Connecting Consumers with Service Providers

• US 20080065726A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schoenberg, Roy
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services

Abstract

A request is received from a consumer of services to consult with a service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider; an available service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes is identified; and a communication channel is provided to establish a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprises:

receiving a request from a consumer of services to consult with a service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider;

identifying an available service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes; and

providing a communication channel to establish a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the available service provider comprises:

monitoring availability of the identified service provider.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

activating the communication channel when the identified service provider becomes available.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the available service provider comprises:

identifying a set of service providers, each service provider having a profile matching at least some of the attributes;

monitoring availability of the matching service providers; and

when one of the matching service providers becomes available,

initiating real-time communication between the available service provider and the consumer of services.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified service provider is of a first type of service provider, and the method further comprises:

identifying a second available service provider of a second type of service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes; and

providing a second real-time communication channel for a communication between the consumer of services and the second identified service provider.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the communication channel for whichever identified service provider is available first is provided first.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein if the communication channel with the first identified service provider is provided before the second communication channel, the method further comprises:

providing information describing an outcome of the communication between the consumer of services and the first identified service provider to the second identified service provider in advance of providing the second communication channel.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing information describing an outcome of the communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider to a second service provider associated with the consumer of services.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the communication channel comprises:

identifying a communication method for contacting the consumer of services; and

instructing the identified service provider to initiate a communication using the identified method.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the communication channel comprises:

initiating a first communication channel with the consumer of services;

initiating a second communication channel with the identified service provider; and

connecting the first and second communication channels.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein

identifying the available service provider includes receiving an indication that a service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes has initiated a first communication channel.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein providing the real-time communication channel comprises:

initiating a second communication channel with the consumer of services; and

connecting the first and second communication channels.

13. A computer-implemented method comprises:

receiving indications that members of a pool of service providers have become available;

receiving a request from a consumer of services to consult with a service provider;

identifying an available member of the pool; and

initiating a real-time communication between the consumer of services and the identified member of the pool.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the request includes an identification of a time in the future; and

identifying the member of the pool and initiating the communication take place at the identified time.

15. A computer implemented method comprises:

receiving a request from a patient for an on-demand, real-time consultation with a physician;

identifying at least one available physician with whom the patient should consult; and

activating a communication channel between the patient and the available physician to allow the requested consultation.

16. The method of claim 15 in which identifying the available physician comprises:

identifying at least one type of physician with whom the patient should consult;

identifying a set of physicians of the identified type;

determining the current availability of physicians in the identified set; and

identifying an available physician in the identified set.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the patient is associated with a primary physician, and

identifying the set of physicians includes identifying physicians other than the patient'"'"'s primary physician.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing information describing an outcome of the consultation to the patient'"'"'s primary physician.

19. A computer implemented method comprises:

sending a request from a patient for an on-demand, real-time consultation with a physician;

receiving a message identifying at least one available physician with whom the patient should consult; and

connecting to a communication channel established between the patient and the available physician to allow the requested consultation.

20. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

receive a request from a consumer of services to consult with a service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider,

identify an available service provider that satisfies at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes; and

provide a communication channel to establish a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising instructions to:

monitor availability of the identified service provider.

22. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein the instructions to identify the service provider include instructions to:

determine whether the service provider is available.

23. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising instructions to:

identify a set of service providers, each service provider having a profile matching at least some of the attributes;

monitor availability of the matching service providers; and

when one of the matching service providers becomes available,

initiate real-time communication between the available service provider and the consumer of services.

24. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising instructions to:

provide information describing an outcome of the communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider to a second service provider associated with the consumer of services.

25. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein the instructions to provide the communication channel include instructions to:

initiate a first communication channel with the consumer of services;

initiate a second communication channel with the identified service provider; and

connect the first and second communication channels.

26. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

receive indications that members of a pool of service providers have become available;

receive a request from a consumer of services to consult with a service provider;

identify an available member of the pool; and

initiate a real-time communication between the consumer of services and the identified member of the pool.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing the processor to;

receive a request from a consumer of services to consult with a service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider,

identify an available service provider that satisfies at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes; and

provide a communication channel to establish a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, the computer program product further comprising instructions to:

monitor availability of the identified service provider.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the instructions to identify the service provider include instructions to:

determine whether the service provider is available.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, the computer program product further comprising instructions to:

identify a set of service providers, each service provider having a profile matching at least some of the attributes;

monitor availability of the matching service providers; and

when one of the matching service providers becomes available,

initiate real-time communication between the available service provider and the consumer of services.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, the computer program product further comprising instructions to:

provide information describing an outcome of the communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider to a second service provider associated with the consumer of services.

32. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the instructions to provide the communication channel include instructions to:

initiate a first communication channel with the consumer of services;

initiate a second communication channel with the identified service provider; and

connect the first and second communication channels.

33. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing the processor to;

receive indications that members of a pool of service providers have become available;

receive a request from a consumer of services to consult with a service provider;

identify an available member of the pool; and

initiate a real-time communication between the consumer of services and the identified member of the pool.