Patent ID: 6249282
Filing Date: 2001-06-19
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
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.