System and method for the automated notification of compatibility between real-time network participants

• US 7,401,098 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jedi Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jedi Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Baker, Benjamin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolte, Jean Fleurantin
• Application Number:
  US09/793,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,696 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 709/204, 709/218, 709227-228, 709/207, 709/217, 709/219, 715/758
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/105 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The present invention is a method and system for using predetermined preferences/characteristics to ascertain personal compatibility between network or chat room participants based upon profile information. When the system determines that these preferences are favorable for interpersonal compatibility, the system will automatically notify or page the participants so as to facilitate their introduction. Further functionality, aside from the compatibility based upon profile information, includes e-mail and other electronic notification of personal compatibility as well as geographic compatibility.

Claims

1. A method for the automated display of human participant-specific data to a human participant of a real-time network, comprising the steps of:

(a) collecting human participant specific data for a plurality of network participants, wherein said step of collecting human participant-specific data includes presenting to the human participant an on-line survey comprising a plurality of questions; and

detecting and recording the human participant responses to the questions;

(b) storing, in memory, the human participant specific data collected, wherein said step of storing the collected human participant-specific data includes creating at least one data table within a database that includes data for a plurality of human participants, and within said table storing at least one record containing information indicative of the human participant responses to the questions;

(c) processing the stored human participant specific data, using the compatibility criteria, to determine interpersonal compatibility between at least two network participants, wherein said step of processing the stored human participant-specific data includes retrieving at least one compatibility criteria, wherein the compatibility criteria includes at least one characteristic and a threshold, and applying the compatibility criteria to a plurality of records containing information indicative of the human participant responses in the data table within a database so as to determine the compatibility of the human participants;

(d) sorting said human participant specific data from a plurality of network participants by interpersonal compatibility; and

(e) automatically displaying at least a portion of the sorted human participant specific data to at least one participant in association with the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of applying the compatibility criteria includes comparing data stored in the records to identify data favorable for interpersonal compatibility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of applying the compatibility criteria includes comparing data stored in the records to identify data within a threshold associated with the at least one compatibility criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the participant-specific data includes a chat time a first participant is available to chat, and where the step of notifying compatible participants further includes e-mailing a compatible participant to solicit an auto-response indicating whether the compatible participant wishes to chat with said first participant during the time indicated as available to chat.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of notifying compatible participants further includes sending, upon confirmation of at least two participants'"'"' indication of a willingness to chat, an e-mail confirmation for a time agreed to.

6. A method for determining the compatibility of at least two participants of a real-time network, and for the automated notification of compatible participants based upon predetermined criteria, comprising:

(a) collecting human participant-specific data for a plurality of real-time network participants;

(b) storing, in memory, the human participant-specific data collected, including participant-specified preferences;

(c) sorting said human participant-specific data from a plurality of participants by participant-specified preferences;

(d) processing the stored human participant specific data, using at least the compatibility criteria and stored participant-specified preferences, to calculate interpersonal compatibility between at least two real-time network participants;

(e) automatically determining the compatibility of at least two human participants using the calculated interpersonal compatibility, including assessing whether the participants are available to meet in person at a common establishment, wherein the step of assessing whether the participants are available to meet in person at a common establishment includes monitoring the positions of the participants to determine whether the positions are in proximity to one another; and

(f) notifying compatible participants of their compatibility, including sending each compatible participant a message indicating the compatibility.