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Method and system to connect consumers to information

  • US 8,396,735 B2
  • Filed: 04/27/2010
  • Issued: 03/12/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when executed on a computing device causes the device to perform a method, the method comprising:

  • providing to a user a visual display advertisement on a media channel on behalf of an advisor, wherein the visual display advertisement includes at least a user selectable reference to establish a real-time communication connection with the advisor, an indication of whether the advisor is currently available to communicate via real time communication at a time when the user is viewing the visual display advertisement, and a display of an item associated with the advisor selected from a group consisting of a compensation rate for the advisor and a quality score for the advisor, wherein the visual display advertisement advertises the advisor to the user at least partially based on an order relative to other advisors, the order at least partially based on one or both of the compensation rate and the quality score;

    while the advisor is currently available, receiving a user selection of the user selectable reference corresponding to the advisor, and a central controller using the user selection of the user selectable reference to establish a real-time communication connection between the advisor and the user prior to the user submitting a question for the advisor including the central controller using the user selection to establish a real-time communication connection with the advisor and with the user prior to the user submitting a question for the advisor, wherein the establishing the real-time communication connection comprises the central controller originating a first communication connection to the advisor and a second communication connection to the user; and

    charging an amount for the real-time communication connection established between the advisor and the user based at least in part on the compensation rate.

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