Claims
- 1. A method of assisting a user to influence a match maker application, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a first client computer said first client computer executing a first cooperating client application wherein the first cooperating client application cooperates with the match maker application by exchanging information with the match maker application;
- providing a second client computer being equipped with a video display, said second client computer executing a second cooperating client application wherein the second cooperating client application cooperates with the match maker application by exchanging information with the match maker application;
- providing a host computer hosting the match maker application, the match maker application maintaining a plurality of group datasets, wherein each group dataset of the plurality of group datasets includes values of each of a plurality of attributes, wherein the plurality of attributes include attributes associated with a group of cooperating client applications, wherein the group of cooperating client applications includes said first cooperating client application, wherein each of the group of cooperating client applications cooperates with the match maker application by exchanging information with the match maker application;
- selecting at least one value of at least one attribute wherein the at least one attribute is associated with said first cooperating client application, said at least one value being included in at least one group dataset being included in the plurality of group datasets being maintained upon the host computer;
- transmitting from said match maker application on said host computer a message including said at least one value;
- receiving said message by said second cooperating client application on said second client computer; and
- in response to receiving said message, displaying upon said video display of said second client computer a first graphical image having a pre-defined non-textual feature wherein the pre-defined non-textual feature represents said at least one value included in said message.
- 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of the second client computer accepting a stimulus of the graphical image by the user; and the second client computer responding to the stimulus.
- 3. As The method of claim 2, wherein the step of responding to the stimulus comprises the step of the second client computer sending a second message to the match maker application to inform the match maker application regarding the stimulus by the user.
- 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:
- the match maker application including in the at least one group dataset values of attributes of a group dataset that represents the second client application in response to being informed regarding the stimulus by the user.
- 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of sending a third message to the first client application and sending a fourth message to the second client application to inform the first and second client applications of the values in the at least one group data set after the values of the attributes of the group dataset that represents the second client application have been included in the at least one group data set.
- 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:
- in response to receiving said third message, displaying upon said video display of said first client computer a second graphical image having a pre-defined non-textual feature wherein the pre-defined non-textual feature of the second graphical image represents the values of the attributes of the at least one group dataset.
- 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:
- in response to receiving said fourth message, displaying upon a video display of said second client computer a third graphical image having a pre-defined non-textual feature wherein the pre-defined non-textual feature of the third graphical image represents the values of the attributes of the at least one group dataset.
- 8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:
- the first client computer accepting a stimulus of the second graphical image by the user;
- the first client computer responding to the stimulus of the second graphical image by creating an application instance of the first cooperating client application.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical image comprises an icon.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical image comprises a digitized photograph.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical image comprises a drawing.
- 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical image comprises an ornamental pattern.
- 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical image comprises an abstract pattern.
- 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a shading of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a shape of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a hue of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a size of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a color saturation of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a brightness of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a rotational orientation of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a lateral inversion of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 22. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a spacing between elements of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises an animation speed of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 24. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises an animation polarity of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 25. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a keystone distortion of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 26. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises a pincushion distortion of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 27. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined non-textual feature comprises an elongation of at least a part of the first graphical image.
- 28. The method of claim 1, wherein the match maker application is executed across a plurality of host computers further comprising the step of providing a second host computer that also hosts the match maker application.
- 29. A method of allowing a user to navigate between client groups associated with a match maker application, the method comprising the steps of:
- executing the match maker application on a host computer;
- hosting using the match maker application a first, a second and a third client application wherein the first client application is executed by a first client computer, the second client application is executed by a second client computer and the third client application is executed by a third client computer, wherein the first, second and third client computers are each coupled to the host computer, wherein the first client application and the first client computer are associated with the user and wherein the first client computer includes a video display;
- maintaining on the host computer a first group dataset that represents a first client group wherein the first client group includes the first, second and third client applications;
- displaying to the user on the video display a first graphical image representing a match option wherein the match option is associated with at least one of the second and the third client applications and wherein the graphical image allows the user to select the match option;
- associating the first client application with the match option in response to selection of the first graphical image by the user by forming a second group dataset representing a second client group wherein the second client group is a subset of the first client group and wherein the second client group includes the first client application and the at least one of the second and third client applications;
- displaying to the user on the video display a second graphical image that represents the second group dataset.
- 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of:
- displaying on a video display to a user of one of the second and third client computers a third graphical image that represents the second group dataset.
- 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the third graphical image comprises a pre-defined non-textual feature wherein the pre-defined non-textual feature represents at least one value of at least one attribute of the second group dataset.
- 32. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of displaying on a video display to a user of each of the second and third client computers a third graphical image that represents the second group dataset.
- 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the third graphical image comprises a pre-defined non-textual feature wherein the pre-defined non-textual feature represents at least one value of at least one attribute of the second group dataset.
- 34. The method of claim 29, wherein the match option comprises a match offer.
- 35. The method of claim 29, wherein the match option comprises an automatic offer.
- 36. The method of claim 29, wherein the first graphical image comprises a pre-defined non-textual feature wherein the pre-defined non-textual feature represents at least one value of at least one attribute of the first group dataset.
- 37. The method of claim 29, wherein the second graphical image comprises a pre-defined non-textual feature wherein the pre-defined non-textual feature represents at least one value of at least one attribute of the second group dataset.
- 38. The method of claim 29, wherein the match option comprises an executing application instance.
- 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the executing application instance comprises a multi-user game.
- 40. The method of claim 38, wherein the executing application instance comprises a centralized electronic data processing application.
- 41. The method of claim 38, wherein the executing application instance comprises an online multi-instanced application.
- 42. A method for allowing a first user to communicate values of attributes to a second user, via a match making application, comprising the steps of:
- (1) executing the match making application on a host computer;
- (2) receiving, at said host computer, a first message from a first client application, wherein said first message allows said first client application to attach to the match making application, and wherein said first message includes a first plurality of attributes associated with said first client application;
- (3) receiving, at said host computer, a second message from a second client application, wherein said second message allows said second client application to attach to the match making application, and wherein said second message includes a second plurality of attributes associated with said second client application;
- (4) matching, by the match maker application, said first plurality of attributes and said second plurality of attributes, to determine at least one common attribute associated with both said first client application and said second client application;
- (5) creating a group dataset on said host computer, wherein said group dataset contains said at least one common attribute associated with both said first client application and said second client application; and
- (6) transmitting, from said host computer, to said second client application, a third message containing said at least one common attribute included in said group dataset, wherein said third message causes said second client application to display a graphical image having a pre-defined, non-textual feature representing the value of said at least one common attribute included in said third message;
- wherein the match making application facilitates the execution of an online multi-user, multi-instanced application between the first user and the second user.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application No. 60/044,023 entitled Method and Apparatus for Match Making, filed on May 5, 1997 having inventors Daniel J. Samuel, Michael A. Wolf, Donald P. Clarke.
US Referenced Citations (57)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 481 770 A2 |
Apr 1992 |
EPX |