Method for allowing users to purchase professional services in a private chat room through a service brokerage via the internet

• US 6,393,412 B1
• Filed: 09/23/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter Deep
• Original Assignee: Peter Deep
• Inventors: Deep, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US09/401,715
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/50, 705/51, 705/400, 705/418
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method for allowing a user to access a plurality of service providers through a service brokerage via the Internet. The service brokerage establishes accounts with the service providers and the user. Once a user logs in to the service brokerage, the user is presented with a set of private service provider chat rooms that are on on-line. The set can be chosen based upon a predetermined criterion. Once the user selects a chat room of a chosen provider, the service provider must allow the user access to that service provider'"'"'s chat room. A user profile may be provided to the service provider to aid in the admission process. Once a user is inside a chat room, the chat room is closed and the user and service provider can privately interact in the occupied chat room via the Internet. The service provider can have access to, and modify, a user information file of the user during the session, and the user can have access to the file once the session is over. The user'"'"'s account is charged with a user service fee, and the service provider'"'"'s account is credited with a service provider fee, according to the length of time the user spends in the occupied chat room of the service provider.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user to access a plurality of service providers through a service brokerage via the Internet, comprising the steps of:

establishing a private service provider chat room for each of the plurality of service providers that connects the service provider to the service brokerage via the Internet;

establishing a user account with the service brokerage;

logging the user into the service brokerage via the Internet;

presenting the user with a set of private service provider chat rooms that are on-line, each of said chat rooms being associated with a service provider selected from the plurality of service providers;

allowing the user to select a first chat room of a chosen service provider selected from the set of private service provider chat rooms and request entry into the first chat room;

allowing the chosen service provider to open the first chat room to the user and then closing the first chat room to form an occupied chat room;

allowing the user and the chosen service provider to privately interact in the occupied chat room via the Internet;

timing the length of time the user spends in the occupied chat room; and

charging the user account with a user'"'"'s service fee for the length of time spent by the user in the occupied chat room.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

establishing a service provider account for each of the plurality of service providers; and

crediting the chosen service provider'"'"'s account with a service provider'"'"'s fee for the length of time spent by the user in the occupied chat room.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, comprising the further step of creating a user information file with the service brokerage associated with the user.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of private service provider chat rooms is selected from the plurality of service providers according to a preselected criterion of the user.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

establishing an available amount of credit in the user account by a payment from the user to the service provider;

reducing the available amount of credit in the user account as the user account is charged the user service fee while the user is in the occupied chat room; and

limiting the amount of time that the user can spend in the occupied chat room based upon the available amount of credit in the user account.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, comprising the further step of establishing a preselected threshold of available credit that cannot be exceeded within a preselected period of time absent a preselected approval process.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user account is charged the user service fee while the user is in the occupied chat room.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, comprising the further step of:

denying the user further access to the occupied chat room if the user account is below a predetermined threshold value.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the predetermined threshold value is zero.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, comprising the further step of presenting the user with a schedule for theist chat room.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the schedule provides information as to when the first chat room is expected to be on-line.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the schedule provides information as to when the first chat room is expected to be unoccupied.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, comprising the further step of allowing the user to sign a waiting list for when the first chat room becomes available.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, comprising the further step of notifying the user when the first chat room becomes available.

15. A method for allowing a user to access a plurality of service providers through a service brokerage via the Internet, comprising the steps of:

establishing a private service provider chat room for each of the plurality of service providers that connects the service provider to the service brokerage via the Internet;

establishing a user account with the service brokerage;

logging the user into the service brokerage via the Internet;

creating a user information file with the service brokerage associated with the user;

presenting the user with a set of private service provider chat rooms that are on-line, each of said chat rooms being associated with a service provider selected from the plurality of service providers;

allowing the user to select a first chat room of a chosen service provider selected from the set of private service provider chat rooms and request entry into the first chat room;

allowing the chosen service provider to open the first chat room to the user and then closing the first chat room to form an occupied chat room;

allowing the user and the chosen service provider to privately interact in the occupied chat room via the Internet;

providing the chosen service provider in the occupied chat room with the user information file;

timing the length of time the user spends in the occupied chat room;

charging the user account with a user'"'"'s service fee for the length of time spent by the user in the occupied chat room; and

creating a user information file with the service brokerage associated with the user,

wherein the user information file is available to the chosen service provider in the occupied chat room.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the chosen service provider can modify the user information file while the user is in the occupied chat room.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the user has access to the user information file after the user leaves the occupied chat room.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, comprising the further steps of:

transferring the user from the occupied chat room to a second chat room associated with a second service provider;

timing the length of time the user spends in the second chat room; and

charging the user account a second user service fee for the length of time spent by the user in the second chat room.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the user information file is available to the second service provided the second chat room.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the user has access to the user information file after the user leaves the second chat room.

21. A method for allowing a user to access a plurality of service providers through a service brokerage via the Internet, comprising the steps of:

establishing a private service provider chat room for each of the plurality of service providers that connects the service provider to the service brokerage via the Internet;

establishing a user account with the service brokerage;

logging the user into the service brokerage via the Internet;

presenting the user with a set of private service provider chat rooms that are on-line, each of said chat rooms being associated with a service provider selected from the plurality of service providers;

allowing the user to select a first chat room of a chosen service provider selected from the set of private service provider chat rooms and request entry into the first chat room;

allowing the chosen service provider to open the first chat room to the user and then closing the first chat room to form an occupied chat room;

providing the chosen service provider with a user profile of the user once the user selects the first chat room;

allowing the user and the chosen service provider to privately interact in the occupied chat room via the Internet;

timing the length of time the user spends in the occupied chat room; and

charging the user account with a user'"'"'s service fee for the length of time spent by the user in the occupied chat room,

wherein the chosen service provider is provided with a user profile of the user once the user selects the first chat room.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the chosen service provider can reject the request of the user to enter the first chat room.

23. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the user profile is comprised of a file that is provided to the service brokerage by the user.

24. A method for allowing a user to access a plurality of service providers through a service brokerage via the Internet, comprising the steps of:

establishing a private service provider chat room for each of the plurality of service providers that connects the service provider to the service brokerage via the Internet;

establishing a user account with the service brokerage;

logging the user into the service brokerage via the Internet;

presenting the user with a set of private service provider chat rooms that are on-line, each of said chat rooms being associated with a service provider selected from the plurality of service providers;

allowing the user to select a first chat room of a chosen service provider selected from the set of private service provider chat rooms and request entry into the first chat room;

allowing the chosen service provider to open the first chat room to the user and then closing the first chat room to form an occupied chat room;

providing the chosen service provider with a user profile of the user once the user selects the first chat room;

allowing the user and the chosen service provider to privately interact in the occupied chat room via the Internet;

timing the length of time the user spends in the occupied chat room;

charging the user account with a user'"'"'s service fee for the length of time spent by the user in the occupied chat room,

providing the user with a coupon to reduce the user service fee for the user'"'"'s access to one or more of the plurality of service providers according to a pre-selected criterion.