METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A CRYPTOGRAPHICALLY-ASSISTED COMMERICAL NETWORK SYSTEM DESIGNED TO FACILITATE AND SUPPORT EXPERT-BASED COMMERCE

• US 20130013362A1
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Community United IP LLC (IPNav)
• Original Assignee: Community United IP LLC (IPNav)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Schneier, Bruce, Jorasch, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/56 Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

The present invention is an expert matching method and apparatus for managing communications between an expert having particular qualifications and an end user seeking a solution to an expert request. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention includes a controller having a database for storing expert qualifications. In one embodiment, the controller receives an expert request. A search program identifies experts qualified to respond to the expert request. The expert request is then transmitted to the expert, which results in an expert answer transmitted to and received by the central controller. After authentication of the expert answer, using a wide range of security levels from passwords to cryptography, the answer is forwarded to the end user. The method and apparatus of the present invention have applications on the Internet as well as conventional voice telephony systems.

Claims

1. A method of electronically managing communications between an expert and an end user, comprising:

by a controller, storing in a database data relating to a plurality of experts, said data including, for each expert, a corresponding name, address, and skill set;

receiving at the controller an end user request from an end user, the end user request having a subject;

identifying in the database one or more experts having a skill set corresponding to the subject;

transmitting at least a portion of the end user request to a first expert selected from the one or more identified experts; and

transmitting an expert answer, based on the end user request, to the end user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the controller one or more of feedback and a rating from the end user regarding the expert answer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting at least a portion of the end user request to a second expert.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting the expert answer to the second expert.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by the controller, receiving the expert answer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, by the controller, archiving the expert answer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein an identity of the first expert is not made known to the end user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising decrypting the end user request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the expert answer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the expert answer is transmitted synchronously.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the expert answer is transmitted asynchronously.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising searching in a second database for an existing answer to a request that is similar to the end user request.

13. A method of providing payment to an expert for a response to an end user request, comprising:

by a controller, storing in a database data relating to a plurality of experts, said data including, for each expert, a corresponding name, address, and qualification;

receiving at the controller an end user request from an end user;

posting, by the controller, at least a portion of the end user request on a web page;

receiving, by the controller, a response to the end user request from a first expert identified in the database; and

compensating the first expert for the response.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving, by the controller, a ranking of the response.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting, by the controller, the response received from the first expert to a second expert for review.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising decrypting the response received from the first expert.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising decrypting the end user request.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising, by the controller, archiving the response received from the first expert.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising, by the controller, archiving the end user request.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving payment from the end user.

21. An apparatus for managing communications between an expert and an end user, comprising:

a controller unit having a database for storing data relating to a plurality of experts, said data including, for each expert, a corresponding name, address, and skill set, the controller unit configured to (i) receive an end user request from an end user, the end user request having a subject and (ii) identify in the database one or more experts having a skill set corresponding to the subject; and

a transceiver disposed in communication with said controller unit, said transceiver configured to (i) transmit at least a portion of the end user request to a first expert selected from the one or more identified experts and (ii) transmit an expert answer, based on the end user request, to the end user.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive one or more of feedback and a rating from the end user regarding the expert answer.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit at least a portion of the end user request to a second expert.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit the expert answer to the second expert.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to receive the expert answer.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to archive the expert answer.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein an identity of the first expert is not made known to the end user.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to decrypt the end user request.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to encrypt the expert answer.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit the expert answer synchronously.

31. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit the expert answer asynchronously.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to search in a second database for an existing answer to a request that is similar to the end user request.

33. An apparatus for providing payment to an expert who provides a response to an end user request, comprising a controller having a database storing data relating to a plurality of experts, said data including, for each expert, a corresponding name, address, and qualification, the controller configured to receive an end user request from an end user, post at least a portion of the end user request on a web page, receive a response to the end user request from a first expert identified in the database;

and compensate the first expert for the response.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a ranking of the response.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the response received from the first expert to a second expert for review.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the controller is further configured to decrypt the response received from the first expert.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the controller is further configured to decrypt the end user request.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the controller is further configured to archive the response received from the first expert.

39. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the controller is further configured to archive the end user request.

40. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the controller is further configured to receive payment from the end user.