Online social networking service with human matchmaking

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for an online social networking service with human matchmaking are provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 creating, with an online networking service, a member user account for a member user;   creating, with the online networking service, a matchmaker user account for a matchmaker user;   assigning, with the online networking service, the matchmaker user account to the member user account;   identifying, with the matchmaker user, a matchmaker contact for the member user;   granting the matchmaker contact access, with the online networking service, to the member user account;   after the granting, creating, with the online networking service, a candidate user account for the matchmaker contact; and   connecting, with the online networking service, the candidate user account to the member user account.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the member user account comprises information descriptive of the member user's preferences for a to-be-assigned matchmaker user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the assigning comprises leveraging the information descriptive of the member user's preferences for the to-be-assigned matchmaker user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the matchmaker user account comprises information descriptive of the matchmaker user's preferences for a to-be-assigned member user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the assigning comprises leveraging the information descriptive of the matchmaker user's preferences for the to-be-assigned member user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the member user account comprises information descriptive of the member user's preferences for a to-be-assigned matchmaker user;   the matchmaker user account comprises information descriptive of the matchmaker user's preferences for a to-be-assigned member user; and   the assigning comprises leveraging both the information descriptive of the member user's preferences for the to-be-assigned matchmaker user and the information descriptive of the matchmaker user's preferences for the to-be-assigned member user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the member user account comprises information descriptive of the member user's preferences for a to-be-connected matchmaker contact;   the matchmaker user account comprises information descriptive of the matchmaker user's pool of matchmaker contacts; and   the assigning comprises leveraging both the information descriptive of the member user's preferences for the to-be-connected matchmaker contact and the information descriptive of the matchmaker user's pool of matchmaker contacts.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the member user account comprises information descriptive of the member user's preferences for a to-be-assigned matchmaker user;   the member user account further comprises information descriptive of the member user's preferences for a to-be-connected matchmaker contact;   the matchmaker user account comprises information descriptive of the matchmaker user's preferences for a to-be-assigned member user;   the matchmaker user account further comprises information descriptive of the matchmaker user's pool of matchmaker contacts; and   the assigning comprises leveraging the information descriptive of the member user's preferences for the to-be-assigned matchmaker user, the information descriptive of the matchmaker user's preferences for the to-be-assigned member user, the information descriptive of the member user's preferences for the to-be-connected matchmaker contact, and the information descriptive of the matchmaker user's pool of matchmaker contacts.   
     
     
         9 . An online dating service system in communication with a member user electronic device and a matchmaker user electronic device, the online dating service system comprising:
 at least one processor component;   at least one memory component; and   at least one communications component, wherein the online dating service system is operative to:
 receive member user information from the member user electronic device via the at least one communications component; 
 create a member user account for the member user with the received member user information; 
 receive matchmaker user information from the matchmaker user electronic device via the at least one communications component; 
 create a matchmaker user account for the matchmaker user with the received matchmaker user information; 
 analyze the member user account and the matchmaker user account; 
 assign the matchmaker user account to the member user account based on the analysis; and 
 based on the assignment, transmit to the matchmaker user electronic device, via the at least one communications component, an instruction for the matchmaker user to identify a matchmaker contact for the member user. 
   
     
     
         10 . The online dating service system of  claim 9 , wherein the online dating service system is further operative to facilitate electronic communication between the member user electronic device and the matchmaker user electronic device after the assignment. 
     
     
         11 . The online dating service system of  claim 9 , wherein the online dating service system is further operative to facilitate electronic communication between the member user electronic device and an identified matchmaker contact. 
     
     
         12 . The online dating service system of  claim 9 , wherein the online dating service system is further operative to receive approval of the assignment from the member user electronic device prior to transmitting the instruction. 
     
     
         13 . The online dating service system of  claim 9 , wherein the online dating service system is further operative to provide at least a portion of the member user information with an identified matchmaker contact. 
     
     
         14 . The online dating service system of  claim 13 , wherein the online dating service system is further operative to, after providing the at least a portion of the member user information with the identified matchmaker contact, create a candidate user account for the identified matchmaker contact. 
     
     
         15 . The online dating service system of  claim 14 , wherein the online dating service system is further operative to facilitate the member user electronic device with access to information associated with the candidate user account. 
     
     
         16 . The online dating service system of  claim 14 , wherein the online dating service system is further operative to reward the matchmaker user account when a candidate user account is created for the identified matchmaker contact. 
     
     
         17 . The online dating service system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the member user information comprises information descriptive of the member user's preferences for a to-be-assigned matchmaker user;   the matchmaker user information comprises information descriptive of the matchmaker user's preferences for a to-be-assigned member user; and   the online dating service system is operative to assign the matchmaker user account to the member user account based on a match between the information descriptive of the member user's preferences for the to-be-assigned matchmaker user and the information descriptive of the matchmaker user's preferences for the to-be-assigned member user.   
     
     
         18 . The online dating service system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the member user information comprises information descriptive of the member user's preferences for a to-be-identified matchmaker contact;   the matchmaker user information comprises information descriptive of the matchmaker user's pool of matchmaker contacts; and   the online dating service system is operative to assign the matchmaker user account to the member user account based on a match between the information descriptive of the member user's preferences for the to-be-identified matchmaker contact and the information descriptive of the matchmaker user's pool of matchmaker contacts.   
     
     
         19 . The online dating service system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the member user information comprises information descriptive of the member user's preferences for a to-be-assigned matchmaker user;   the member user information further comprises information descriptive of the member user's preferences for a to-be-identified matchmaker contact;   the matchmaker user information comprises information descriptive of the matchmaker user's preferences for a to-be-assigned member user;   the matchmaker user information further comprises information descriptive of the matchmaker user's pool of matchmaker contacts; and   the online dating service system is operative to assign the matchmaker user account to the member user account based on both a match between the information descriptive of the member user's preferences for the to-be-assigned matchmaker user and the information descriptive of the matchmaker user's preferences for the to-be-assigned member user and a match between the information descriptive of the member user's preferences for the to-be-identified matchmaker contact and the information descriptive of the matchmaker user's pool of matchmaker contacts.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions recorded thereon for:
 creating, with an online networking service, a member user account for a member user;   creating, with the online networking service, a matchmaker user account for a matchmaker user;   assigning, with the online networking service, the matchmaker user account to the member user account;   instructing the matchmaker user to identify a matchmaker contact for the member user;   granting the matchmaker contact access, with the online networking service, to the member user account;   after the granting, creating, with the online networking service, a candidate user account for the matchmaker contact; and   connecting, with the online networking service, the candidate user account to the member user account.