# US 12,113,840 B2 · Features for online discussion forums > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,113,840 B2 - Document ID: US12113840B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/875,742 - Filed: 2022-07-28 - Published: 2023-02-02 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-07-28 - Assignees: Alpha Exploration Co. - Applicants: Alpha Exploration Co. - Inventors: Aaron Sittig; Molly Nix; Patrick Underwood; Paul Davison; Rohan Seth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113840B2 ## CPC - H04L 12/1818: {Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties} - 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) - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - H04L 12/1822: {Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method for generating an online audio discussion forum. The method includes receiving an indication that a first user is interested in speaking with one or more other users, saving the one or more other users to a first selection list, determining that a second user of the one or more other users is interested in speaking with the first user, and upon and in response to the determination, generating an audio discussion forum including the first user and the second user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for generating an online audio discussion forum, comprising: receiving an indication that a first user is interested in speaking with one or more other users without sending a notification to the one or more other users that the first user is interested in speaking; saving the one or more other users to a first selection list; determining that a second user of the one or more other users is interested in speaking with the first user without sending a notification to the one or more other users that the second user is interested in speaking, wherein determining that the second user is interested in speaking with the first user includes: receiving an indication that the second user is interested in speaking with one or more other users; saving the one or more other users to a second selection list that is different than the first list; comparing the first list and the second list; and determining whether there is a match between the first list and the second list by detecting that the second user is included in the first selection list and the first user is included in the second selection list; and upon and in response to detecting that the second user is included in the first selection list and the first user is included in the second selection list, generating an audio discussion forum including the first user and the second user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the audio discussion forum including the first user and the second user includes sending an invite to join the audio discussion forum to the second user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying a first user list to the first user, the first user list including at least one user other than the first user; and displaying a second user list to the second user, the second user list including at least one user other than the second user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: sorting the first user list based on criteria associated with the first user; and sorting the second user list based on criteria associated with the second user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the indication that the first user is interested in speaking with the one or more other users includes receiving a selection by the first user of the one or more other users from the first user list. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the indication that the second user is interested in speaking with the one or more other users includes receiving a selection by the second user of the one or more other users from the second user list. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication that the first user is interested in speaking with the one or more other users includes receiving a selection by the first user of the one or more other users via a user profile corresponding to the one or more other users. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication that the second user is interested in speaking with the one or more other users includes receiving a selection by the second user of the one or more other users via a user profile corresponding to the one or more other users. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an indication that a third user is interested in speaking with one or more other users; and saving the one or more other users to a third selection list. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: comparing the first, second, and third selection lists; and sending an invite to the third user to join the audio discussion forum in response to a determination that the first selection list includes the second and third users, the second selection list includes the first and third users, and the third selection list includes the first and second users. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: comparing the first, second, and third selection lists; and sending an invite to the third user to join the audio discussion forum in response to a determination that the first selection list includes the third user and/or the second selection list includes the third user. ### Claim 12 A system for generating an online audio discussion forum, comprising: at least one memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and at least one processor for executing the instructions stored on the memory, wherein execution of the instructions programs the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: receiving an indication that a first user is interested in speaking with one or more other users without sending a notification to the one or more other users that the first user is interested in speaking; saving the one or more other users to a first selection list; determining that a second user of the one or more other users is interested in speaking with the first user without sending a notification to the one or more other users that the second user is interested in speaking, wherein determining that the second user is interested in speaking with the first user includes: receiving an indication that the second user is interested in speaking with one or more other users; saving the one or more other users to a second selection list that is different than the first list; comparing the first list and the second list; and determining whether there is a match between the first list and the second list by detecting that the second user is included in the first selection list and the first user is included in the second selection list; and upon and in response to detecting that the second user is included in the first selection list and the first user is included in the second selection list, generating an audio discussion forum including the first user and the second user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein generating the audio discussion forum including the first user and the second user includes sending an invite to join the audio discussion forum to the second user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein execution of the instructions programs the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising: displaying a first user list to the first user, the first user list including at least one user other than the first user; and displaying a second user list to the second user, the second user list including at least one user other than the second user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein execution of the instructions programs the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising: sorting the first user list based on criteria associated with the first user; and sorting the second user list based on criteria associated with the second user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein receiving the indication that the first user is interested in speaking with the one or more other users includes receiving a selection by the first user of the one or more other users from the first user list. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein receiving the indication that the second user is interested in speaking with the one or more other users includes receiving a selection by the second user of the one or more other users from the second user list. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein receiving the indication that the first user is interested in speaking with the one or more other users includes receiving a selection by the first user of the one or more other users via a user profile corresponding to the one or more other users. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein receiving the indication that the second user is interested in speaking with the one or more other users includes receiving a selection by the second user of the one or more other users via a user profile corresponding to the one or more other users. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein execution of the instructions programs the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising: receiving an indication that a third user is interested in speaking with one or more other users; and saving the one or more other users to a third selection list. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein execution of the instructions programs the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising: comparing the first, second, and third selection lists; and sending an invite to the third user to join the audio discussion forum in response to a determination that first selection list includes the second and third users, the second selection list includes the first and third users, and the third selection list includes the first and second users. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein execution of the instructions programs the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising: comparing the first, second, and third selection lists; and sending an invite to the third user to join the audio discussion forum in response to a determination that first selection list includes the third user and/or the second selection list includes the third user.