WO2002029636A1

WO2002029636A1 - Method for finding a person by using an internet web site

Info

Publication number: WO2002029636A1
Application number: PCT/KR2000/001033
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chulhee Lee
Original assignee: Chulhee Lee
Priority date: 2000-09-19
Filing date: 2000-09-19
Publication date: 2002-04-11
Also published as: AU2000274549A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for automatically finding a person by using the Internet. The present method compares personal information of a target person with personal information stored in a client information database in a server computer, wherein the target person is a person whom a wish-to-find person wants to find, provides one or more candidate target persons with the part of the personal information of the wish-to-find person and inquires the candidate target persons of whether personal information of the candidate target persons is revealed to the wish-to-find person. And then the method receives a reply for the inquiry from the candidate target persons of there exist one or more matched candidate target persons and transmits all or part of presonal information of the matched candidate target persons to the wish-to-find person.

Description

METHOD FOR FINDING A PERSON BY USING AN INTERNET WEB SITE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to amethod for automatically finding a person by using the Internet, and more particularly, to a method for searching a detail information on a target individual using a filled membership information of a search demand person and a base information of the target individual, and providing the detail information of the target individual for the search demand person by way of E-mail such that finding the target individual on Internet.

BACKGROUND ART

A computer communication network is a network inter-connecting numerous computers' to accommodate data exchange between them. Computers connected to each other by the computer communication network exchange a data and information with each other bymeans of a plurality of services such as e-mail, Gopher, World Wide Web (WWW), Usenet. According to the World Wide Web service among them, a server computer transmits information of a web page to a client computer in remote place and the client computer displays the web page on a screen. Each server computer linked to the WWW has an Unique Uniform Resource Locator (URL) by which each server computer is identified. In order to enter a web page, the client computer assigns a URL of the necessary web page to a web browser by using Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. This assignment of the URL is transmitted to the web server that provides the web page. The client computer receives and displays the web page on the computer screen thereof by using a software called web browser.

In general, a web page is defined by using Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) . The HTML provides standard tags that define a display format of a web page . In case a user issues instructions requesting a display of the web page by way of the web browser, the web browser requests the server computer to transmit an HTML document describing the requested web page. Upon receiving the HTML document, the client computer displays the web page on a computer screen thereof in proper format described by the HTML document . The WWW has opened a new horizon for acquiring various information: which has become much easier, faster and above all, rich in information compared to any information-getting method in conventional off-line circumstances. One of the most useful advantages of the WWW may be a person-finding. A person generally keeps in touch with many other people andtries tomaintain relationships with them. He or she, however, for some reason, loses contact with some of them. He or she sometimes wishes to recover contact with them.

Inthe off-line circumstances, inorderto findaparticular person, e.g. an old friend who had moved far away in the old days, he or she has to gather some clue information regarding the person from relevant community, school, company, club, etc. In addition, he or she may use a person-finding TV program or a newspaper for finding the particular person. A social organization or charitymayhelp find a person by using a bulletin board thereof, and police also may help find a missing person or a runaway person. However, these methods for finding a person in the off-line circumstances are not so effective, since they are based on the uncertain memory and incomplete information about the particular person.

In most cases, a method for finding a person is based on old and uncertain information on a person. Thefefore, in order to obtain a desired result in a person-finding method, two requirements are required as follow: construction of a database including huge information on as many people as possible; and preparation of powerful, prompt and accurate search tool. In using a conventional database of a public institute, the first requirement may be satisfied; however, the second requirement may not be satisfied.

A computer communication network, for example, the Internetmay satisfyboth of these requirements . Byusing a server computer connected to the Internet, it is easy to construct a database including information on numerous people and an effective search tool by using a powerful computer-based search engine. That is, an Internet web site can provide an optimal environment for finding a person. Accordingly, the Internet web sites can provide a service for finding a particular person.

However, conventional web sites for the person-finding only depends on to a bulletin board system thereof. In other words, a person who wishes to find a particular person, namely herewith, a wish-to-find person uploads information on a particular person whom the wish-to-find person wishes to find, namely herewith, a target person. Then, the target person enters the web site his or her personal information and checks whether someone wishes to find him or her, or a person who knows the target person reads the notice on the bulletin board and then let the target person know that someone wants to find him or her. In this method, the target person may be found only in the case that the target person and/or an acquaintance of the target person connects to the web site and check notices on the bulletin board. That is, if the target person or an acquaintance of the target person does not connects to the web site, the finding for the target person cannot be performed. Therefore, the success of the person-finding by this method mainly relies on a luck or an accident.

In a more improved method, a supervisor of a web site collects personal information by inducing a visitor of the web site to fill out a form and to get registered as a member of the web site and constructs a member information database. The wish-to-findperson first uploadsbasicinformationonthe target person to the server computer of the web site, the web site server searches the member information database and extracts the information of the target person if available. Once the information on the target person is found, the fact the target person is found and the searched information on the target person may be notified to the wish-to-find person by transmitting an e-mail into a private mailbox of the wish-to-find person. This method is more improved in that it fully makes use of search function, of a computer. However, this method also has a few drawbacks as follows:

First, when the target person is duly found, the web site merely notifies the wish-to-find person of fact that the target person is found andthemember information database thereof holds information about the target person. And then, the wish-to-find person may contact with the target person with the help of the web site. In other words, in order for the wish-to-find person to finally contact the target person, the intervention of the supervisor of the web site or the server computer is inevitable in this method. Second, since the result of the database search is sent to the private mailbox of the wish-to-findperson when the target person is found, the wish-to-find person has to access the web site from time to time to check whether a message from the web site is received. Third, in this method, the web site server compares the personal information of the target person with the member information stored in the member information database. However, such comparison may not be so effective that the search may not be properly performed thoug the information matched with the target person exists in the member information database. In addition, since the expressions for specific input items of the target person may be different from one another, the comparison and search may be incorrect.

Fourth, the conventional person-finding methods are lack of privacy protection policy. In other words, when the target person is found, the methods do not provide a process for confirming an intension of the target person whether he or she allows to reveal his or her detailed personal information to the wish-to-find person. In some cases, wish-to-find person may not wish to contact with the target person. In this case, it is not desirable to provide the detailed personal information of the target person for the wish-to-find person regardless of the intension of the target person.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Thepresent inventionprovides amethodfor finding aperson more e ficiently than conventional methods .

The present invention also provides a method for finding a person with a minimal intervention of the server computer or the site manager. The present invention provides a method for conveniently finding a person unnecessary for the wish-to-find person to frequently enter and check the corresponding web site.

The present invention also provides a method for finding a person with little error in determining similarity between compared items even in the case each compared item is differently expressed for same thing.

The present invention also provides the method for finding a person capable of keeping privacy by confirming the target personwhetherhe or shewishes toprovide thewish-to-findperson with detail information of his (her) own.

A method for finding a person by using the Internet, the Internet connecting a server computer providing a web site for the finding a person and a plurality of client computers, comprising the steps of: (1) gathering client information for the plurality of client computers; (2) constructing a client information database by storing the client information in the server computer; (3) receiving personal information of a target person fromthe pluralityof client computers, wherein the target person is a person whom a wish-to-find person of the web site wants to find; (4) comparing the personal information of the target person with personal information stored in the client information database; (5) providing one ormore candidate target persons with the part of the personal information of the wish-to-find person and inquiring the candidate target persons of whether the site may reveal personal information of the candidate target persons to the wish-to-find person, if there exist one or more matched candidate target persons, wherein the candidate target persons are persons matched as a result of comparison at step (4) ; (6) receiving reply for the inquiry at step (5) from the candidate target persons; and (7) transmitting all or part of personal information of the matched candidate target persons to the wish-to-find person if the reply at step (6) is positive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig.l shows a block diagram of a person finding system according to the present invention;

Fig.2 shows an example of a base information input window of member in which the base member information is filled;

Fig. 3a and 3b show examples of an additional information input window of member in which the additional and detail information of a member is filled;

Fig.4 shows another example of the additional information input window of member;

Fig. 5a and 5b show examples of an input window of the target persons information to which a wish-to-findperson inputs information of the target person;

Fig. 6 shows a flow chart illustrating the process of the member subscription;

Fig. 7 shows a flow chart illustrating the process for inputting information of the target person; and

Fig. 8 shows a flow chart illustrating the process for finding information of the target person by searching a database linked with the server computer.

BSET MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The preferred embodiments of the present invention will nowbe described indetail inparallel withthe attacheddrawings . Referring first to Fig. 1, a client computer 100 and a server computer 120 are inter-connected with each other via the Internet. The client computer 100 is a data processing device such as a personal computer, which functions as terminal device for communicating data- and information via the Internet .

In the client computer 100, a web- browser is installed by which the client computer 100 exchanges data with another computer and/qr the server computer 120 and processes data. The web browser is especially useful for using the WWW that is most general services on the Internet.

The server computer 120 comprises additional function blocks to provide person finding service in accordance with the present invention in addition to basic blocks of a general web server. A database 130 includes a member information database

132 and a target person information database 134. In the member information database 132, information on a user who wants to use the person-finding service in accordance with the present inventionwants to joinas amember is storedasmember information.

This member information database 132 serves as an information pool of the target person, since server computer 120 compares information of the target person inputted by the wish-to-find person with each of member information stored in the member information database 132. In the target person information database 134, basic information on the target person inputted by the wish-to-findperson is stored. After a process for finding a target person by comparing information stored in the member information database 132 with the information in the target person information database 134 is successfully completed, basic information stored in the target person information database 134 may be deleted.

Amemory 140 is functionally divided into a program storing unit 142 and a matching member information storing unit 144. The program storing unit 142 includes programs related to the web page in the server computer and used for managing server computer 120. The matching member information storing unit 144 stores information of the target person found in the member information database by searching and comparing the member information and the base information of the target person inputted by the wish-to-find person.

A server engine 150 is a part for operating and controlling the server computer 120, which is functioning as a main processor of the server computer 120.

A search engine 160 performs the comparison between each of information in the member information database 132 and information stored in the target person information database 134. This comparison is essential process for finding the target person, however, it is not simple. Simply stated, fields of information stored in the member information database 132 and those of information stored in the target person information database 134 are not correspondent. Moreover, though fields of information are correspondent and filled with information on a same target person, expression for fields may be different from one wish-to-find person to another. Accordingly, so-called matching ratio search is required. In the matching ratio search, a result of search is expressed by percentage (%) according to a degree of matching between corresponding fields.

An e-mail server 170 is used for notifying the result of the finding and for confirming the intension of the found target person in the form of an e-mail when the target person is found by way of the above-described comparison and searching. In addition, the e-mail server 170 is also used for notifying official announcements to the members.

Referring to Fig.2, a user who visits the person-finding web site in accordance with the present invention inputs requested member information, and can be registered as a member with approval of the site supervisor. Input fields illustrated in a basic information input window of member of the Fig. 2 comprises essential items such as an ID, a password, name, a resident registration number, job, school career, and postal address . These items or fields presented in the basic information input window of member may be modified according to the country and state of a member-to-be. For example, in the resident registration number used as a citizen certificate number for identifying a member of a citizenship, two sections of serial number are used in Korea. However, only one part of serial number may be used in USA and so on. In Fig. 2, a text box referred to as duplication check is used for checking whether the ID inputted by the member-to-be has been used already for another member. Boxes for inputting job and school career are expressed in the form of combo box. By using the combo bo , a user may not input directly necessary information but select one among candidates listed in the combo box. In this way, the inputted necessary information can be standardized and thus managed efficiently. However, besides above-describedmethods, various different formatsma eusedfor inputtingnecessaryinformation into the base information input window of member in Fig.2. After a user inputs all of requested information, a user requests the approval of member-registration from the manager of the site by clicking an enter button illustrated in the form of an oval box in the bottom of the web page. A user may also edit all or some of the inputted data by clicking an edit button when he or she wishes to modify the inputted data. The e-mail address inputted into the corresponding text box may be used when the server computer notifies the target person of the fact that someone is looking for himself or herself when the target person is found. The person-finding site managed by the server computer 120 may provide a free e-mail account. However, a user can input another e-mail address that the user frequentlyuses . Therefore, there is no need that a user enters the person-finding site in order to check whether the target person is found.

Fig. 3a and 3b illustrate examples of an additional information input window of member. After inputting basic information ofmember andan approval of registration, the server computer 120 provides an additional information input window of member as shown in Fig.3 for the corresponding user. However, only after inputting of basic information of member as shown in Fig. 2, the additional information input window of member as shown in Fig. 3 may be provided subsequently.

Base information and additional information inputted into the corresponding input windows of member such as Fig. 2 to 4 are stored in the member information database 132. Information stored in the member information database 132 is used for comparing with information of the target person inputted by the wish-to-find person. These information in the input window may comprise, such as, name, sex, date of birth, education, past and present group or club, religious group, military career, past residence, friends' name, hobby or specialty, height and so on. Additionally, additional text box titled "others" may be provided such that the wish-to-find person can conveniently input new and informal information for the target person. Such new information may be, for example, "he was fat and wore glasses when young, " and "his father worked for a telephone company" and so on. In order to standardize name of schools, a search button is provided in right side of text box for the education. Upon clicking the search button, a pop-up window including a list of school name may be provided. For example, the user had attended Seoul Ok-jung Elementary School, the user may input corresponding information in the various different expressions, such as Seoul Ok-jung Elementary School, Ok-jung Elementary School, or just Ok-jung and so on. Therefore, by using the above-mentioned search button, comparison and searching of information becomes simple and standardized. In order to provide such search button function, the server" computer 120 should be storing data for all of schools. Similar to the description of Fig. 2, information in additional information input window of member may differently be composed according to country and/or society.

Fig.4 shows anotherwindow for inputting additionalmember information. This window is for a member of dispersed families. This window presents various input items for a person who has been separated for his or her family due to war or disappearance from home. Provided input items are dispersed year, dispersed place, name of a family member, physical peculiarity, etc.

While Fig.2. to Fig.4 is for inputtingpersonal information for a member in preparation for someone's looking for oneself, Fig.5 is for inputting personal information of a target person whom a user of the site want to find.

The input items presented in Fig. 2 to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are basically equal since the server computer 120 compares each corresponding item to help find a target person. Some items, however, may be slightly different. For instance, the item "Height" in Fig. 5 is for inputting some range of height not the exact height . InFig.3case, thepersonwho enters the "Height" is the person himself, but in case of Fig. 5, the person who enters the "Height" may not know he exact height of the person he wants to find. Since this uncertainty may cause error in determination of similarity, the server computer 120 sets a range, e.g., 180-183 cm, for the item in Fig.5. When the server computer 120 compares the two personal information, it compares each corresponding item.

Fig. 6 presents a registration procedure for membership in accordance with the present invention. When a visitor wants to enroll the web site, he or she is required to enter each item shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 4. Becoming a member of the site means becoming the target person in accordance with the present invention. First, a visitor is connected to the site, at step 600, the server computer 120 presents the main page stored in the program storing unit 142 with the support of the server engine 150. At step 602, when the visitor clicks a registration button on the main page, the server computer 120 perceives this click. Subsequently, at step 604, the server computer 120 presents a termof service storedintheprogramstoringunit 142. Thevisitor decides whether to enroll the site or not after reading the terms of service. When the server computer 120 perceives a button click "do not agree," the procedure proceeds to step 618, while the server computer 120 perceives a button click "agree, " it presents a display requesting of entering information for registration for membership at step 608. At step 610, it is checked whether the visitor duly entered required items. If the entering is not acceptable, the server computer 120 presents a display for requiring additional information or modification at step 620. Subsequently, at step 610, when it is determined the fill-out of the visitor is acceptable, the server computer 120 presents a window for additional input of information. The window for additional input of information is exemplified in Fig 3 and Fig. 4. If the server computer 120 requests the visitor to enter the items of Fig. 2 to Fig. 4 at a time, steps 610, 612 and 620 may be eliminated. When steps 610, 612 and 620 are eliminated, the step after step 622 is not step 612 but 608. At step 614, it is determinedwhether all the information inputtedbythe visitor is correct and acceptable. If the determination at step 614 results in "not acceptable," the server computer 120 points out errors at step 622 and subsequently return the procedure to step 612 wherein it requests the visitor to enter missing items or to correct the errors. If it is determined that the input is acceptable, the personal information is stored in the member information database 132.

Fig. 7 is a flow diagram describing a target person information enteringprocedure. Herein, the target person refers to a person whom a member or a visitor of the site wants to find. At step 700, a member of the site clicks a button on the main menu of the site "person finding," the server computer 120 perceives this click. At step 702, the server computer 120 searches its database to confirm the person who clicked is the member of the site. As one way for this confirmation, the site may request the person who clicked to enter an ID and a password. If the server computer 120 determines the person who clicked is not a member of the site, the server computer 120 presents display for a registration for a membership of the site as a result of consulting the programunit 142. If the server computer 120 determines the person who clicked is a member of the site, at step 704, the server computer 142 presents a search contract stored in the program unit 142. The search contract may include an oath that a user will not make an illegal or unfair use of the informationattainedfromthepersonfindingserviceprovided by the site in addition to a general registration contract . After the user clicks a button "I agree" and the server computer 120 perceives this click, the server computer 120 presents a format for entering a targetperson information at step 708. An exemplary format of this format is presented at Fig. 5. If the user fills out the format and clicks an "end" button, the server computer 120 determines whether the user has duly entered necessary fill-outs at step 710. If the server αomputer 120 finds any error or missing^ the server computer 120, at step 718, points out the error or missing and at step 708, presents a display for making the user duly finish the fill-outs. If the fill-outs are determinedtobe acceptable, at step 710, the fill-outs are stored in the target person information database 134. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a member of the site is entitled to use the person finding service. However, the present invention is modified so that any non-member visitor may use the person finding service. Flow diagram of Fig. 8 describes a target person search procedure. At step 800, information on a new target person is stored in the target person information database 134, at step 802, the server computer 120 compares the information on the new target person with each and every information accumulatively stored in the member information database 132. The comparison above is the comparison of the members' personal information presented by Fig. 2 to Fig. 4 with target person's personal information item by item. At step 804, the server computer 120 selectsmatcheditems andunmatcheditems among comparable items, and calculates a percentage of the number of the matched items among total compared items, wherein the percentage is referred to as a "matching ratio". The server computer 120 stores the members ' personal information having the matching ratio higher than a prescribedvalue along with correspondingmatching ratios in the matching member storing unit 144. The prescribed value of the matching ratio is preferably 50%. That is to say, if the halfout ofthe total comparable items ismatched, it is determined to be "matched." In case the prescribed value of the matching ratio is too high, the number of matching members becomes too small. In addition, it should be considered that substantially identical items may be regarded as different according to expression or used words for each item. Another merit of setting the prescribed value of the matching ratio not too high, is that although a user may not find an exact target person, he or she may fortunately find a person closely related to the exact target person. The matching ratio may be attained by matching each comparable items on an identical basis as described above, it may be attained on a similar basis, i.e., it may be regarded as identical in case substantially identical but expressions are different. For instance, while a member entered "Ok-jung Elementary School, " a target person information reads "Ok-jung Primary School," these two may be regarded as 100% identical. As an alternative, however, the matching ratio may be set as 80% in this case. At step 806, the server computer 120, supported by the e-mail server 170, sends e-mails to each member stored in the matching member storing unit 144. The e-mail contains personal information on the person who want to find someone and some introductory statements, wherein the personal information may include a name, an e-mail address and a contact point, etc. Although the e-mailed personal information should be minimal for the purpose of privacy protection, but on the other hand, more e-mailed personal information would be better considering that giving more information may help each member who received the e-mail decide whether to reveal his or her personal information. The introductory statementmayinclude an exemplary sentence, "This person is looking for you, do you mind if we reveal your personal information to this person?" In the e-mail, the matching ratio as a result of step 804 may be included. In other words, " This person is looking for you. Our search and comparison result in the matching ratio XX %. " may be included. The e-mail addresses of the matched members may not necessarily be the e-mail addresses of the site. Preferably, the e-mail addresses may be any e-mail address that is the addressee most frequently use. This is because one of the major purposes of the person finding service is that a member need not frequently open the e-mail of the site to see if someone is looking for him or her. If a member who received the e-mail, at step 808, issues a reply that contains message that allows the site to reveal his or her personal information, the server computer 120 provides the personal information of the member who issued the reply to the person who is looking for someone at step 810, which ends the person finding procedure in accordance with the present invention. Once the server computer 120 provides the personal information at step 810, the server computer 120 or the site does not have to intervene between each counterpart . Each counterpart may e-mail each other or meet with each other. On the other hand, at step 808, if a member who received the e-mail issues a reply that contains message that bans the site to reveal his or her personal information, or even do not issue any reply for a prescribed time period, the person finding procedure ends . Seeking allowance of the person of the target person is very important in the present invention. This may help exclude the possibility of contact between an enemy, etc. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention described above, whenever the target person information is entered to the target person information database 134, the target person information is compared with the members ' personal information. Alternatively, the comparison may be performed whenever a prescribed number of the target person information are accumulated in the target person information database 134, or the comparison may be performed on a regular time basis, e.g. , every week. Meanwhile, although the comparison for only newly entered target person information may be performed, the comparison may be performed for all the entered target person information stored in the target person information database 134 whenever a target person information is newly entered. The period and the range of the comparison may be varied depending on a storage capacity of the server computer 120, time required for the comparison and search and the quantity of newly entered target person information. Referring to the degree of determination of similarity, a strict determination that each comparable items are exactly same may be applied, while a flexible determination that part of comparable items are exactly same may be applied. Moreover, where input items are hard to be standardized such as the "Others" items, a so-called natural language search method that is well known and widely used in a portal site may be used.

As described above, the present invention provides particular advantages over prior art person finding methods .

First, when the target person is found among the member of the site, the site provides the contact point of the found target person, which means the intervention of the site becomes minimal .

Second, a user can be a candidate target person only by becoming a member of the site and he or she need not visit the site to see who is looking for him or her since the site notifies when someone is looking for him or her . Moreover, after a member forgets the fact that he or she is a member of the site, the site notifies when another person is looking for him or her. When the site notifies, the e-mail address of the addressee is not necessarily the e-mail of the site but may be any e-mail address that the addressee frequently uses, which enables the addressee not to miss any notification from the site. Third, in the course of the search and comparison, since it is determined matched when the matching ratio is above the prescribed value, the possibility that it is erroneously determined as unmatched is extremely low. Even when the memory of the person who want to find someone not clear, the possibility of the success of the person finding is very high. Finally, once the target person is included in the target person list, the target person cannot be missing.

Fourth, since the personal information of the person who wants to find someone is provided candidate target persons having matching ratio of over prescribed value, enemy, etc.

While the present invention has been describedwith respect to the particular embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for finding a person by using the Internet, the Internet connecting a server computer providing a web site for the finding a person and a plurality of client computers, comprising the steps of:

( 1 ) gathering client information for the plurality of client computers ;

(2) constructing a client information database by storing the client information in the server computer;

(3) receiving personal information of a target person from the plurality of client computers, wherein the target person is a person whom a wish-to-find person of the web site wants to find; (4) comparing the personal information of the target person with personal information stored in the client information database;

(5) providing one or more candidate target persons with the part of the personal information of the wish-to-find person and inquiring the candidate target persons of whether the site may reveal personal information of the candidate target persons to the wish-to-find person, if there exist one or more matched candidate target persons, wherein the candidate target persons are persons matched as a result of comparison at step (4); (6) receiving reply for the inquiry at step (5) from the candidate target persons; and

(7) transmitting all or part of personal information of the matched candidate target persons to the wish-to-find person if the reply at step (6) is positive.

2. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 1, wherein at step (4) , if there exist one or more matched candidate target persons, performing step (1) after waiting for another personal information of the target person is received.

3. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 1, wherein at step (6), not transmitting any personal information of the matched candidate target persons to the wish-to-find person if the reply at step (6) is negative.

4. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 1, wherein the client information is a member information of the web site run by the server computer.

5. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 1, after step (3) , further comprising the step of constructing a target person information database storing personal information of the target person.

6. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 5, wherein if it is determined that there exist one or more matched candidate target persons at step (4) , after at step (5) further comprising the step of deleting the personal information of the target person.

7. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 5, wherein if it is determined that there do not exist any matched candidate target person at step (4), further comprising the step of comparing the personal information of a newly entered client to the web site with the personal information of the target persons stored in the target person information database.

8. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 5, wherein if it is determined that there do not exist any matched candidate target person at step (4), further comprising the step of comparing on a regular time basis the personal information stored in the client information database with the target person information stored in the target person information database.

9. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 1, wherein the personal information of the client and the target person include name, sex, address, date of birth, occupation, education, home country, school, club or association, religion, military record, past address, friend, hobby or specialty, nick name, physical peculiarity, contact point.

10. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 9, wherein at step (4) , the comparison is performed such that each corresponding items between the personal information of the client and the personal information of the target person.

11. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 9, wherein at step (4), the comparison is performed by using a natural language search method.

12. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim10 or 11, whereinat step (4), amatchingratio is calculated, wherein the matching ratio is a percentage of the number of the matched items among total compared items .

13. The method for finding a person by using the Internet of claim 12, wherein at step (5), the matched client is a client having at least one matching items .