ACCESSIBLE SERVICE PROVIDER CLEARINGHOUSE
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A service that maintains a minimum criteria level for service providers to be listed and available for public access. It can list not only the service provider'"'"'s credentials and insurance support (with monitored expiration dates), but may also provide a current up-to-date rating system by the users themselves, as to the satisfaction level of the quality and reliability of the work performed. It can also offer a double-check of the credentials by customer verification input. Furthermore, the example service can be easily accessible by the general public (for individual or business use) on the Internet, or by printed text directories sold direct or in bookstores.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1-34. -34. (canceled)
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35. A method of facilitating contact between consumers and service providers by providing a central clearinghouse of service provider performance information that offers insights into at least one of service provider qualifications, service provider reliability and service provider quality of workmanship, said central clearinghouse being easily accessible by consumers, said method being performed at least in part by a computer operated by a third party online listing service, said method comprising:
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maintaining listings of service providers in a database; imposing minimum mandatory predetermined non-fee based qualification criteria specified by said third party online listing service for service provider listings to be qualified and acceptable for listing and available to consumers; allowing consumers to remotely access and search said qualified service provider listings online over a data communications network; presenting information concerning listed service providers in response to searches said consumers perform to search for and display qualified listings wherein said maintaining listings includes maintaining qualification information pertaining to said service providers as part of each individual profile, and qualifying service providers for initial listing and continually re-qualifying service providers, at least in part by an automatic computer process, for continued listing. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of facilitating contact between consumers and service providers by providing a central clearinghouse of service provider performance information that offers insights into at least one of service provider qualifications, service provide reliability and service provider quality of workmanship, said central clearinghouse being easily accessible by consumers, said method being performed at least in part by a computer operated by a third party online listing service, said method comprising:
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maintaining listings of service providers in a database; imposing minimum mandatory predetermined non-fee based qualification criteria specified by said online listing service for service provider listings so as to make them qualified and acceptable for at least one of initial listing and continued listing and to be made available to consumers; allowing consumers to remotely access and search said qualified service provider listings online over a data communications network; presenting information concerning listed service providers in response to searches said consumers perform to search for and display qualified listings, automatically continually monitoring service provider qualification information and continually determining whether said service providers are qualified for continued listing.
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49. An online computer system operated by an online listing service providing a central clearinghouse of service provider performance information that offers insights into at least one of service provider qualifications, service provider reliability and service provider quality of workmanship, said central clearinghouse being easily accessible by consumers, said online computer system comprising:
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a service provider database storing profile information for service providers; a consumer database storing profile information for consumers having rights to access information stored within said service provider database; a server and associated communication facility coupled to said service provider database and said consumer database;
said server and associated communication facility configured for consumers to access over a digital network and retrieve via a web browser, information concerning said service providers within said service provider database that meet non-fee based predetermined minimum qualification criteria specified by said online listing service;said computer system further including; means for requiring and automatically using on a continual basis, said non-fee based predetermined minimum qualification criteria specified by said online listing service for service providers to become listed and remain listed and displayable to consumers. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification