# US 10,769,221 B1 · Apparatus, method and article to facilitate matching of clients in a networked environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,769,221 B1 - Document ID: US10769221B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/376,168 - Filed: 2016-12-12 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-08-20 - Assignees: Plentyoffish Media Ulc - Applicants: Plentyoffish Media Ulc - Inventors: Markus Frind; Steve Oldridge - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769221B1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/08: Auctions - G06F 16/9535: Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation - H04L 51/52: for supporting social networking services - H04L 67/101: based on network conditions - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Information related to apparently successful matches between two entities is collected, and culled based on a later indication that the match failed. Matches between two entities may be generated based on comparative information with other entities who appear to share some characteristics or preferences. Matches may be based on actual actions, in contrast to expressed preferences. Actual actions may be taken into account in addition to expressed preferences. Generation of matches may take into account geographical and/or temporal proximity and/or likelihood of receiving a response, in addition to other attributes of an entity. Matching algorithms may be updated based on entity input. Potential matches may be presented to third party entities for evaluation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operation in a matching service system of a matching service, the matching service system having at least one processor, at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, and a number of communications ports communicatively coupled to the at least one processor which provide communications with a plurality of end user devices, the end user devices logically associatable with a plurality of end user client accounts of the matching services, the end user client accounts logically associable with end user clients of the matching service, the method comprising: for each respective one of a number of end user clients, identifying at least one recipient end user client who the respective end user client has messaged; identifying a number of comparative end user clients who have also messaged the at least one recipient end user client; identifying at least one other recipient end user client who at least one of the comparative end user clients has also messaged; recommending the at least one other recipient end user client to the respective end user client, evaluating at least one of: a length of messages sent by the respective end user client, a respective identity of other end user clients that the respective end user client messages, a respective identity of other end user clients that the respective end user client views and does not message, or an indication of a number of views of another end user client by the respective end user client before the respective end user client messages the other end user client; evaluating at least one of: a length of messages sent by the at least one comparative end user client, a respective identity of other end user clients that the at least one comparative end user client messages, a respective identity of other end user clients that the at least one comparative end user client views and does not message, or an indication of a number of views of another end user client by the at least one comparative end user client before the respective end user client messages the other end user client; and comparing a result of the evaluation for the at least one comparative end user client with a result of the evaluation for the respective end user client, and wherein recommending the at least one other recipient end user client to the respective end user client is based in part on the comparison. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a number of comparative end user clients who have also messaged the at least one recipient end user client includes performing a single value decomposition. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein identifying at least one other recipient end user client who at least one of the comparative end user clients has also messaged includes identifying at least one other recipient end user client based at least in part on a total number of comparative end user clients who have messaged the same at least one other recipient end user client. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein identifying at least one other recipient end user client who at least one of the comparative end user clients has also messaged includes identifying at least one other recipient end user client based at least in part on an evaluation of a likelihood that the at least one other recipient end user client will reply. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining how often the at least one other recipient end user client replies to messages, and wherein identifying at least one other recipient end user client who at least one of the comparative end user clients has also messaged is based at least in part on the determination. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein recommending the at least one other recipient end user client to the respective end user client is based in part on the evaluation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining at least one of: a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the respective end user client does reply or a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the respective end user client does not reply, and wherein recommending the at least one other recipient end user client to the respective end user client is based in part on the determination. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: determining at least one of: a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the at least one comparative end user client does reply or a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the at least one comparative end user client does not reply; comparing the identities of the other end user clients to which the at least one comparative end user client either replies or does not reply with the identities of the other end user clients to which the respective end user client either replies or does not reply, and wherein recommending the at least one other recipient end user client to the respective end user client is based in part on the comparison. ### Claim 9 A matching service system of a matching service, comprising: a number of communications ports which provide communications with a plurality of end user devices, the end user devices logically associatable with a plurality of end user client accounts of the matching services, the end user client accounts logically associable with end user clients of the matching service; at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium that stores at least one of processor executable instructions or data; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the communications ports and at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium, and that: for each respective one of a number of end user clients, identifies at least one recipient end user client who the respective end user client has messaged; identifies a number of comparative end user clients who have also messaged the at least one recipient end user client; identifies at least one other recipient end user client who at least one of the comparative end user clients has also messaged; recommends the at least one other recipient end user client to the respective end user client, evaluates at least one of: a length of messages sent by the respective end user client, a respective identity of other end user clients that the respective end user client messages, a respective identity of other end user clients that the respective end user client views and does not message, or an indication of a number of views of another end user client by the respective end user before the respective end user client messages the other end user client; evaluates at least one of: a length of messages sent by the at least one comparative end user client, a respective identity of other end user clients that the at least one comparative end user client messages, a respective identity of other end user clients that the at least one comparative end user client views and does not message, or an indication of a number of views of another end user client by the at least one comparative end user client before the respective end user client messages the other end user client; and compares a result of the evaluation for the at least one comparative end user client with a result of the evaluation for the respective end user client, and wherein recommending the at least one other recipient end user client to the respective end user client is based in part on the comparison. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The matching service system of claim 9 wherein the at least one processor performs a single value decomposition to identify the number of comparative end user clients who have also messaged the at least one recipient end user client. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The matching service system of claim 9 wherein the at least one processor identifies at least one other recipient end user client based at least in part on a total number of comparative end user clients who have messaged the same at least one other recipient end user client. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The matching service system of claim 9 wherein the at least one processor identifies at least one other recipient end user client based at least in part on an evaluation of a likelihood that the at least one other recipient end user client will reply. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The matching service system of claim 9 wherein the at least one processor further: determines how often the at least one other recipient end user client replies to messages, and wherein identifying at least one other recipient end user client who at least one of the comparative end user clients has also messaged is based at least in part on the determination. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The matching service system of claim 9 wherein the at least one processor bases the recommendation of the at least one other recipient end user client to the respective end user client in part on the evaluation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The matching service system of claim 9 wherein the at least one processor further: determines at least one of: a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the respective end user client does reply or a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the respective end user client does not reply, and wherein the at least one processor bases the recommendation of the at least one other recipient end user client to the respective end user client at least in part on the determination. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The matching service system of claim 15 wherein the at least one processor further: determines at least one of: a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the at least one comparative end user client does reply or a respective identity of other end user clients to whose messages the at least one comparative end user client does not reply; compares the identities of the other end user clients to which the at least one comparative end user client either replies or does not reply with the identities of the other end user clients to which the respective end user client either replies or does not reply, and wherein the at least one processor bases the recommendation of the at least one other recipient end user client to the respective end user client at least in part on the comparison.