COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF DETERMINING LOCATION-BASED MATCHES BETWEEN SEARCHERS AND PROVIDERS

• US 20110137730A1
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Quotify Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quotify Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: McCarney, Paul, Jessup, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/057,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137730A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.58
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

The inventive subject matter is generally directed to matching a party with another party based on profiling of the parties, and optionally an industry category, for parameters that are relevant to making a match, hi certain embodiments, the inventive subject matter facilitates matches between searchers and service providers based on assignment of searchers and service providers to predefined Buyer Types or Service Provider Types based on questionnaires, surveys, and other input and feedback mechanisms. In a further aspect, the inventive subject matter is directed to a system for valuing and monetizing a set of leads to offer to a party. In some embodiments, the inventive subject matter is directed to mobile applications for matching searchers with providers based on awareness of the locations of the parties.

Claims

1. A method of matching in an intermediary matching system, comprising:

in a computer, storing a plurality of buyer profiles corresponding to buyers and a plurality of service provider profiles corresponding to mobile providers;

tracking the computer system the location of one or more mobile providers based on real-time location information or planned-location information relative to the location of a real property of one of the buyers, and the profile of the mobile provider includes on or more attributes relevant to a service or product to improve, maintain or repair the property; and

outputting from the computer system one or more notifications to mobile providers of searcher leads in a predetermined proximity of the mobile providers current position or planned position based on attributes in a buyer profile matching with attributes in a respective service provider profile, at least some of the attributes being the one or more attributes relevant to the service or product to improve, maintain or repair the property.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the lead is provided with an input on a user interface for the mobile provider to respond to the notification, a response being processed via an intermediary party matching system as a transaction monetarily charged for acquiring the lead.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the mobile provider is charged for the transaction and is a participant in a plan offered by the intermediary party for acquiring leads for a fee per transaction or under a subscription plan.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the notifications further comprise a notification of one or more terms for receiving the lead and further comprising receiving an acceptance of the terms and outputting to the provider contact information for the searcher.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the terms comprise a fee.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the fee monotonically increases for each service provider to agree to pay the fee.

16. The method of claim 7 further comprising accepting payment of the fee.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising facilitating a voice connection between the buyer and the mobile provider.

4. A tangible, computer-readable medium containing executable instructions for matching in an intermediary matching system, comprising:

instructions for storing a plurality of buyer profiles corresponding to buyers and a plurality of service provider profiles corresponding to mobile providers;

instructions for tracking the mobile provider location of one or more mobile providers based on real-time location information or planned-location information relative to the location of a real property of one of the buyers, and the profile of the mobile provider includes one or more attributes relevant to a service or product to improve, maintain or repair the property; and

notifying one or more mobile providers of one or more leads for a real property in a predetermined proximity of the mobile provider current position or planned position based on attributes in a buyer profile matching with attributes in a respective mobile service provider profile, at least some of the attributes being the one or more attributes relevant to the service or product to improve, maintain or repair the property.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 4 wherein the buyer profile comprises a job location and further comprising calculating an actual distance between the job location and the mobile provider location.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising prioritizing the searcher leads based on the actual distance.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the notifying only notifies mobile providers whose provider profile indicates the mobile provider is not returning to the mobile provider'"'"'s base.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the notifying only notifies mobile providers whose provider profile indicates the mobile provider is willing to receive prospecting jobs.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the searcher lead is an emergency job and the notifying only notifies mobile providers whose provider profile indicates the mobile provider is willing to receive emergency jobs.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

storing on a computer system a set of one or more service provider profiles corresponding to mobile providers, the profiles comprising a geographic area, the geographic are being determined by real-time location or planned location information for the mobile service providers;

storing on the computer system a set of one or more buyer profiles comprising a geographic area for the buyer;

matching one or more service providers to the buyer by geographic area on the computer system relative to the location of a real property of the buyer, and the profile of the mobile provider includes one or more attributes relevant to a service or product to improve, maintain or repair the property; and

outputting a promotion for the one or more service providers to the buyer from the computer system, based on matching at least some of the attributes relevant to the service or product to improve, maintain or repair the property.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising tracking the location of one or more mobile providers based on real-time location information or planned-location information and the promotion comprises the location of the one ore more mobile providers.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the buyer profile further comprises a job location and further comprising calculating an actual distance between the location of each of the one or more service providers and the job location.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the promotion further comprises a prioritized list of the one or more service providers ranked in order of actual distance.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising tracking the location of one or more mobile providers based on real-time location information or planned-location information and each location is within the geographic area for the buyer.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

tracking on a computer system a location for one or more mobile providers having service provider profiles store on the computer system based on the real-time location or planned-location of the service providers; and

generating user interface data for a user interface with a mapping or listing of the real-time or planned location of one or more service providers relative to a fixed geographical location of a buyer based on matching service provider attributes with buyer profile attributes and the tracking of real-time or planned location, at least on attribute being the a fixed a geographical location attribute associated with the buyer profile;

sending the user interface data to the buyer; and

wherein the user interface date further includes a rating for a mobile provider, an interactive feature for calling or electronic messaging the mobile service provider, and/or a promotion for a service provider.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising scheduling or cancelling a job upon notification from the mobile provider.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein fee scheduling or cancelling comprises outputting an update request for a customer relations management system.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the scheduling or cancelling comprises facilitating a voice connection between the buyer and the mobile provider.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the scheduling or cancelling comprises facilitating a voice connection between the buyer and the mobile provider'"'"'s base.

25. A tangibly computer-readable medium containing executable instructions for matching in an intermediary matching system comprising:

storing one or more buyer profiles;

storing one or more service provider profiles corresponding to one or more mobile providers;

tracking the location of the one or more mobile providers based on real-time location information or planned-location information relative to the location of a real property of the buyer;

identifying a geographic region for the location; and

notifying the one or more mobile providers of one or more searcher leads in the same geographic region for the location of the mobile provider based on attributes in a buyer profile and/or service provider profile,

26. A method of matching in an intermediary matching system, comprising:

in a computer, storing a plurality of buyer profiles and a plurality of service provider profiles corresponding to mobile providers;

tracking in the computer system the location of one or more mobile providers based on real-time location information or planned-location information relative to a fixed geographical location of a buyer, and the profile of the mobile provider includes one or more attributes relevant to a service or product matching one or more stored attributes of the buyer that are associated with the fixed location; and

outputting from the computer system one or more notifications to mobile providers of searcher leads in a predetermined proximity of the mobile providers current position or planned position based on attributes in a buyer profile matching attributes in a service provider profile, at least some of the attributes being the one or more attributes associated with the buyer'"'"'s fixed location.

27. A computer-implemented method comprising:

storing on a computer system a set of one or more service provider profiles corresponding to mobile providers, the profiles comprising a geographic area, the geographic area being determined by real-time location or planned location information for the mobile service providers;

storing on fee computer system a set of one or more buyer profiles comprising a geographic area for the buyer, the geographic area being determined from one or more stored attributes of the buyer that are associated with a fixed geographic location;

matching one or more service providers to the buyer by geographic area on the computer system relative to a fixed geographical location of a buyer, and the profile of the service provider includes one or more attributes relevant to a service or product matching the one or more stored attributes of the buyer that are associated with the fixed location; and

outputting a promotion for the one or more service providers to the buyer from the computer system based on matching at least some of the attributes relevant to a service or product needed by the buyer at the fixed geographical location.