Patent Publication Number: US-11386172-B1

Title: Apparatus and method for matching individuals based upon a commitment disposition criterion

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to social media dating applications deployed in computer networks. More particularly, this invention is directed toward techniques for matching individuals based upon a commitment disposition criterion. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many individuals avoid social medial dating applications that require a user to input extensive information about himself or herself. Therefore, several popular social media dating applications require only basic information, such as age preference, location range and a photo. While such minimalistic approaches have appeal, they may lead to inappropriate matches. Therefore, there is a need to maintain a simple social media dating application entry process that collects sufficient information to establish improved matches. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A computer implemented method includes supplying to a client device prompts for a first individual to specify matching criteria for a potential introduction to a second individual, where the matching criteria includes criterion to specify commitment disposition. Matching criteria is collected. Matches between the first individual and a pool of individuals are generated based upon the matching criteria. The matches are supplied to the client device. Match acceptances are collected from the client device. Network communication is enabled between the first individual and the second individual in response to a match between the first individual and the second individual and a match acceptance by at least one of the first individual and the second individual. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The invention is more fully appreciated in connection with the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a system configured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates processing operations performed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a user interface configured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a system  100  configured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The system  100  includes a set of client devices  102 _ 1  through  102 _N in communication with a server  104  via a network  106 , which may be any combination of wired and wireless networks. Each client device  102  includes a processor (e.g., central processing unit)  110  in communication with input/output devices  112  via a bus  114 . The input/output devices  112  may include a keyboard, mouse, touch display and the like. A network interface circuit  116  is also connected to the bus  114  to provide connectivity to network  106 . A memory  120  is also connected to the bus  114 . The memory  120  stores instructions executed by the processor  110 . In particular, the memory  120  stores a dating application  122 , which communicates with server  104  to coordinate introductions between individuals that have been identified as potential matches, and where at least one individual has accepted the potential match. Typically, each client device  102 _ 1  through  102 _N is a mobile device executing the dating application  122 . Different client devices  102 _ 1  through  102 _N are operated by different individuals that subscribe to the same dating application  122 . 
     Server  104  includes standard components, such as a processor  130 , bus  132 , input/output devices  134  and a network interface circuit  136  to provide connectivity to network  106 . A memory  140  is connected to the bus  132 . The memory  140  stores a matching module  142  with instructions executed by the processor  130  to implement operations disclosed in connection with  FIG. 2 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , the matching module  142  initially supplies prompts for matching criteria  200 . That is, the matching module  142  supplies to a client device operated by a first individual a user interface with prompts that are used to collect matching criteria for a potential introduction to a second individual. The matching criteria includes criterion to specify commitment disposition. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a user interface  300  that may be supplied from the matching module  142  to a client device  102  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The user interface  300  includes individual prompts  302 _ 1  through  302 _N for different matching criteria. At least one criterion, say criterion_ 1 ,  302 _ 1  specifies a commitment disposition. A slider bar  304  with a feature  306  may be used to specify the commitment disposition between a high level (e.g., “Mr. Right”) and a low level (e.g., “Mr. Right Now”). A gesture (e.g., a swiping motion) is applied to the user interface  300  to specify matching criteria. In embodiments, the gesture is applied to a slider bar with a feature, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Interface  300  also shows additional criterion  302 _ 2  through  302 _N, which may include a search radius (e.g., individuals with 10 miles) and an age range. 
     Thus, the interface  300  provides a simple social media dating application entry process that collects sufficient information to establish improved matches. Individuals are generally more eager to supply information about commitment disposition compared to educational background, professional status, etc. 
     Returning to  FIG. 2 , matching criteria is collected  202  from client devices  102 _ 1  through  102 _N at the server  104 . The matching module  142  then generates matches  204  based upon matching criteria. The matching criteria may be based upon any number of factors and may user any number of techniques including applied rules, collaborative filtering and/or machine learning. However, an overriding filter condition is commitment disposition criterion, which must match within some specified range (e.g., two individuals may not deviate in position on the slider  304  in  FIG. 3  by more than 25%). 
     The matches are then supplied  206  from the matching module  142  at the server  104  to one or more client devices  102 . Match acceptances are then collected  208  from client devices  102 . For example, a photograph of an individual may be presented and a first gesture (e.g., a swipe down on the screen or a swipe to the left on the screen) may indicate no interest, while a second gesture (e.g., a swipe up on the screen or a swipe to the right on the screen) may indicate interest. 
     Network communication is then enabled between matched and accepted individuals  210 . For example, network communication in the form of a text message may be enabled between a first individual and a second individual in response to a match between the first individual and the second individual and a match acceptance by at least one of the first individual and the second individual. The criteria to enable communication may be configured in a variety of manners. For example, it may be specified that only one gender may initiate communication. Enabling communication may be predicated upon a single individual accepting a match. Alternately, enabling communication may be predicated upon a requirement that both a first individual and a second individual accept a match. 
     Thus, the matching module  142  facilitates a digital service that can connect individual users through mutual agreement (matching) for purposes including, but not exclusively, socialising, networking, and dating. The dating application  122  may be implemented as an application for a mobile device, a website or a standalone computer application. 
     A user&#39;s personal profile can include name, age, city, photographs, biographical text, links to social media profiles on other networks, and a range of other fields that allow users to characterize themselves. Once a profile is complete, a user can begin to view the profiles of other users, while the new profile is circulated among the user base. 
     In one embodiment, a user is able to filter the profiles of other users that are served to them for viewing through setting restrictions upon the age, location, or potentially any other personal attribute. 
     The commitment disposition criterion discussed in connection with  FIG. 3  may be referred to as a “mood scale”. The feature  306  can be moved on scale  304  between different ‘moods’. Moving the indicator button  306  on scale  304  serves two purposes for the user. 
     First, it creates a new personal ‘mood’ attribute that is associated with that user&#39;s profile along with the other provided personal information. The mood scale characterizes whether the user is looking for a serious match (e.g., “Mr. Right”), a spontaneous match (e.g., “Mr. Right Now”), or that they are not sure (e.g., “Mr. Who Knows”). 
     The second purpose that moving the indicator serves is to create an additional filter upon the set of user profiles served for viewing. A user having moved an indicator to the ‘Mr Right’ point on the scale, will therefore be shown the profiles of other users who have also moved their indicators to that region of the scale. Through the use of the indicator scale users are able to indicate what their intentions are as they look for matches, and also filter the other users available to view. This feature increases the quality of the matches that are possible in a social network by the filtering of possible users based on their intentions. In one embodiment, a user who leaves the indicator in a central position (e.g., “Mr Who Knows”) can be served users from within the “Mr Who Knows” pool, but also users from the other options on the scale. Users are also able to blend multiple ‘moods’ by moving their indicator button to be in a position between identified ‘moods’ on the scale, and are served the profiles of other users from both pools. 
     A user receives profiles of other users who have met the filtering criteria; the user is able to explore the personal information that has been added to a profile. Profiles are served to the user one-by-one, with the option to look through multiple pictures per profile, expand text, and click through to external information and profiles on other social networks. The user is able to see the commitment disposition or “mood” that the other user has selected. To ascertain the mutual agreement to connect two users together, every profile viewed must be ‘voted’ on. Having viewed the personal profile of another user, the viewing user swipes (click and drag the profile using their finger) the served profile off the screen in a certain direction (e.g., right or up) if they would like to connect with that specific user or (e.g., left or down) if they do not. 
     In one embodiment, once a user has voted yes upon the profile of another user, the matching module  142  places the profile of the first user into the queue of profiles to be viewed by the second user. Through this mechanism the matching module  142  is able to accelerate the pace with which two users may view each-other&#39;s profiles than would happen in a purely organic system of profile selection. 
     In one embodiment, users are also able to send a stronger yes vote through the use of a ‘Spark’ button on each users&#39; profile. This serves not only as a Yes vote, but also triggers the matching module  142  to notify the ‘sparked’ user that there has been a user expressing a high level of interest in them. A user may be notified of the elevated interest. 
     In one embodiment, the system does not require that both users be online at the same time for a match to be suggested. In one embodiment, when one user votes yes and the other user votes no, no further connection is established between the two users, and their profiles may not be shown to each-other again (or they may be shown again depending on changes within their profile, location, search parameters, or because of time elapsed). When two users both mutually vote ‘yes’ upon the other user&#39;s profile, a connection is established between the two accounts which allows for direct communication. In one embodiment, matched users are directed to a direct messaging system supported by server  104 . This system can display elements of a user&#39;s profile in order to increase recognition of the other user (e.g., name, age, photograph). 
     Within the chat system users are also shown the ‘mood’ in which the other user was in when the match was created. Through this the system creates a unique mechanism through which the intention of each user is communicated to other users within the social network. Once users are within the chat function, they can then send direct messages back and forth to one-another. Within the chat function, users are also able to modify the status of the connection by ‘unmatching’, which is to revoke their side of the mutual agreement to be connected. Users can also ‘block’ the other user, which serves the same purpose as ‘unmatching’, but ensures their profile will not be served to the ‘blocking’ user again. 
     An embodiment of the present invention relates to a computer storage product with a computer readable storage medium having computer code thereon for performing various computer-implemented operations. The media and computer code may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind well known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to: magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs and holographic devices; magneto-optical media; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and execute program code, such as application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), programmable logic devices (“PLDs”) and ROM and RAM devices. Examples of computer code include machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher-level code that are executed by a computer using an interpreter. For example, an embodiment of the invention may be implemented using JAVA®, C++, or other object-oriented programming language and development tools. Another embodiment of the invention may be implemented in hardwired circuitry in place of, or in combination with, machine-executable software instructions. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that specific details are not required in order to practice the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed; obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, they thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the following claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.