Method and System to Connect Consumers to Information

• US 20130182834A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: UTBK, LLC
• Inventors: Lauffer, Randall B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,060,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66757 Lateral single gate single channel transistors with non-inverted structure, i.e. the channel layer is formed before the gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78675 with normal-type structure, e.g. with top gate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

This invention provides for a method of (or apparatus for) facilitating the delivery of advice to consumers using a server unit which can store and display the names and characteristics of experts and then rapidly assist in connecting the expert and consumer for real-time communication. The server can also have the ability to receive keywords from the consumer, match those keywords to one or more experts, and tell the consumer how to contact an expert.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when executed on a computing device causes the device to perform a method, the method comprising:

providing to a user a visual display advertisement for an advisor, wherein the visual display advertisement includes at least a user selectable reference to establish a real-time communication connection with the advisor, and an indication of whether the advisor is currently available to communicate via real time communication, wherein the visual display advertisement advertises the advisor to the user at least partially based on an order relative to other advisors, the order at least partially based on one or both of a compensation rate and a quality score; and

while the advisor is currently available, receiving a user selection of the user selectable reference corresponding to the advisor, and a central controller using the user selection of the user selectable reference to establish a real-time communication connection between the advisor and the user prior to the user submitting a question for the advisor, the central controller establishing a real-time communication connection with the advisor and with the user by originating a first communication connection to the advisor and a second communication connection to the user.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first communication connection comprises a first telephonic connection, and the second communication connection comprises a second telephonic connection.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the media channel includes at least a portion of Internet.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the user selectable reference includes a hyper-link to be selected by the user.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

providing visual display advertisements on a media channel on behalf of multiple advertisers, the visual display advertisements to include at least a reference to a telephonic connection with the respective advertisers; and

charging an amount each time a telephonic connection is established between a respective advertiser and a customer.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the visual display advertisement is provided in response to a search submitted by the user.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein the visual display advertisement is provided in response to a search submitted by the user for a geographic location.

8. The medium of claim 6, wherein the visual display advertisement is provided in response to a search submitted by the user for a subject matter.

9. The medium of claim 6, wherein the visual display advertisement is provided in response to a keyword search submitted by the user.

10. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

charging an amount for each telephonic connection established between the advisor and the user based on the visual display advertisement.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the charging of the amount comprises deducting the amount from an amount received from the user.

12. The medium of claim 10, wherein the charging of the amount comprises charging the user.

13. The medium of claim 10, wherein the amount charged is according to a price specified by the advisor.

14. The medium of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication connection includes a telephonic connection established between the advisor and the user according to the visual display advertisement and the telephonic connection is provided by Internet telephony.

15. The medium of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication connection includes a telephonic connection established between the advisor and the user according to the visual display advertisement and the telephonic connection includes video.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a server unit to provide a visual display advertisement for an advisor to a user, wherein the visual display advertisement includes at least a user selectable reference to establish a real-time communication connection with the advisor, an indication of whether the advisor is currently available to communicate via real time communication, wherein the visual display advertisement advertises the advisor to the user at least partially based on an order relative to other advisors, the order at least partially based on one or both of a compensation rate and a quality score; and

a central controller coupled with the server unit to receive a user selection of the user selectable reference corresponding to the advisor while the advisor is currently available, the central controller, prior to the user submitting a question for the advisor, establishing a real-time communication connection with the advisor and with the user by originating a first communication connection to the advisor and a second communication connection to the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the real-time communication connection includes a telephonic connection established between the advisor and the user according to the visual display advertisement and the telephonic connection is provided by Internet telephony.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the telephonic connection includes video.

19. A method, comprising:

providing to a user a visual display advertisement for an advisor wherein the visual display advertisement includes at least a user selectable reference to establish a real-time communication connection with the advisor, an indication of whether the advisor is currently available to communicate via real time communication, wherein the visual display advertisement advertises the advisor to the user at least partially based on an order relative to other advisors, the order at least partially based on one or both of a compensation rate and a quality score; and

while the advisor is currently available, receiving a user selection of the user selectable reference corresponding to the advisor, and a central controller using the user selection of the user selectable reference to establish a real-time communication connection between the advisor and the user prior to the user submitting a question for the advisor, the central controller establishing a real-time communication connection with the advisor and with the user by originating a first communication connection to the advisor and a second communication connection to the user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the real-time communication connection includes a telephonic connection established between the advisor and the user according to the visual display advertisement and the telephonic connection is provided by Internet telephony.