Assistance method and apparatus

• US 6,546,372 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: KEEN.COM, Incorporated
• Inventors: Lauffer, Randall B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Kyle J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/782,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20010018662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/3, 705/7, 705/8, 705/26, 379/265.05, 379/265.06, 379/265.12, 379/265.13
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• 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 method of connecting two parties in real time, the method comprising:

displaying a list of people to a user via an internet connection with said user prior to the user submitting a question;

the list indicating individually whether each person in the list of people is currently available to telephonically communicate with said user at a time when said user is viewing the list;

in response to the user selecting a displayed icon corresponding to a person from the list, automatically establishing a telephonic connection between the selected person and the user prior to the user submitting a question to the selected person; and

said automatically establishing the telephonic connection includes a central controller placing a telephone call to said user, and said central controller placing a telephone call to said selected person.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the indication of each person'"'"'s availability on said list of people includes an information-rich graphic.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the list includes an avatar representation for each person on the list.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the list includes a compensation rate for each person on the list.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the compensation rate includes a rate per period of time.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the list is provided in response to a keyword search.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein the keyword search includes matching based upon a plurality of characteristics.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the list is provided in response to a category selection.

9. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said telephonic connection is an internet telephony connection.

10. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the telephonic connection is established without disclosing identity information about the selected person from the list to the user and without disclosing identity information about the user to the selected person from the list.

11. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring how long the telephonic connection is maintained between the selected person from the list and the user.

12. The method as described in claim 11, further comprising, billing the user based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained.

13. The method as described in claim 11, further comprising:

setting up an account for each person on the list; and

crediting the account for an amount based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained.

14. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

setting up an account for the user.

15. The method as described in claim 14, wherein setting up the user account includes obtaining credit card information from the user.

16. The method as described in claim 14, further comprising:

monitoring how long the telephonic connection is maintained between the selected person from the list and the user; and

deducting from the user account an amount based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained.

17. A system for connecting two parties in real time, the system comprising:

a database to store information about a plurality of separate persons;

a first logic unit linked with the database to display a list of people to a user via an internet connection with said user prior to the user submitting a question, the list indicating individually whether each person in the list of people is currently available to telephonically communicate with said user at a time when said user is viewing the list; and

a second logic unit linked with the database to automatically establish, in response to the user selecting a displayed icon corresponding to a person from the list, a telephonic connection between the user and the selected person prior to the user submitting a question to the selected person;

said second logic unit automatically establishing the telephonic connection by a central controller placing a telephone call to said user, and

said central controller placing a telephone call to the selected person from the list.

18. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the first logic unit provides the list in response to a keyword search.

19. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the first logic unit is capable of matching based upon a plurality of characteristics.

20. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the first logic unit provides the list in response to a category selection.

21. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the telephonic connection is an internet telephony connection.

22. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the telephonic connection is established without disclosing identity information about the selected person from the list to the user and without disclosing identity information about the user to the selected person from the list.

23. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the server has a third logic unit to monitor how long the telephonic connection is maintained between the user and the selected person from the list.

24. The system as described in claim 23, wherein the server has a fourth logic unit to bill the user based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained.

25. The system as described in claim 23, wherein the database further stores information about an account set up for the selected person from the list, and the server has a fourth logic unit linked with the database to credit the account for an amount based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained.

26. The system as described in claim 23, wherein the database further stores information about an account set up for the selected person from the list, and the server has a fourth logic unit linked with the database to credit the account for an amount based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained minus a fee.

27. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the database stores information about a user account set up for the user.

28. The system as described in claim 22, wherein the information about the user account includes credit card information obtained from the user.

29. The system as described in claim 27, wherein the server has:

a third logic unit to monitor how long the telephonic connection is maintained between the user and the selected person from the list; and

a fourth logic unit linked with the database to deduct from the user account an amount based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained.

30. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

displaying a list of people to a user via an internet connection with said user prior to the user submitting a question, the list indicating individually whether each person on the list of people is currently available to telephonically communicate with said user at a time when said user is viewing the list;

in response to the user selecting a displayed icon corresponding to a person from the list, automatically establishing a telephonic connection between the selected person and the user prior to the user submitting a question to the selected person; and

said automatically establishing the telephonic connection includes a central controller placing a telephone call to said user, and said central controller placing a telephone call to said selected person.

31. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 30, having stored thereon instructions that further cause the computer to monitor how long the telephonic connection is maintained between the selected person from the list and the user.

32. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 31, having stored thereon instructions that further cause the computer to bill the user based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained.

33. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 31, having stored thereon instructions that further cause the computer to:

set up a user account for the user; and

deduct from the consumer account an amount based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained.

34. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 31, having stored thereon instructions that further cause the computer to:

set-up an account for each person on the list; and

credit the account for an amount based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained.

35. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 31, having stored thereon instructions that further cause the computer to:

set-up an account for each person on the list; and

credit the account for an amount based upon how long the telephonic connection is maintained minus a fee.

36. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 30, wherein the telephonic connection is an internet telephony connection.

37. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 30, wherein the instructions stored on the computer-readable medium cause the computer to establish the telephonic connection without disclosing identity information about the selected person from the list to the user and without disclosing identity information about the user to the selected person from the list.