System and method for supporting multiple question and answer fora in different web sites

• US 7,418,437 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Year of The Dragon LLC
• Original Assignee: Expert Viewpoint LLC
• Inventors: Marks, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Al-Hashemi, Sana
• Application Number:
  US10/651,490
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707100-102, 707 1- 5, 705/1, 705/2, 379/88.18, 709/241, 600/300, 600/301
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and system, executed by a server, for receiving questions from users regarding one or more topics and providing answers from a set of experts. Users direct questions to one or more experts selected by the users, who in turn answer the questions and/or refer the questions to other experts. The system is deployed at multiple network sites that provide multiple question and answer forums, each directed to predetermined topics. An expert who answers a question presented at a forum on one network site is thereby able to post an answer to the forum on the one network site, and to selectively post the answer to another forum on another network site at which the question was not presented.

Claims

1. A method, executed by a server, for providing answers to questions presented by a plurality of users, the users communicating with the server via a plurality of client interfaces, each of the client interfaces being identified to the users as a forum on a predetermined subject matter of the forum, the forum enabling users to present questions and to view questions and answers relating to the predetermined subject matter of the forum, the method comprising the steps of:

the server generating at least two fora in web sites different from each other;

receiving at the server a question presented by a user accessing a first one of the at least two fora;

the server posting the question in a location on the server accessible to at least one expert;

the server presenting the question to the at least one expert via a personal expert interface of the at least one expert, said interface being unique to the at least one expert and on which the question is displayed for the at least one expert to answer;

receiving at the server a command via the personal expert interface from the at least one expert in response to the question, wherein the command includes an answer for responding to the question and an instruction;

wherein

the server posts the answer to the first forum accessed by the user to present the question; and

the server further posts the answer to the question, according to the instruction, the instruction indicating that the answer be posted to at least a second one of the at least two fora, at which the question was not presented by the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein when the answer is posted to the first and second fora, the posting occurs at substantially the same time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of

receiving at the server a second question presented by a second user accessing the second one of the at least two fora;

the server posting the second question to a location on the server accessible to the at least one expert; and

the server presenting the question to the at least one expert via the personal expert interface.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the question includes a source field in order to display the mechanism by which the question is routed to the expert, the mechanism being one of the server, the user or another one of the experts.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein when the answer is posted to the first and second ones of the at least two fora, the posting occurs at substantially the same time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the server identifies the at least second one of the at least two fora based on the command received from the at least one expert.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein, alternatively,

the server posts the answer to the at least one second forum, at which the question was not presented by the user, and

the server further posts the answer to the question, according to the instruction, to the first forum accessed by the user to present the question.

2. A personal expert interface for an expert in communication with a server for providing answers to questions posted on the server by a plurality of users, the users communicating with the sewer via at least two client interfaces, each of the at least two client interfaces being identified to the users as a forum on a predetermined subject matter of the forum, the forum enabling users to present questions and to view questions and answers relating to the predetermined subject matter of the forum, and the sewer generating at least two fora in web sites different from each other, the personal expert interface comprising:

a web page unique to the expert on which is displayed a group of the questions for the expert to answer;

wherein at least one of the group of questions is posted on the personal expert interface by the server based on the receipt by the server of a question presented by a user accessing a first one of the at least two fora;

said web page being configured to transmit a command to the server in response to an input received from the expert, wherein the command includes an answer from the expert to the question and an instruction, the instruction instructing the server to post the answer to the question to the first one of the at least two fora in which the question was presented by the user, and to at least a second one of the at least two fora, at which the question was not presented by the user.

3. A method, executed by a server, of referring to at least one expert a question received by the server, based, the user communicating with the server via one of a plurality of client interfaces, each of the client interfaces being identified to the plurality of users as a forum on a predetermined subject matter of the forum, the forum enabling users to present questions and to view questions and answers relating to the predetermined subject matter of the forum, the method comprising the steps of:

the server generating at least two fora in web sites different from each other;

the server receiving a response to the question presented by the user via a first one of the at least two fora, the response being received by the server from a personal expert interface of a first expert, the personal expert interface of the first expert being a web page unique to the first expert on which the question is displayed, the response comprising a first instruction to route the question to a second expert chosen by the first expert;

the server presenting the question to the second expert via a personal expert interface of the second expert on which the question is displayed; and

the server receiving a response to the question from the personal expert interface of the second expert, the response including an answer to the question and a second instruction;

wherein

the server posts the answer to the question to the first forum accessed by the user to present the question; and

the server further posts the answer to the question, according to the second instruction, to at least a second one of the at least two fora, at which the question was not presented by the user.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein, alternatively,

the server posts the answer to the at least one second forum, at which the question was not presented by the user, and

the server further posts the answer to the question, according to the instruction, to the first forum accessed by the user to present the question.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein the first instruction received from the first expert includes a first answer to the question for posting by the server to the at least the first forum accessed by the user, and wherein the answer to the question included in the response of the second question is a supplemental answer to the first answer.

15. The method of claim 3 wherein when the answer is posted to the first and second ones of the at least two fora, the posting occurs at substantially the same time.

4. A method, executed by a server, of referring questions presented by a plurality of users to a plurality of experts, and posting answers to the questions presented;

the questions being presented via at least one of a plurality of client interfaces, each of the client interfaces being identified to the users as a forum on a predetermined subject matter of the forum, the forum enabling users to present questions and to view questions and answers relating to the predetermined subject matter of the forum, the method comprising the steps of;

the server generating at least two fora in web sites different from each other,

the server sending a question presented by a user accessing a first one of the at least two fora to a first expert via a personal expert interface of the first expert, the personal expert interface of the first expert being a web page unique to the first expert on which the question is displayed; and

the server receiving a first response to the question from the first expert, the first response including an answer to the question and a first instruction to post the answer to the question;

the server posting the answer to the question to the first forum accessed by the user to present the question; and

in response to the first instruction, further posting the answer to the question, according to the first instruction, to a second one of the at least two fora, at which the question was not presented by the user;

the server receiving a second response to the question from the first expert, the second response including a second instruction to refer the question, and

the server, further in response to the second instruction, referring the question to a second one of the plurality of experts and the server subsequently receiving a first response from the second expert to provide a-supplemental answer to the question.

16. The method of claim 4 wherein when the answer is posted to the first and second fora, the posting occurs at substantially the same time.

17. The method of claim 4 wherein the question includes a source field in order to display the mechanism by which the question is routed to the expert, the mechanism being one of the server, a the user or another one of the experts.

18. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

receiving at the server a second question presented by a second user accessing the second one of the at least two fora;

the server posting the second question in a location on the server accessible to the at least one expert; and

the server presenting the question to the first expert via the personal expert interface of the first expert.

19. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

the server receiving a third response from the first expert via the personal expert interface of the expert including a second answer to the question and a third instruction;

the server posting the second answer to the question to the first forum accessed by the user to present the question; and

in response to the third instruction, further posting the second answer to the question selectively to the second one of the at least two fora, at which the question was not presented by the user.

20. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of referring the question and answer to the second expert comprises sending the question and answer to another personal expert interface uniquely associated with the second expert, the other personal expert interface of the second expert including another web page on which the question and answer are displayed.

5. A method, executed by a server, for providing answers to questions presented by a plurality of users, the users communicating with the server via a plurality of client interfaces, each of the client interfaces being identified to the users as a forum on a predetermined subject matter of the forum, the forum enabling users to present questions and to view questions and answers relating to the predetermined subject matter of the forum, the method comprising the steps of:

the server generating at least two fora in web sites different from each other;

receiving at the server a question presented by a user accessing a first one of the at least two fora;

the server posting the question in a location on the server accessible to at least one expert;

the server presenting the question to the at least one expert via a personal expert interface of the at least one expert, said interface being unique to the at least one expert and on which the question is displayed for the at least one expert to answer;

receiving at the server a command via the personal expert interface from the at least one expert in response to the question, wherein the command includes an answer for responding to the question, a first instruction for the server to post the answer to the first forum accessed by the user to present the question; and

a second instruction for the server to post the answer to a second one of the at least two fora, at which the question was not presented by the user,

wherein, according to the first instruction, the server posts the answer to the first forum accessed by the user to present the question, and

wherein, according to the second instruction, the server posts the answer to the second one of the at least two fora when the web site of the second one of the at least two fora is not programmed to override the command.

6. A method, executed by a server, of referring to at least one expert a question received by the server, based on a request by one of a plurality of users for an answer, the user communicating with the server via one of a plurality of client interfaces, each of the client interfaces being identified to the plurality of users as a forum on a predetermined subject matter of the forum, the forum configured such that users present questions and view questions and answers relating to the predetermined subject matter of the forum, the method comprising the steps of:

the server generating at least two fora in web sites different from each other;

the server receiving a response to the question presented by the user via a first one of the at least two fora, the response being received by the server from a personal expert interface of a first expert, the personal expert interface of the first expert being a web page unique to the first expert on which the question is displayed, the response comprising a first instruction to route the question to a second expert chosen by the first expert;

the server presenting the question to the second expert via a personal expert interface of the second expert on which the question is displayed;

the server receiving a response to the question from the personal expert interface of the second expert, the response including an answer to the question,

the server posting the answer to the question to the first forum accessed by the user to present the question, and

the server posting the answer to the question to a second one of the at least two fora, at which the question was not presented by the user.