System and method for expert service providers to provide advice services through unique, empowered independent agents to consumers

• US 8,046,472 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gopesh Kumar
• Original Assignee: Gopesh Kumar
• Inventors: Kumar, Gopesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mejia; Anthony
• Application Number:
  US10/711,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,587 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/202, 709/227, 709/230, 709/205, 379/96, 379/265, 379/114, 705/38, 705/40, 705/412, 705/14
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides techniques for managing, supporting and empowering Independent Agents to offer a method for enabling expert Service Providers to deliver, and charge for, advice to consumers, by connecting two parties in real time. The present invention also provides the method and techniques for expert Service Providers, in turn, to provide their service through a multiplicity of Independent Agent channels without the potential for communication device conflict; thereby ensuring successful connections for consumers.

Claims

1. A method of connecting two parties over a phone in real time executed by a computer, the method comprising:

providing a computer executing the method;

registering one or more Service Providers;

registering one or more Agents;

having one or more Agents creating an associated selected plurality of one or more Service Providers;

enabling the one or more Agents to integrate their selected plurality of Service Providers into their own specialized websites for browsing by a User;

having the User initiate contact with the Service Provider via the Agent'"'"'s specialized website;

extracting User real-time account balance information from a System Database;

extracting Service Provider per minute compensation rate from the System Database;

dividing the User account balance total by the Service provider per minute compensation rate;

determining total minutes said User can connect to said Service provider until said User'"'"'s account balance reaches zero;

displaying this information to said User textually in pop-up window the moment before said User connects to said Service provider; and

displaying a graphical timer in said pop-up window, once said User connects to said Service provider, begins counting down the minutes remaining for the User to be connected to the Service provider until said User'"'"'s account balance is depleted and correspondingly their connection terminated; and

connecting the User with the Service Provider if the Service Provider is available.

2. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising

generating a pop-up window with information about said Service Provider;

checking to see if the Service Provider is available.

3. The method as described in claim 2, further comprising having said pop-up window prompting said User to enter their phone number to make said connection.

4. The method as described in claim 2, further comprising generating a message for said User in said pop-up window when said Service Provider is not available.

5. The method as described in claim 2, further comprising allowing said Service Provider to enter their hours of availability.

6. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising displaying said Service Provider'"'"'s hours of availability within a pop-up window.

7. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising denying said connection if a User tries to initiate a connection during the hours said Service Provider is scheduled to be not available.

8. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising displaying in a pop-up window that said Service Provider is currently busy on another call if said Service Provider is currently on another system call.

9. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising having a system manage the transaction records for said Agent'"'"'s Service Providers.

10. The method as described in claim 9, further including reporting said transaction records.

11. The method as described in claim 9, further comprising calculating the amount due to the Service Provider based on the Service Provider'"'"'s transactions.

12. The method as described in claim 11, further comprising paying the Service Provider and the Agent the amount due based on the transactions.

13. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising assigning an Agent ID number to an Agent account.

14. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising distributing an appropriate service HTML code to the Agent associated with the Service Provider for each newly registered Service Provider associated to the Agent.

15. A method of connecting two parties over a phone in real time executed by a computer, the method comprising:

providing a computer executing the method;

registering one or more Service Providers;

registering one or more Agents;

having an Agent account;

assigning an Agent ID number to said Agent account;

having a Service Provider enter said Agent ID when registering as a new Advisor;

linking all Service Providers under a single Agent ID into one account information and transaction activity management interface;

distributing the appropriate service HTML code to the Agent for each newly registered Service Provider thereby;

enabling the Agent to readily create own Internet-based collection of specialized Service Providers;

extracting User real-time account balance information from a System Database;

extracting Service Provider per minute compensation rate from the System Database;

dividing the User account balance total by the Service provider per minute compensation rate;

determining total minutes said User can connect to said Service provider until said User'"'"'s account balance reaches zero;

displaying this information to said User textually in pop-up window the moment before said User connects to said Service provider; and

displaying a graphical timer in said pop-up window, once said User connects to said Service provider, begins counting down the minutes remaining for the User to be connected to the Service provider until said User'"'"'s account balance is depleted and correspondingly their connection terminated; and

connecting Users with these Service Providers for expert advice in real time via a telephone connection.

16. The method as described in claim 15, further comprising displaying within a pop-up window a full list of an Agent'"'"'s Service Provider'"'"'s and their individual availability statuses.

17. The method as described in claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring how long telephonic connections are maintained between said Users and said Service Providers; and

deducting from Users'"'"' consumer accounts the amounts based upon how long the telephonic connections are maintained.

18. The method as described in claim 15, further comprising:

allowing for said Users to remain in effect on the website of the Agent while navigating and using the system for connecting telephonically to Service Providers, by way of a series of progressive popup windows.

19. The method as described in claim 15, further comprising:

giving an Agent the option of self-managed payroll responsibility or,

a managed payout consisting of, deducting a pre-determined Agent service fee for each transaction and distributing the pre-determined Agent fee to said Agent'"'"'s account.

20. The method as described in claim 15, further comprising:

having recognition, across an entire database of Service Provider'"'"'s telephone numbers including potentially multiple different accounts, of whether a particular Service Provider'"'"'s telephone line is busy thereby; and

enabling a Service Provider to register and be part of numerous different Agent groups, without concern for any potential telephone connection conflict.