Promoting a web technology through a virtual service marketplace

• US 8,346,614 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metabyte, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Metabyte, Inc.
• Inventors: Mehta, Manu, Slater, Lynn R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Champagne, Luna
• Application Number:
  US12/204,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a computer implemented method and system for promoting a web technology through a virtual service marketplace. Online tools are provided on a host website for creating a project website. The host website comprises the virtual service marketplace. A user defines a project and proposes the project to multiple consultants in the virtual service marketplace. The consultants bid for the proposed project in the virtual service marketplace. Core controlling factors set by the user during project definition are synchronized with core controlling factors set by the project consultant. The user selects a project consultant based on the synchronization. The selected project consultant creates the project website using the online tools. The user pays the selected project consultant for creating the project website. The presence of the virtual service marketplace promotes the web technology and the growth in numbers of users and consultants familiar with the web technology.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for electronic commerce applications, said computer implemented method comprising:

promoting a web technology through a virtual service marketplace on a host website, comprising;

providing a computing system comprising one or more processors, wherein said host website resides on said computing system;

providing a website creation application comprising a plurality of templates on said host website, wherein said host website further comprises online tools and a graphical user interface to create a project website using said website creation application, wherein the host website comprises said virtual service marketplace;

defining a project by a user, wherein said project definition comprises a description of said project, a due date and due time of bids for the project, and core controlling factors associated with the project, wherein said user is provided with funds comprising user general fund and user project fund;

displaying status of a plurality of consultants and consultant profiles on the host website, wherein said consultant profiles are screened by a system administrator of said host website, and wherein said system administrator selects said status of the consultants based on said screening of said consultant profiles;

proposing said defined project by said user to said plurality of consultants in the virtual service marketplace to create said project website and transferring said funds from said user general fund to said user project fund, wherein said user general fund and said user project fund are displayed along with the project definition, wherein transferring said funds provides an initiation amount for said proposed project, and wherein said project fund represents actual funds available for the project;

displaying said initiation amount available in said user project fund to said project consultants;

enabling said plurality of consultants to set and/or modify said core controlling factors associated with the project and bidding for said proposed project by one or more of said consultants in the virtual service marketplace;

synchronizing said core controlling factors set by the user for the defined project with core controlling factors set by the consultants;

accepting the set core controlling factors and the bids placed by one or more of the plurality of consultants associated with the project if the core controlling factors set by the one or more of the plurality of consultants are identical to the core controlling factors set by the user;

selecting a project consultant from the plurality of consultants by the user, wherein said project consultant is selected based on said synchronization and said acceptance by the user;

creating the project website by the selected project consultant using said website creation application, said templates, and said online tools on the host website; and

paying the selected project consultant at progressive intervals of time during the due time by the user for creating the project website;

whereby said creation of the project website through the virtual service marketplace using the online tools promotes said web technology on the host website.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user and the consultants register with the host website to create the virtual service marketplace and to gain access to the online tools.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the project website is one of an interactive website, a business website, a gaming website, a news website, a shopping website, and a social networking website.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online tools on the host website are used to modify and enhance one of said created project website and a pre-existing project website.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said core controlling factors associated with the project comprise a pricing model for the project, turnaround time, a payment plan, payment details, and said initiation amount placed in said user project fund.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling the user to become an independent project consultant and seek businesses to draw more users to the host website, thereby promoting the host website through the virtual service marketplace.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating the project website by the user using the online tools of the host website.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step of paying the selected project consultant comprises generating a commission for the host website.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the consultants create packages comprising descriptions of example projects and core controlling factors associated with said example projects.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein said packages are shared between the consultants to establish the virtual service marketplace of variants of particular packages and to increase visibility of the packages on the host website.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface presents check boxes to the user for each of one or more non-identical core controlling factors set by the consultants, wherein one or more of the core controlling factors set by the user are synchronized to said one or more non-identical core controlling factors set by the consultants when the user selects said check boxes on the graphical user interface.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying the user and the consultants of bids, changes in the core controlling factors, and status of the creation of the project website.

28. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user general fund can be used for the payments toward the utility of system services.

13. A computer implemented system for promoting a web technology through a virtual service marketplace on a host website, comprising:

a computing system comprising one or more processors, said computing system further comprising;

said host website, wherein said host website comprise a website creation application comprising a plurality of templates;

a graphical user interface provided on said host website comprising online tools for creating a project website, said graphical user interface displays status of a plurality of consultants and consultant profiles on the host website, wherein said consultant profiles are screened by a system administrator of said host website, and wherein said system administrator selects said status of the consultants based on said screening of said consultant profiles;

a project generation module comprising;

a project definition module for enabling a user to define a project and to propose said defined project to said plurality of consultants in said virtual service marketplace to create said project website, and said user is provided with funds comprising user general fund and user project fund;

a consultant selection module for enabling said user to select a project consultant from said consultants;

a project creation module for creating the project website by said selected project consultant using said online tools on the host website; and

a payment and fund management module for enabling the user to transfer said funds from said user general fund to said user project fund, wherein said user general fund and said user project fund are displayed along with the project definition, wherein transferring said funds provides an initiation amount for said proposed project, wherein said payment and funds management module displays said initiation amount available in said user project fund to said project consultants, and wherein said payment and fund management module further enables the user to pay the selected project consultant for creating the project website;

a bidding system comprising;

a bid creation engine for enabling one or more of the consultants to set and/or modify said core controlling factors associated with the project and create bids for said proposed project in the virtual service marketplace; and

a bid synchronization engine for synchronizing core controlling factors set by the user with core controlling factors set by the consultants for the proposed project.

14. The computer implemented system of claim 13, wherein said project definition comprises a description of said project, a due date and due time of bids for the project, and said core controlling factors associated with the project, wherein the core controlling factors comprise a pricing model for the project, turnaround time, a payment plan, payment details, and said initiation amount placed in said user project fund.

15. The computer implemented system of claim 13, wherein said payment and fund management module generates a commission for the host website.

16. The computer implemented system of claim 13, wherein said project generation module further comprises a package creation module for creating packages by the consultants, wherein said packages comprise descriptions of example projects and core controlling factors associated with said example projects.

17. The computer implemented system of claim 16, wherein said package creation module shares the packages between the consultants to establish the virtual service marketplace of variants of particular packages and to increase visibility of the packages on the host website.

18. The computer implemented system of claim 13, further comprising a registration module for registering the user and the consultants with the host website.

19. The computer implemented system of claim 13, wherein said project creation module enables the user to create the project website using the online tools of the host web site.

20. The computer implemented system of claim 13, further comprising a listing module for listing the consultants in the virtual service marketplace along with the expertise and qualifications of the consultants.

21. The computer implemented system of claim 20, wherein said listing module lists status of the consultants and consultant applications on the host website.

22. The computer implemented system of claim 13, further comprising a notification engine for notifying the user and the consultants of bids, changes in said core controlling factors, and status of said creation of the project website.

23. The computer implemented system of claim 13, wherein said project generation module further comprises a feedback and ranking engine for providing feedback on the consultants by the user and ranking the consultants based on created project websites.

24. The computer implemented system of claim 13, further comprising a database for storing a list of users, a list of the consultants, profiles of said users, profiles of the consultants, a list of projects defined by the users, bid expiration dates of said projects, said core controlling factors of the projects, wherein the core controlling factors comprise a pricing model for the projects, turnaround times, a payment plans, payment details, and initiation amount placed in project funds of the users, and a list of packages defined by the consultants.

27. The computer implemented system of claim 18, wherein the registration module is configured to enable the users and the consultants to create a virtual service marketplace.

25. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein said computer program product comprises:

a first computer parsable program code for providing a website creation application comprising a plurality of templates on said host website, wherein said host website further comprises online tools and a graphical user interface to create a project website using said website creation application, wherein said host website comprises a virtual service marketplace;

a second computer parsable program code for a graphical user interface for enabling a user to define a project, wherein said project definition comprises a description of said project, a due date and due time of bids for the project, and core controlling factors associated with the project, and said user is provided with funds comprising user general fund and user project fund;

a third computer parsable program code for displaying status of a plurality of consultants and consultant profiles on the host website, wherein said consultant profiles are screened by a system administrator of said host website, and wherein said system administrator selects said status of the consultants based on said screening of said consultant profiles;

a fourth computer parsable program code for enabling said user to propose said defined project to a plurality of consultants in said virtual service marketplace to create said project website and transferring said funds from said user general fund to said user project fund, wherein said user general fund and said user project fund are displayed along with the project definition, wherein transferring said funds provides an initiation amount for said defined project, wherein said project fund represents actual funds available for the project;

a fifth computer parsable program code for displaying said initiation amount available in said user project fund to said project consultants;

a sixth computer parsable program code for enabling one or more of said consultants to set and/or modify said core controlling factors associated with the project and bid for said proposed project in the virtual service marketplace;

a seventh computer parsable program code for synchronizing said core controlling factors set by the user for the defined project with core controlling factors set by the consultants;

an eighth computer parsable program code for enabling the user to select a project consultant from the consultants based on said synchronization;

a ninth computer parsable program code for allowing said selected project consultant to create the project website using said website creation application, said templates, and said online tools on the host website; and

a tenth computer parsable program code for paying the selected project consultant for creating the project website.

26. A computer implemented method of promoting a web technology through a virtual service marketplace on a host website, comprising:

providing a computing system comprising one or more processors, wherein said host website resides on said computing system;

providing a website creation application comprising a plurality of templates on said host website, wherein said host website further comprises online tools and a graphical user interface to create a project website using said website creation application, wherein the host website comprises said virtual service marketplace;

defining a project by a user, wherein said user is provided with funds comprising user general fund and user project fund;

displaying status of a plurality of consultants and consultant profiles on the host website, wherein said consultant profiles are screened by a system administrator of said host website, and wherein said system administrator selects said status of the consultants based on said screening of said consultant profiles;

proposing said defined project by said user to said plurality of consultants in the virtual service marketplace to create said project website and transferring said funds from said user general fund to said user project fund, wherein said user general fund and said user project fund are displayed along with the project definition, wherein transferring said funds provides an initiation amount for said proposed project, wherein said project fund represents actual funds available for the project;

displaying a view of said initiation amount available in said user project fund to said project consultants;

enabling said plurality of consultants to set and/or modify said core controlling factors associated with the project and bidding for said proposed project by one or more of said consultants in the virtual service marketplace;

selecting a project consultant from the consultants by the user;

creating the project website by the selected project consultant using said website creation application, said templates, and said online tools on the host website; and

paying the selected project consultant by the user for creating the project website;

whereby said creation of the project website through the virtual service marketplace using the online tools promotes said web technology on the host website.