Explanatory people matching system and method

• US 8,515,901 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manyworlds Incorporated
• Inventors: Moneypenny, Naomi Felina, Flinn, Steven Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US13/292,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/603
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/046 Forward inferencing; Production systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

An explanatory people matching system and method matches people in accordance with inferences from usage behaviors, and delivers reasons for the matching to the matched people. The usage behaviors may include behaviors such as subscriptions and accesses to computer-implemented objects. The reasons for the matching that are delivered to the matched people may include references to usage behaviors, inferences of common interests, and/or expressions of interest between the matched people. Additional explanatory information may be provided upon request by the matched people.

Claims

1. A people matching method, comprising:

altering a computer-implemented directionally distinct relationship between a first person who is a first user of a computer-implemented system and a second person who is a second user of the computer-implemented system, wherein the altering of the directionally distinct relationship is explicitly performed by the first person;

receiving a match of a first person with a third person, wherein the match is generated by a processor-based device and is based, at least in part, on an inference from a plurality of usage behaviors, wherein one of the plurality of usage behaviors is the altering of the directionally distinct relationship; and

receiving a reason for the match, wherein the reason comprises one of the plurality of usage behaviors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the match of the first person with the third person, wherein the match is generated in response to a search request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the match of the first person with the third person, wherein the match is generated in accordance with the inference from the plurality of usage behaviors, wherein one of the plurality of usage behaviors is a subscription that delivers information from the second person to the first person.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the match of the first person with the third person, wherein the match is generated in accordance with the inference from the plurality of usage behaviors, wherein one of the plurality of usage behaviors is a user performing a tagging for future reference of a computer-implemented object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the match of the first person with the third person, wherein the match is generated in accordance with the inference, wherein the inference is based on a level of mutual interest expressed between the first person and the third person.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the reason, wherein the reason comprises an expression of interest by the third person toward the first person.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting additional explanatory information after receiving the reason.

8. A computer-implemented people matching system, comprising one or more processor-based devices configured to execute:

a relationship-altering function that enables a first person, who is a first user of a computer-implemented system, to explicitly alter a computer-implemented directionally distinct relationship between the first person and a second person, wherein the second person is a second user of the computer-implemented system;

a people matching function that generates a match comprising a first person and a third person, wherein the match is generated based, at least in part, on an inference from a plurality of usage behaviors, wherein one of the plurality of usage behaviors is the first person using the relationship altering function to explicitly alter the computer-implemented directionally distinct relationship between the first person and the second person; and

a computer implemented explanatory function that delivers a reason for the match to the first person, wherein the reason comprises one of the plurality of usage behaviors.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

the people matching function, wherein the people matching function generates the match in response to a search request.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

the plurality of usage behaviors, wherein one of the plurality of usage behaviors is a subscription that delivers information from the second person to the first person.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

the plurality of usage behaviors, wherein one of the plurality of usage behaviors is a user of the computer-implemented system tagging for future reference a computer-implemented object.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

the inference, wherein the inference is of a level of mutual interest, wherein the level of mutual interest is based on access behaviors by the first person with respect to computer-implemented objects that contain content authored by the second person.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

the reason, wherein the reason comprises an expression of interest by the third person toward the first person.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

the explanatory function, wherein the explanatory function delivers additional explanatory information upon request by the first person.

15. A computer-implemented people matching system, comprising one or more processor-based devices configured to execute:

a computer-implemented tagging function that enables a user of a computer implemented system to tag a plurality of computer-implemented objects for future reference;

a people matching function that generates a match comprising a first person and a second person, wherein the match is generated based, at least in part, on an inference from a plurality of usage behaviors, wherein one of the plurality of usage behaviors is not a tagging behavior and a second of the plurality of usage behaviors is the user using the computer-implemented tagging function to tag a first computer-implemented object of the plurality of computer-implemented objects for future reference; and

a computer implemented explanatory function that delivers a reason for the match to the first person, wherein the reason comprises the inference, wherein the inference is of a common interest.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

the people matching function, wherein the people matching function generates the match in response to a search request.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

the plurality of usage behaviors, wherein one of the plurality of usage behaviors is a subscription by the first person to a computer-implemented object that delivers information in accordance with the subscription, wherein the delivered information comprises content authored by the second person.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

the plurality of usage behaviors, wherein one of the plurality of usage behaviors is the user tagging the first computer-implemented object, wherein the tagging comprises the user associating a symbolic expression with the first computer-implemented object, wherein the symbolic expression comprises a word.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

the reason, wherein the reason comprises an expression of interest by the second person toward the first person.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

the explanatory function, wherein the explanatory function delivers additional explanatory information upon request by the first person.