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

• US 7,917,448 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• 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: Rocca, Tracy D., Truong, Vu Hao Thi, Clancy, Maurice L. Jr., Smola, Egon, Wang, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): CASLER, TRACI
• Application Number:
  US11/154,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/319
• 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 said another user;

associating the message with the profile;

employing a server device to communicate with a client device to enable 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 said another user; and

employing the server device to enable display of the note to the user along with at least one of the profile or the message

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

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

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the note link is displayed as at least one of a graphical image or a thumbnail image.

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

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising enabling editing of the diary and at least one of its contents.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the diary includes at least one of a picture, text, emoticon, audio file, graphic, movie, color, video, or animation.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the note is inaccessible to said another user while the message is accessible to said another user.

24. The method of claim 6, wherein

the message is accessible to said another user, and

the note is inaccessible to said another user unless the user shares access of the note with said another user.

25. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

if said another user requests to view the message, displaying the message to said another user such that the note is inaccessible to said another user, and such that the message displayed to said another user does not include the note link.

26. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

enabling the user to share access to the note with share another user;

if said another user requests to view the message, and the user has not shared access to the note, displaying the message to said another user such that the note is inaccessible to said another user, and such that the message displayed to said another user does not include the note link;

if said another user requests to view the message, and the user has shared access to the note

displaying the message to said another user such that the message includes the note link, wherein the note link indicates that the note is associated with the message; and

if said another user clicks on the note link, displaying the note to said another user.

27. 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:

if the user requests to view the message, displaying the message to the user such that the message includes the note, such that both the message and the note are displayed whenever the user views the note; and

if said another user requests to view the message, displaying the message to said another user such that the note is inaccessible to said another user, and such that the message displayed to said another user does not include the note.

28. 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:

if the user requests to view the message, displaying the message to the user such that the message includes the note, such that both the message and the note are displayed whenever the user views the note; and

enabling the user to share access to the note with share another user;

if said another user requests to view the message, and the user has not shared access to the note, displaying the message to said another user such that the note is inaccessible to said another user, and such that the message displayed to said another user does not include the note; and

if said another user requests to view the message, and the user has shared access to the note, displaying the message to said another user such that the message includes the note, such that both the message and the note are displayed whenever the user views the note if the user has shared access to the note.

29. 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:

if the user requests to view the profile, displaying the message to the user such that the profile includes the note, such that both the message and either the note or a note link are displayed whenever the user views the profile; and

if said another user requests to view the profile, displaying the profile to said another user such that the note is inaccessible to said another user.

30. 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:

if the user requests to view the profile, displaying the profile to the user such that the profile includes the note, such that both the profile and either the note or a note link are displayed whenever the user views the profile;

enabling the user to share access to the note with said another user; and

if said another user requests to view the profile, displaying the profile to said another user such that the note is inaccessible to said another user unless the user has shared access to the note with said another user.

13. 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 said another 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

employing a server device to communicate with a client device to enable the user to edit a note such that the note is associated with at least one of a profile in the thread list, and 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; and

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

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

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the thread view displays a history of communication between the user and said another user, a collapsible inline summary of the communication, and a photo thumbnail of said another user.

15. The method of claim 13, 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.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising enabling the user to delete at least one profile from the thread list.

17. The method of claim 13, 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.

18. The method of claim 13, 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 said another user.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising enabling the user to save the note from within the thread view.

20. The method of claim 13, enabling the user to create and edit the note from within the thread list view.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a diary to store the note and at least one of the profile or the message.

22. 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 said another 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 said another user; and

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