What’s love but a coupling satisfaction predictor? Eharmony recently received a patent on its matchmaking methodology. (U.S. Patent No. 6,735,568).
Claim 1 of the patent deacribes a method with four steps:
(i) generating, from empirical data, a number of factors … relevant to relationship satisfaction;
(ii) approximating the satisfaction that a user … has in the relationships that the user forms with others;
(iii) identifying … candidates for a relationship with the user by [using] the approximated satisfaction and one or more of the factors; and
(iv) approximating the satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship with a particular candidate.
(Related AP Story by Rachel Konrad).