METHOD AND SYSTEM OF FACILITATING A PURCHASE

• US 20100010912A1
• Filed: 07/09/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Inventors: Kremer, Steven M., Cooper, Thomas E., Jones, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US12/500,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20100010912A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system and method of facilitating a purchase including using assistance of a search service and redacting data is described. A user may link an account of a search service with an account of a vendor and may use the linked accounts to purchase an item and/or service from the vendor. A human assistant may select information of an item and/or service from a vendor associated with a user and may provide information of the item to the search system in order that an offer for the item and/or service may be provided to a user and a purchase of the item and/or service may be completed by the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating a purchase, comprising:

registering a user in association with a vendor;

registering the user in association with a search system;

receiving a request from the user at the search system;

determining whether the request is a purchase request;

selecting an item from the vendor based on the request; and

completing a purchase of the item from the vendor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining by a human assistant who is independent of the user whether the request is the purchase request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a human assistant who is independent of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the vendor based on a category associated with the request; and

selecting an item from the vendor by a human assistant who is independent of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing an information search in parallel with a purchase transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

completing the purchase using stored information of the user which is not revealed to a human assistant who selects the item.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the request as an SMS message; and

registering the user with the search service using an SMS message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering a human assistant with the vendor; and

providing access to a resource associated with the vendor to the human assistant.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a human assistant who is independent of the user;

determining by the human assistant whether the request is a request for purchase;

selecting the vendor based on a category associated with the request;

selecting an item from the vendor by the human assistant;

performing an information search in parallel with a purchase transaction;

completing the purchase using stored information of the user which is not revealed to the human assistant selecting the item;

obtaining the stored information from a repository indicated by the user;

receiving the request as an SMS message;

registering the user using an SMS message;

registering the human assistant with the vendor;

providing access to a resource associated with the vendor to the human assistant; and

selecting, by the human assistant, the item using the resource.

10. A system, comprising:

a search service device registering a user, receiving a request, communicating with a guide device, a vendor device, and a user device and providing a response to the request;

a user device submitting a query;

a vendor device fulfilling a purchase request; and

a database recording information of queries, guides, users, vendors, and purchases.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a guide device for selecting an item and responding to the query.

12. A computer readable storage medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to execute an operation including optimizing usage of providers, comprising:

obtaining by a supplier a unique identifier of a user;

sharing by the supplier information associated with the unique identifier with a search service;

receiving a query by the search service;

selecting a guide using content of the query;

determining whether the query indicates a desire to acquire an article;

transmitting at least a portion of the query to the guide; and

selecting the article associated with the supplier.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, comprising:

delivering, by the search service, a request to acquire the article;

acquiring the article from the supplier; and

providing the article to the user.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the query is at least one of an SMS message, a voice message, an Instant Message, and a web form.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said determining is executed by the guide, and the operation further comprises:

selecting a purchase specialist who is independent of the guide;

choosing by the purchase specialist the article;

obtaining by the purchase specialist information of a payment method; and

acquiring the article using the payment method.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the request is provided by an API associated with the supplier.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, comprising:

selecting the guide based on a ranking of the guide associated with a purchase transaction;

selecting the supplier based on content of the query and a ranking of the supplier associated with a purchase transaction;

selecting a purchase assistant based on an action of the guide; and

selecting the article based on a choice by the purchase assistant.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 12, comprising:

obtaining information from the user;

receiving an indication of an element of the information which is obscured;

obtaining by the guide a search result which includes the element;

providing information of the element to the user; and

providing the element to the supplier based on an action of the user.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, comprising:

indicating a type of element which is obscured;

indicating a keyword which is obscured;

indicating a trustee who may view the element;

providing information of the element to the trustee; and

providing information of the element to the supplier based on an action of the trustee.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the query is at least one of an SMS message, a voice message, an Instant Message, and a web form, the request is provided by an API associated with the supplier and the operation further comprises:

delivering by the search service a request to acquire the article;

providing the article to the user;

determining by the guide whether the query indicates a desire to acquire the article;

selecting a purchase specialist who is not the guide;

choosing by the purchase specialist the article;

obtaining by the purchase specialist information of a payment method;

acquiring the article using the payment method;

selecting the guide based on a ranking of the guide associated with the query;

selecting the supplier based on content of the query and a ranking of the supplier associated with a purchase transaction;

selecting a purchase assistant based on an action of the guide and a ranking of the purchase assistant;

selecting the article based on a choice by the purchase assistant and a ranking of the article;

obtaining information from the user;

receiving an indication of an element of the information which is obscured;

obtaining by the guide a search result which includes the element;

providing information of the element to the user;

providing the element to the supplier based on an action of the user;

wherein the information is a payment method, a user name, an address, a telephone number, and a password.

21. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

linking an existing account information of a user associated with a first provider with information for a second provider; and

implementing a purchase from the second provider using the account information during a search conducted in response to a search request from the user.