Method and computer program product for enabling customers to adjust the level of service provided by service providers

• US 7,640,168 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fred H. Bartlit, Jr.
• Original Assignee: Fred H. Bartlit, Jr.
• Inventors: Bartlit, Fred H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov; Igor N
• Application Number:
  US10/793,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20040230450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/5, 705/8, 705/9, 705/26, 705/27, 705/29, 705/30, 705/32, 705/39, 705/40, 705/412, 705/2, 705/4, 709/203, 709/206, 709/219, 707/E17.032, 707/3, 707/10, 707/104.1, 725/38, 725/39, 700/19, 700/276, 340/3.1, 340/523, 340/517
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• 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 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products for providing services, and for enabling changes in the services, are described herein. The services are, for example, continuous, recurring, and/or periodic, and include utility service, periodical delivery service, insurance, etc., and combinations thereof. Customers can issue instructions to service providers (over the Internet, for example) to modify services being provided to the customer. Upon receipt of those instructions, a corresponding service provider takes appropriate action to adjust the service in accordance with the instructions. Customers may also define Service Adjustment Triggers, which specify one or more conditions and one or more changes to the service. Occurrence of the conditions results in implementation of the changes.

Claims

1. A method for providing services via a website, comprising the following steps that are performed by one or more computers:

receiving instructions via a website over a communication network from a user to modify a service being provided, wherein said instructions include a Service Adjustment Trigger that defines one or more conditions for triggering one or more changes to said service and a time period for which the one or more changes are to take effect;

providing a first menu in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) on the website, the first menu adapted to allow a user to select a school and a semester of the school;

receiving a selection of a school and a semester of the school via the first menu on the website, the selection causing the service provider to automatically determine a time period of the selected semester by querying a website of the selected school;

providing a second menu in a GUI on the website, the second menu adapted to allow a user to specify a first action of discontinuing auto insurance for the time period of the selected semester;

providing a third menu in a GUI on the website, the third menu adapted to allow a user to specify a second action of discontinuing a credit card used to pay for auto insurance for the time period of the selected semester;

providing a fourth menu in a GUI on the website, the fourth menu adapted to allow a user to specify a third action of discontinuing an electricity service for a time period if a temperature is greater than a pre-determined temperature during the time period;

receiving a selection of the pre-determined temperature via the fourth menu on the website, the selection causing the website to automatically access a weather website to determine the temperature during the time period; and

providing a fifth menu in a GUI on the website, the fifth menu adapted to allow a user to specify a fourth action of discontinuing cable and newspaper delivery services for a specified time period; and

modifying using a computer said services pursuant to said instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating whether said modification of said service results in a rate schedule change applicable to said user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging said user a fee for modifying said service pursuant to said instructions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging said user a fee associated with said definition of said Service Adjustment Trigger.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying step comprises:

determining whether conditions associated with said Service Adjustment Trigger have occurred; and

if said conditions have occurred, then effecting changes to said service associated with said Service Adjustment Trigger.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating whether changes to said service associated with said Service Adjustment Trigger results in a rate schedule change applicable to said user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging said customer a fee for effecting changes to said service associated with said Service Adjustment Trigger.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including computer readable instructions stored therein which when executed by a computer cause the computer to implement a method to provide services via a website, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing a service provider website via a communication network, wherein the service provider provides a service to a user;

receiving an input from a user to define instructions via the website to modify said service, wherein said instructions include a Service Adjustment Trigger that defines one or more conditions for triggering one or more changes to said service and a time period for which the one or more changes are to take effect;

providing a first menu in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) on the website, the first menu adapted to allow a user to select a school and a semester of the school;

upon receiving a selection from a user of a school and a semester of the school, automatically determining a time period of the selected semester by querying a website of the selected school;

providing a second menu in a GUI on the website, the second menu adapted to allow a user to specify a first action of discontinuing auto insurance for the time period of the selected semester;

providing a third menu in a GUI on the website, the third menu adapted to allow a user to specify a second action of discontinuing a credit card used to pay for auto insurance for the time period of the selected semester;

providing a fourth menu in a GUI on the website, the fourth menu adapted to allow a user to specify a third action of discontinuing electricity service for a time period if a temperature is greater than a pre-determined temperature during the time period;

receiving a selection of the pre-determined temperature via the fourth menu on the website, the selection causing the website to automatically access a weather website to determine the temperature during the time period; and

providing a fifth menu in a GUI on the website, the fifth menu adapted to allow a user to specify a fourth action of discontinuing cable and newspaper delivery services for a specified time period; and

issuing said instructions to the service provider to modify said service, wherein the service provider implements said one or more changes to said service when said one or more conditions occur.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

calculating whether said modification of said service results in a rate schedule change applicable to said user.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

charging said user a fee for modifying said service pursuant to said instructions.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

charging said user a fee associated with said definition of said Service Adjustment Trigger.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said modifying step comprises:

determining whether conditions associated with said Service Adjustment Trigger have occurred; and

if said conditions have occurred, then effecting changes to said service associated with said Service Adjustment Trigger.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

calculating whether changes to said service associated with said Service Adjustment Trigger results in a rate schedule change applicable to said user.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

charging said customer a fee for effecting changes to said service associated with said Service Adjustment Trigger.