Network-based methods and systems for responding to customer requests based on provider presence information

• US 20080212763A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel Lucent Technologies BV (Nokia Corporation), Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hao, Fang, Mukherjee, Sarit, Miller, Scott C., Chandranmenon, Girish P.
• Application Number:
  US11/712,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20080212763A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

An “always-on” network and associated systems enable customers to compare and select products and services offered by one or more providers faster than previously thought possible. In addition, communication connections may be established between customers and providers in real-time.

Claims

1. A network-based method for monitoring the presence of a provider comprising:

maintaining a presence status in the network for each of one or more providers even when a provider is not active; and

forwarding information about one or more of the providers from the network to at least one customer based on at least the presence status.

2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication from the customer that the customer is interested in a product or service offered by at least one of the providers; and

forwarding the indication to the provider.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein one or more of the providers offer a dispatch service.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein the dispatch service is a taxi cab service.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein one or more of the providers offer a service selected from the group consisting of:

home repair or improvement service, a telephone service, a computer related service, a natural gas service, a home heating oil service, a cable television service, a satellite television service, a water service, a sewer related service, an electricity related service, or an energy related service.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein one or more of the providers offer an emergency service selected from the group consisting of:

police, fire department, EMT, or ambulance related service.

7. The method as in claim 1 further comprising forwarding cost information associated with one or more of the providers, whose presence status indicates they are active, to the customer.

8. A method as in claim 1 further comprising forwarding time information associated with the service offered by one or more providers, whose presence status indicates they are active, to the customer.

9. The method as in claim 1 further comprising forwarding location information from one or more providers, whose presence status indicates they are active, to the customer.

10. The method as in claim 1 when one or more of the providers are not affiliated with one another.

11. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

creating a real-time communications connection between the customer and one of the providers.

12. A network-based system for monitoring the presence of a provider, the system operable to:

maintain a presence status in the network for each of one or more providers even when a provider is not active; and

forward information about one or more of the providers from the network to at least one customer based on at least the presence status.

13. The system as in claim 12 further operable to:

receive an indication from the customer that the customer is interested in a product or service offered by at least one of the providers; and

forward the indication to the provider.

14. The system as in claim 12 wherein one or more of the providers offer a dispatch service.

15. The system as in claim 14 wherein the dispatch service is a taxi cab service.

16. The system as in claim 12 wherein one or more of the providers offer a service selected from the group consisting of:

home repair or improvement service, a telephone service, a computer related service, a natural gas service, a home heating oil service, a cable television service, a satellite television service, a water service, a sewer related service, an electricity related service, or an energy related service.

17. The system as in claim 12 wherein one or more of the providers offer an emergency service selected from the group consisting of:

police, fire department, EMT, or ambulance related service.

18. The system as in claim 12 further operable to forward cost information associated with one or more of the providers, whose presence status indicates they are active, to the customer.

19. The system as in claim 12 further operable to forward time information associated with the service offered by one or more providers, whose presence status indicates they are active, to the customer.

20. The system as in claim 12 further operable to forward location information from one or more providers, whose presence status indicates they are active, to the customer.

21. The system as in claim 12 wherein one or more of the providers are not affiliated with one another.

22. The system as in claim 12 further operable to:

create a real-time communications connection between the customer and one of the providers.

23. A device for accessing an always-on network comprising:

one or more keys, wherein one of the keys is operable to access an application that connects the device to an always on network; and

a transceiver for receiving information associated with one or more products or services provided by one or more providers or information related to a customer, and for sending an indication to the always-on network indicating the selection of one or more of the providers, wherein the selection is based on presence status, cost, location, or response time information, or a request to be connected to the customer.