Request matching system and method
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A real-time request matching system for and method of matching free-format requests of users, as requestors, to providers in servicing the requests, each of the requesters having at least one communicator for making requests and addressing replies thereto and each of the providers having at least one communicator for addressing requests and respective replies thereto, the method comprising the steps of: receiving requests from requestors; for each request, providing for the request to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby; receiving replies from selected providers, the replies received being made by the respective providers based on the respective requests; and one or both of supplying, for each request, information regarding the respective requestor to any providers having provided a positive reply to the respective request, with a positive reply indicating that a provider is able to meet a request, and information regarding replies from selected providers to the respective request to the respective requestor.
34 Citations
166 Claims
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1-116. -116. (Cancelled)
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117. A matching system for matching requests of users, as requesters, to providers in servicing the requests, each of the requesters having at least one communicator for making requests and addressing replies thereto and each of the providers having at least one communicator for addressing requests, the system comprising:
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at least one request receiving unit for receiving free-format requests of requesters and storing the free-format requests as received;
at least one request relaying unit for providing for each of the stored requests to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby such as to enable the selected providers, as human decision-makers, to interpret the respective requests and decide upon a match; and
at least one reply receiving unit for receiving replies from providers, the replies received being made by the respective providers on interpreting the respective requests and deciding upon a match. - View Dependent Claims (118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141)
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142. A method of matching requests of users, as requesters, to providers in servicing the requests, each of the requesters having at least one communicator for making requests and addressing replies thereto and each of the providers having at least one communicator for addressing requests, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving free-format requests of requesters;
storing the free-format requests as received;
for each request, providing for the stored request to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby such as to enable the selected providers, as human decision-makers, to interpret the request and decide upon a match; and
receiving replies from providers, the replies received being made by the respective providers on interpreting the respective requests and deciding upon a match. - View Dependent Claims (143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163)
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164. A matching system for matching requests of users, as requesters, to providers in servicing the requests, the system comprising:
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a plurality of requestor communicators, each being for use by requestors in making free-format requests and addressing any respective replies thereto, at least ones of the replies including information regarding replies from selected providers to respective requests; and
a plurality of provider communicators, each being for use by providers in addressing requests and any respective replies thereto, the requests being relayed to respective selected providers as addressed such as to enable the selected providers, as human decision-makers, to interpret the respective requests and decide upon a match, and at least ones of the replies including information regarding the requester of a respective request where having provided a positive reply to the respective request, with a positive reply indicating that a provider is able to meet a request.
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165. A matching system for matching requests of users, as requestors, to providers in servicing the requests, the system comprising:
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a plurality of requestor communicators, each being for use by requestors in making free-format requests and addressing respective replies thereto;
a plurality of provider communicators, each being for use by providers in addressing requests and respective replies thereto; and
at least one communications unit communicatable with the requester communicators and the provider communicators, and including at least one provider selection unit for selecting providers to address each request made by a requestor;
wherein, for each request, the system is configured such that the request is provided to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby such as to enable the selected providers, as human decision-makers, to interpret the request and decide upon a match.
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166. A method of matching requests of users, as requesters, to providers in servicing the requests, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving signals comprising free-format requests from requesters;
for each request, transmitting a signal to selected providers comprising the request as received such as to enable the selected providers, as human decision-makers, to interpret the request and decide upon a match;
receiving signals comprising replies from selected providers, the replies being made by the respective providers on interpreting the respective requests and deciding upon a match; and
for each request, transmitting one or both of a signal comprising information regarding the respective requestor to any providers having provided a positive reply to the respective request, with a positive reply indicating that a provider is able to meet a request, and a signal comprising information regarding replies from selected providers to the respective request to the respective requestor.
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Specification