Method and apparatus for connecting consumers with one or more product or service providers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A consumer/product or service provider matching server that matches consumers with product or service providers, comprising:
- a memory containing a consumer/product or service provider profile database;
a communication interface that facilitates the sending and receiving of communications to and from consumers and product or service providers; and
a consumer/product or service provider matching unit that establishes one or more profiles from one or more product or service providers, establishes one or more profiles from one or more consumers, receives a user'"'"'s subject matter request through the communication interface, matches the consumer with one or more products or service providers based on at least one of the consumer'"'"'s profile and subject matter request, and provides information from the consumer'"'"'s subject matter request and profile without contact information to the matched one or more products or service providers through the communication interface,wherein the established product or service provider profiles and the established consumers profiles are one of received through the communication interface and created by the consumer/product or service provider matching unit, andwherein the matching unit provides the one of a product provider and a service provider with the at least one consumers'"'"' contact information based on payment of a fee for access to the consumer'"'"'s contact information, the fee depending on general and specific criteria estimating the market value of the consumer'"'"'s contact information and whether or not the one of a product provider and a service provider is permitted exclusive access to the consumer'"'"'s contact information.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus that for matching consumers with product or service providers is disclosed. The method may include establishing one or more profiles from one or more product or service providers, establishing one or more profiles from one or more consumers, receiving a consumer'"'"'s subject matter request, matching the consumer with one or more products or service providers based on at least one of the consumer'"'"'s profile and subject matter request, and providing the consumer'"'"'s contact information to the matched one or more products or service providers.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A consumer/product or service provider matching server that matches consumers with product or service providers, comprising:
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a memory containing a consumer/product or service provider profile database; a communication interface that facilitates the sending and receiving of communications to and from consumers and product or service providers; and a consumer/product or service provider matching unit that establishes one or more profiles from one or more product or service providers, establishes one or more profiles from one or more consumers, receives a user'"'"'s subject matter request through the communication interface, matches the consumer with one or more products or service providers based on at least one of the consumer'"'"'s profile and subject matter request, and provides information from the consumer'"'"'s subject matter request and profile without contact information to the matched one or more products or service providers through the communication interface, wherein the established product or service provider profiles and the established consumers profiles are one of received through the communication interface and created by the consumer/product or service provider matching unit, and wherein the matching unit provides the one of a product provider and a service provider with the at least one consumers'"'"' contact information based on payment of a fee for access to the consumer'"'"'s contact information, the fee depending on general and specific criteria estimating the market value of the consumer'"'"'s contact information and whether or not the one of a product provider and a service provider is permitted exclusive access to the consumer'"'"'s contact information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A non-transient computer-readable medium storing instructions for controlling a computing device for matching consumers with product or service providers, the instructions comprising:
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establishing one or more profiles from one or more product or service providers, wherein the established product or service provider profiles are one of received and created; establishing one or more profiles from one or more consumers, wherein the established consumers profiles are one of received and created; receiving a user'"'"'s subject matter request; matching with a matching unit the consumer with one or more products or service providers based on at least one of the consumer'"'"'s profile and subject matter request; providing information from the consumer'"'"'s subject matter request and profile without contact information to the matched one or more products or service providers; and providing the one of a product provider and a service provider with the at least one consumers'"'"' contact information based on payment of a fee for access to the consumer'"'"'s contact information, the fee depending on general and specific criteria estimating the market value of the consumer'"'"'s contact information and whether or not the one of a product provider and a service provider is permitted exclusive access to the consumer'"'"'s contact information. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification