Method for assigning tasks to providers using instant messaging notifications

• US 20080051064A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Inventors: Cooper, Thomas E., Bostic, Brad, Jones, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A method and system for correlating a work request to a provider based on content of the work request and delegating the work request to the provider using an instant message (IM) service. An instant message service including those offered by existing IM service providers is used to notify a provider that a request has been received requesting work to be performed. The instant message may include a link to details of the work being requested, establish an electronic mail communication, point to a web site or initiate an application that communicates with web-enabled services on a server connected to the Internet.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

correlating a work request to a provider based on content of the work request; and

notifying the provider of the work request using an instant message service.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the work requested is a search.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

enabling the provider to map to an application for performing the work requested.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said instant message service is a publicly available instant messaging service.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

providing a proprietary instant message service to deliver the work request to the provider.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the work requested relates to a keyword associated with the provider.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising:

maintaining a record of providers associated with the keyword; and

determining availability of the providers to accept the work request based on the record.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein online status information of each of the providers is maintained and the work request notification is sent to an available provider among the providers matching the work requested.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising:

notifying the providers associated with the keyword when the work request is accepted by one or more of the providers.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein instant messaging services of the providers support exchange of instant messages across multiple platforms.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

maintaining information of the work request including a work product of the provider generated in response to the work request.

12. A method of providing instant message notifications to providers, comprising:

receiving a search request for work to be done;

selecting a human provider from multiple providers associated with a keyword in the search request to fulfill the work in response to receipt of the request; and

delivering the work to the human provider selected using an instant message service.

13. A method of delegating work using instant message notifications, comprising:

registering a human provider to receive instant message notifications related to work request(s) and associating the provider with a category or keyword;

correlating a request for work with the provider in accordance with the associated keyword(s);

determining availability of the provider to receive an instant message notification of the request; and

delegating the request for work to the provider(s) via an instant message using an instant message service of the provider.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

sending a confirmation message including a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) registration of the provider to receive instant message notifications.

15. A system, comprising:

an instant message service for delivering work to at least one provider;

a requester unit for submitting the work to be performed by the at least one provider; and

a server for correlating the work to the at least one provider based on content of the work.

16. An interface, comprising:

a display window for displaying description of work requested via an instant message service; and

an input control enabling a human provider to acknowledge receipt of the work requested.

17. A computer readable storage controlling a computer having a data structure for delivering work to human service providers, comprising:

provider identifiers, including;

instant message credentials;

provider online status identifiers;

category and/or keyword identifiers;

item location identifiers.

18. A method of delegating work using instant message notifications, comprising:

registering a human provider to receive instant message notifications related to work and associating the provider with contents of a database including a type of work category, provider instant messaging credentials and provider status, and creating an instant message account for a provider without an existing instant message account;

verifying registration of the provider to receive instant message notifications related to the work by sending a verification instant message to the provider requiring the provider to login to a system manager;

adding the provider to an instant message provider buddy list;

updating an online list of providers that are online when the provider is online and offline;

correlating a request for work with providers in accordance with the associating;

determining availability of the provider to receive an instant message notification of the work responsive to the request using the online list;

delegating the request for the work to the provider via an instant message notification using an instant message service of the provider with the instant message describing the work, providing references to additional information about the request, including a URL of an application to assist in the work and an acceptance control initiating an acceptance instant message;

delegating the request for the work to another provider when the provider does not accept the request;

flagging the provider as online but unavailable for work when the provider accepts the request via the acceptance instant message; and

notifying the provider via a completion instant message when completion of the work has been recorded.