System and method for a household services marketplace

• US 8,301,478 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifeworx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lifeworx, Inc.
• Inventors: Agrawal, Bal
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Assistant Examiner(s): FEENEY, BRETT A
• Application Number:
  US11/240,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,588 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1053 Employment or hiring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for the operation of an In-home Assistant Service. The service provides a marketplace to connect households with assistants for frequent and specialized jobs. The service collects profile data of potential assistants including multiple skills the assistant can provide. It also enables the household to provide detailed request criteria. A locate process is then performed to determine, which assistants best meet the identified criteria.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for providing households with part-time service assistants comprising:

collecting and storing a plurality of assistant profiles, the plurality of assistant profiles each comprising a location;

a time window of availability;

skill sets including two or more household service skills, a rated ability level for each of the two or more household service skills; and

a billable rate for each of two or more household service skills;

receiving via the processor a job request from a household, the job request comprising;

essential criteria including a location, a time window for performing the job request, and one or more skill sets that are designated as essential; and

secondary criteria including skill sets that are desired for the job request including two or more household service skills, a rated ability level for the two or more household service skills and a billable rate for the two or more household service skills, wherein each of the secondary criteria are designated a level of importance to the household;

screening via the processor the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on essential criteria, such that assistant profiles not satisfying the essential criteria are excluded from an essential criteria screening result;

determining whether one or more assistant profiles of the plurality of assistant profiles are included in the essential criteria screening result and when it is determined the essential criteria screening result contains zero assistant profiles placing the job request on hold, when it is determined that the essential criteria screening result contains only one of the assistant profile, notifying the chosen assistant about the job request; and

when it is determined that more than one of the assistant profiles is included in the essential criteria screening result, further screening the each of the one or more assistant profiles based on one or more secondary criteria;

screening the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on the secondary criteria, wherein the screening is based on the rated ability level for the two or more household skills and the designated level of importance to the household;

determining which of the plurality of assistant profiles meet the largest number of secondary criteria and selecting a chosen assistant from the plurality of assistant profiles;

notifying the chosen assistant about the job request;

receiving confirmation from the chosen assistant;

notifying the household;

billing the household for performance of the requested job; and

receiving a perceived ability level pertaining to the chosen assistant from the household and adjusting the rated ability level in the chosen assistant'"'"'s profile based on the perceived ability level.

2. A processor-implemented method for providing households with part-time service assistants comprising:

collecting and storing a plurality of assistant profiles, the plurality of assistant profiles each comprising a location;

a time window of availability;

skill sets including two or more household service skills, a rated ability level for each of the two or more household service skills; and

a billable rate for each of two or more household service skills;

receiving via the processor a job request from a household, the job request comprising essential criteria including a location, a time window for performing the job request, and one or more skill sets that are designated as essential; and

secondary criteria including skill sets that are desired for the job request including two or more household service skills, a rated ability for the two or more household service skills and a billable rate for the two or more household service skills;

wherein each of the secondary criteria are designated a level of importance to the household;

screening via the processor the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on the essential criteria, such that assistant profiles not satisfying the essential criteria are excluded from an essential criteria screening result;

iteratively screening via the processor the essential criteria screening result for the plurality of assistant profiles that match one or more most important secondary criteria, such that assistant profiles not satisfying the one or more most important secondary criteria are excluded from a secondary criteria screening result; and

selecting via the processor a chosen assistant profile from the secondary criteria screening result by incrementally screening each of the secondary criteria, based the designated level of importance to the household, until the chosen assistant profile is identified.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the essential criteria comprises a location and a specific time including a date and designed hours to perform the job request.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the secondary criteria comprises a distance from the location, a requested ability level, and a requested specialization for the one or more household service skills.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein a location is both one of the essential criteria and one of the secondary criteria.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the secondary criteria screening comprises determining that at least two assistant profiles matches both the essential criteria and secondary criteria;

and communicating a list of potential part-time service assistants to the household.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein prior to the iterative screen via the processor of the essential criteria screening result for the plurality of assistant profiles that match one or more most important secondary criteria, determine whether one or more assistant profiles of the plurality of assistant profiles are included in the essential criteria screening result and when it is determined the essential criteria screening result contains zero assistant profiles place the job request on hold, when it is determined that the essential criteria screening result contains only one of the assistant profile, notify the chosen assistant about the job request;

and when it is determined that more than one of the assistant profiles is included in the essential criteria screening result, further screen the each of the one or more assistant profiles based on one or more secondary criteria.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving a perceived performance pertaining to the selected assistant from the household and adjusting the rated ability level in the selected assistant'"'"'s profile based on the perceived performance.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising billing the household.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein a fluency level in one or more languages is designated as an essential skill.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the selecting step further comprises transmitting information identifying the job described in the job request to a plurality of assistants identified in the assistant profiles present in the essential screening, receiving a communication from the plurality of assistants indicating their billable rate for performing the job, and selecting the assistant of the plurality of assistants with the lowest billable rate as the chosen assistant.

12. A computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for providing households with service assistants, when executed by a processor, instructs a computer to:

collect and store a plurality of assistant profiles, the plurality of assistant profiles each comprising a location;

a time window of availability;

skill sets including two or more household service skills, a rated ability level for each of the two or more household service skills; and

a billable rate for each of two or more household service skills;

receive via the processor a job request from a household, the job request comprising;

essential criteria including a location, a time window for performing the job request, and one or more skill sets that are designated as essential; and

secondary criteria including skill sets that are desired for the job request including two or more household service skills, a rated ability level for the two or more household service skills and a billable rate for the two or more household service skills, wherein each secondary criteria is designated a level of importance to the household;

screen via the processor the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on essential criteria, such that assistant profiles not satisfying the essential criteria are excluded from an essential criteria screening result;

iteratively screen via the processor the essential criteria screening result for the plurality of assistant profiles that match one or more most important secondary criteria, such that assistant profiles not satisfying the one or more most important secondary criteria are excluded from a secondary criteria screening result; and

select via the processor a chosen assistant profile from the secondary criteria screening result by incrementally screening each of the secondary criteria, based the designated level of importance to the household, until the chosen assistant profile is identified.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the essential criteria comprises a location and a specific time including a date and designed hours to perform the job request.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the secondary criteria comprises a distance from the location, a requested ability level, and a requested specialization for the one or more household service skills.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein a location is both one of the essential criteria and one of the secondary criteria.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the secondary criteria screening comprises determining that at least two assistant profiles matches both the essential criteria and secondary criteria;

and

communicating a list of potential part-time service assistants to the household.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein prior to the iterative screen via the processor of the essential criteria screening result for the plurality of assistant profiles that match one or more most important secondary criteria, determine whether one or more assistant profiles of the plurality of assistant profiles are included in the essential criteria screening result and when it is determined the essential criteria screening result contains zero assistant profiles place the job request on hold, when it is determined that the essential criteria screening result contains only one of the assistant profile, notify the chosen assistant about the job request;

and when it is determined that more than one of the assistant profiles is included in the essential criteria screening result, further screen the each of the one or more assistant profiles based on one or more secondary criteria.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising instructions to receive a perceived ability level pertaining to the selected assistant from the household and adjusting the rated ability level in the selected assistant'"'"'s profile based on the perceived ability level.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising instructions to bill the household.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein a fluency level in one or more languages is designated as an essential skill.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising instructions to transmit information identifying the job described in the job request to a plurality of assistants identified in the assistant profiles present in the essential screening, and instructions to receive a communication from the plurality of assistants indicating their billable rate for performing the job, and selecting the assistant of the plurality of assistants with the lowest billable rate as the chosen assistant.

22. An apparatus for providing households with service assistants comprising:

a processor;

a memory connected to and in communication with the processor and containing processor-executable instructions;

a network interface connected to the processor to provide network access to the processor;

wherein the processor executes instructions contained in the memory and the instructions instruct the apparatus to;

collect and store a plurality of assistant profiles, the plurality of assistant profiles each comprising a location;

a time window of availability;

skill sets including two or more household service skills, a rated ability level for each of the two or more household service skills; and

a billable rate for each of two or more household service skills;

receive via the processor a job request from a household, the job request comprising;

essential criteria including a location, a time window for performing the job request, and one or more skill sets that are designated as essential; and

secondary criteria including skill sets that are desired for the job request including two or more household service skills, a rated ability level for the two or more household service skills and a billable rate for the two or more household service skills, wherein each secondary criteria is designated a level of importance to the household;

screen via the processor the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on essential criteria, such that assistant profiles not satisfying the essential criteria are excluded from an essential criteria screening result;

iteratively screen via the processor the essential criteria screening result for the plurality of assistant profiles that match one or more most important secondary criteria, such that assistant profiles not satisfying the one or more most important secondary criteria are excluded from a secondary criteria screening result; and

select via the processor a chosen assistant profile from the secondary criteria screening result by incrementally screening each of the secondary criteria, based the designated level of importance to the household, until the chosen assistant profile is identified.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the essential criteria comprises a location and a specific time including a date and designed hours to perform the job request.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the secondary criteria comprises a distance from the location, a requested ability level, and a requested specialization for the one or more household service skills.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein a location is both one of the essential criteria and one of the secondary criteria.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the processor-executable instruction for screening based on secondary criteria comprises determining that at least two assistant profiles matches both the essential criteria and secondary criteria;

and

communicating a list of potential part-time service assistants to the household.

27. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein prior to the iterative screen via the processor of the essential criteria screening result for the plurality of assistant profiles that match one or more most important secondary criteria, determine whether one or more assistant profiles of the plurality of assistant profiles are included in the essential criteria screening result and when it is determined the essential criteria screening result contains zero assistant profiles place the job request on hold, when it is determined that the essential criteria screening result contains only one of the assistant profile, notify the chosen assistant about the job request;

and when it is determined that more than one of the assistant profiles is included in the essential criteria screening result, further screen the each of the one or more assistant profiles based on one or more secondary criteria.

28. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising a processor-executable instruction for receiving a perceived ability level pertaining to the selected assistant from the household and adjusting the rated ability level in the selected assistant'"'"'s profile based on the perceived ability level.

29. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising a processor-executable instruction for billing the household.

30. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein a fluency level in one or more languages is designated as an essential skill.

31. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising instructions to transmit information identifying the job described in the job request to a plurality of assistants identified in the assistant profiles present in the essential screening and instructions to receive a communication from the plurality of assistants indicating their billable rate for performing the job, and selecting the assistant of the plurality of assistants with the lowest billable rate as the chosen assistant.