20090132385 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MATCHING USER-GENERATED TEXT CONTENT - According to a computer implemented method and system for matching user-generated text content, users “freely” specify content by means of fed-in texts which are matched automatically, according to rules in the embodiment. An embodiment of the invention allows customers to specify what items or services to request or offer by adding, to the “MyHaves” or “MyWants” selection criteria, using typed-in descriptions. Traditionally, for the purpose of matching supplies and demands, the specification of an individual's “wants” and “haves” is done by selecting options that are predefined by, or hard-coded into, the system's “drop-down menu”—rather than allowing customers to freely define what they want or have. This method under consideration, however, provides an efficacious solution: customers are free to request an item or service by entering standard descriptive texts describing what s/he wants in a customizable manner very akin to the flexibility associated with verbal speech, with the assurance that these human-entered texts will be matched automatically. Similarly, a customer is free to offer an item or service in the aforementioned (text-descriptive) way. The entered texts are in the form of a specific human language (e.g. English, Chinese, etcetera) using the desired input device, such as a computer keyboard. The system algorithm of an implementation then “crawls” through the network of user generated texts (user-defined texts) to find matches between what people are offering and what others are requesting, while watching out for typographical errors (in the text content) made by customers. That is to say, the algorithm in the embodiment scours the texts in the “MyWants” section of requesters and sees if there are corresponding matches found in the “MyHaves” section of offerers, while paying attention to certain system rules. | 05-21-2009 |
20090094116 | METHOD FOR EXPEDITIOUS RESOURCE RE-ALLOCATION IN A NETWORK OF MEMBERS - According to a computer implemented approach for expeditious resource re-allocation in a network, customers specify what items or services to request or offer by adding to the “MyHaves” or “MyWants” selection criteria. According to the method, a customer requests an item or service by adding it to his/her “MyWants” in any of the following three ways: using a single click, searching and then adding, or feeding in user-defined-inputs. Similarly, a customer declares to offer an item or service by adding it to his/her “MyHaves” in any of the three aforementioned ways. The system algorithm of an embodiment “crawls” to find matches between the “MyHaves” of offerers and the “MyWants” of requesters, paying attention to and giving priority to the proximity and social network rules in the system. When a match is found, the system automatically triggers an email that is sent to the offerer, notifying him/her that a fellow customer wants what the offerer-customer has. If the offerer-customer agrees to deliver the item or service to the requester, the implementation proceeds to require the requester customer to confirm receipt once the item is received. Confirmation of receipt by a requester causes the system to award points or credits to the offerer as a form of reward. These points can then be used—by the awarded offerer—to enjoy discounted purchases at selected system partner businesses. The point system may be implemented adopting a variety of methodologies. In an embodiment of the present invention, customers (users) communicate with one another using the system's “messenger tool” called “TtMessage”, and control the re-allocation of resources by forming their own circles using the “TtCircle” capability therein. | 04-09-2009 |