parental status, smoking status, drinking status, body type, education level, height, and geographic location.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of soliciting the characteristic and criteria data includes communicating over the Internet.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the publishers is a newspaper publisher.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one other user includes a plurality of other users and the information associated with the plurality of other users is provided in an order according to a parameter.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of e-mail capability, voice-greeting status, on-line personal ad status, system identification number, geographical closeness, closeness in age, astrological closeness, response level to personal ad, client, number of users in personal journal, likelihood of responding to an e-mail, most recent system interaction, number of system stamps.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the parameter according to which the at least one other users are ordered is the publisher identifier.

11. A system for matching a first user with at least one other of a plurality of users of the system wherein a plurality of the users have an affiliation with one of a plurality of publishers, comprising:

an interface for obtaining characteristic and criteria data for users of the system, the characteristic data including a publisher identifier representing a user'"'"'s publisher affiliation;

a memory for storing the characteristic and criteria data of users of the system including the first user and the at least one other user;

a comparator for comparing the criteria data of the first user with characteristic data of the at least one other user and comparing the criteria data of the at least one other user with the characteristic data of the first user;

a communication device for providing information associated with the at least one other user to the first user for the case where at least some of the criteria data of the first user matches the characteristic data of the at least one other user and at least some of the criteria data of the at least one other user substantially matches the characteristic data of the first user; and

a publisher criteria device for accepting publisher criteria data to form a basis for preventing the information associated with the at least one other user from being provided to the first user.

12. The system according to claim 11, further including an ordering device for providing the information associated with the at least one other user in an order based on a parameter.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of e-mail capability, voice-greeting status, on-line personal ad status, system identification number, geographical closeness, closeness in age, astrological closeness, response level to personal ad, client, number of users in personal journal, likelihood of responding to an e-mail, most recent system interaction, number of system stamps.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the interface includes a connection over the Internet.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the memory includes a database storing the characteristic or criteria data in the form of a data string.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the comparator forms a data string based on the characteristic and criteria data of the first user and the at least one other user for searching a user database.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the publisher criteria device includes means for preventing matches by allowing publishers to select characteristic or criteria data categories that do not match characteristic or criteria data categories selected by other publishers.

18. In a system for matching a first user with at least one other of a plurality of users of the system wherein a plurality of the users have an affiliation with one of a plurality of publishers, a computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code to obtain characteristic and criteria data from users of the system, the characteristic data including a publisher identifier representing a user'"'"'s publisher affiliation;

a computer usable medium having computer readable code to store the characteristic and criteria data of the users of the system;

a computer usable medium having computer readable code to compare the criteria data of a first user with the characteristic data of at least one other user of the system;

a computer usable medium having computer readable code to compare the criteria data of the at least one other user with the characteristic data of the first user;

a computer usable medium having computer readable code to provide information associated with the at least one other user to the first user for the case where at least some of the characteristic data of the at least one other user matches the criteria data of the first user, and at least some of the characteristic data of the first user matches the criteria data of the at least one other user; and

a computer usable medium having computer readable code to accept publisher criteria data, the publisher criteria data forming a basis for preventing the information associated with the at least one other user from being provided to the first user.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code to order the information associated with the at least one other user according to a parameter.

20. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer usable medium has computer readable code that obtains characteristic and criteria data over the Internet.

21. In a system for matching user information comprising a networked computer system, a plurality of publishers, and a plurality of users, a method of matching a first user of a system with at least one other user of the system, comprising the steps of:

soliciting characteristic data from a plurality of users by a plurality of publishers;

storing the characteristic data of the users of the system on the networked computer system, the characteristic data including an identity of the publisher that solicited a particular user'"'"'s data and establishing an affiliation between the user and the publisher who solicited the user'"'"'s data;

accepting criteria data from a first user having a publisher affiliation;

storing the criteria data from the first user and an identity of the publisher affiliated with the first user on the networked computer system;

comparing the criteria data and affiliated publisher identity of the first user with the characteristic data and affiliate d publisher identity of at least one other user of the system;

providing publishers with a means for blocking matches between users affiliated with the publisher and users affiliated with selected other publishers;

providing information associated with the at least one other user to the first user for the case where at least some of the characteristic data of the at least one other user matches the criteria data of the first user, and at least some of the characteristic data of the first user matches the criteria data of the at least one other user, wherein the publisher affiliation of the at least one user can form a basis to prevent the information associated with the at least one other user from being provided to the first user.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the step of soliciting the characteristic data includes communicating over the Internet.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the step of obtaining the criteria data includes communicating over the Internet.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein at least one of the publishers is a newspaper publisher.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the publishers is a Web-site.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein at least one of the publishers is a Web-site.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein the at least one other user includes a plurality of other users and the information associated with the plurality of other users is provided in an order according to a parameter.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of e-mail capability, voice-greeting status, on-line ad status, system identification number, geographical closeness, closeness in age, astrological closeness, response level to personal ad, publisher identity, and likelihood of responding to an e-mail, most recent system interaction.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the parameter according to which the at least one other users are ordered is the publisher identity.

30. A system for providing information to a searching user from at least one of a plurality of advertising users of the system wherein a plurality of the advertising users have an affiliation with one of a plurality of publishers, comprising:

a first interface for obtaining characteristic data and information for advertising users of the system, the characteristic data including a publisher identifier representing an advertising user'"'"'s publisher affiliation;

a second interface for obtaining criteria data from a searching user of the system, the searching user being affiliated with a publisher;

a memory for storing the characteristic data, information and publisher identity of advertising users of the system and criteria data and publisher identity for the searching user;

a comparator for comparing the criteria data of the first user with characteristic data of a plurality of advertising users;

a communication device for providing information associated at least one advertising user to the searching user for the case where at least some of the criteria data of the searching user substantially matches the characteristic data of the at least one advertising user; and

a publisher criteria device for accepting publisher criteria data to form a basis for preventing the information associated with the at least one advertising user from being provided to the searching user based on the publisher identity of the searching user and the at least one advertising user.

31. The system according to claim 30, further including ordering means for providing the information associated with the at least advertising user in an order based on a parameter.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of e-mail capability, voice-greeting status, on-line ad status, system identification number, geographical closeness, closeness in age, astrological closeness, response level to ad, client, number of users in personal journal, likelihood of responding to an e-mail, most recent system interaction, and publisher identity.

33. The system according to claim 31, wherein the parameter according to which the at least one advertising user is ordered is the publisher identity.

34. The system according to claim 30, wherein the first interface means includes a connection over the Internet.

35. The system according to claim 30, wherein the second interface means includes a connection over the Internet.

36. The system according to claim 30, wherein the memory includes a database allowing storage of the characteristic data in the form of a data string.

37. The system according to claim 30, wherein the comparitor forms a data string based on the criteria data of a searching user for searching a user database.

38. The system according to claim 30, wherein at least one of the publishers is a newspaper publisher.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein at least one of the publishers is a Web-site.

40. The method according to claim 30, wherein at least one of the publishers is a Web-site.

41. The method according to claim 30, wherein the publisher criteria device includes means for preventing matches by allowing publishers to select characteristic or criteria data categories that do not match characteristic or criteria data categories selected by other publishers.