Method and system to connect consumers to information
First Claim
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1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when executed by a server system causes the server system to perform a method, the method comprising:
- transmitting, by the server system to an end-user computing device via an Internet, a web page configured to indicate an option to receive, from a user, a request via the web page and a browser of the end-user computing device;
processing, by the server system, a first indication of a selection of the option;
selecting, by the server system, an advisor from a plurality of advisors for indication in an advertisement for the advisor, the selecting based at least in part on a compensation rate of the advisor and a quality score of the advisor;
determining, by the server system, a status of the advisor;
in response to the selection, transmitting to the end-user computing device the advertisement for the advisor, the advertisement to be visually displayed via the end-user computing device, wherein the advertisement includes;
at least one reference selectable by the user to request a real-time communication connection with the advisor, wherein the real-time communication connection is separate from an Internet connection used by the end-user computing device to download the web page; and
an indication of the status of the advisor;
while the advisor is determined to be currently available for real-time communication, receiving, by the server system, from the end-user computing device a second indication of a user selection of the at least one reference made via the advertisement, the user selection of the at least one reference corresponding to the advisor; and
in response to the second indication of the user selection of the at least one reference, establishing a telephonic connection via a central controller of the server system to provide the real-time communication connection requested between the advisor and the user, wherein the establishing the telephonic connection comprises the central controller directing a first transmission to the user, the central controller directing a second transmission to the advisor, and the central controller joining the first transmission and the second transmission, and wherein the telephonic connection is separate from the Internet connection used by the end-user computing device to download the web page.
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Abstract
This invention provides for a method of (or apparatus for) facilitating the delivery of advice to consumers using a server unit which can store and display the names and characteristics of experts and then rapidly assist in connecting the expert and consumer for real-time communication. The server can also have the ability to receive keywords from the consumer, match those keywords to one or more experts, and tell the consumer how to contact an expert.
381 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when executed by a server system causes the server system to perform a method, the method comprising:
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transmitting, by the server system to an end-user computing device via an Internet, a web page configured to indicate an option to receive, from a user, a request via the web page and a browser of the end-user computing device; processing, by the server system, a first indication of a selection of the option; selecting, by the server system, an advisor from a plurality of advisors for indication in an advertisement for the advisor, the selecting based at least in part on a compensation rate of the advisor and a quality score of the advisor; determining, by the server system, a status of the advisor; in response to the selection, transmitting to the end-user computing device the advertisement for the advisor, the advertisement to be visually displayed via the end-user computing device, wherein the advertisement includes; at least one reference selectable by the user to request a real-time communication connection with the advisor, wherein the real-time communication connection is separate from an Internet connection used by the end-user computing device to download the web page; and an indication of the status of the advisor; while the advisor is determined to be currently available for real-time communication, receiving, by the server system, from the end-user computing device a second indication of a user selection of the at least one reference made via the advertisement, the user selection of the at least one reference corresponding to the advisor; and in response to the second indication of the user selection of the at least one reference, establishing a telephonic connection via a central controller of the server system to provide the real-time communication connection requested between the advisor and the user, wherein the establishing the telephonic connection comprises the central controller directing a first transmission to the user, the central controller directing a second transmission to the advisor, and the central controller joining the first transmission and the second transmission, and wherein the telephonic connection is separate from the Internet connection used by the end-user computing device to download the web page. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A server system, comprising:
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one or more servers coupled to one or more network interfaces to facilitate access to a network, and memory coupled to the one or more servers and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more servers, cause the server system to; transmit, to an end-user computing device via an Internet, a web page configured to indicate an option to receive, from a user, a request via the web page and a browser of the end-user computing device; process a first indication of a selection of the option; select an advisor from a plurality of advisors, based at least in part on a compensation rate of the advisor and a quality score of the advisor, for indication in an advertisement for the advisor; determine a status of the advisor; in response to the selection, transmit to the end-user computing device the advertisement for the advisor, the advertisement to be visually displayed via the end-user computing device, wherein the advertisement includes; at least one reference selectable by the user via the Internet to request a real-time communication connection with the advisor, wherein the real-time communication connection is separate from an Internet connection used by the end-user computing device to download the web page; and an indication of the status of the advisor; and receive, while the advisor is determined to be currently available for real-time communication, a second indication of a user selection of the at least one reference corresponding to the advisor from the end-user computing device via the advertisement; and a central controller coupled with the one or more servers and configured to, in response to the second indication of the user selection of the at least one reference, establish a telephonic connection to provide the real-time communication connection requested between the advisor and the user, wherein the establishing the telephonic connection comprises the central controller directing a first transmission to the user, the central controller directing a second transmission to the advisor, and the central controller joining the first transmission and the second transmission, and wherein the telephonic connection is separate from the Internet connection used by the end-user computing device to download the web page. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method, comprising:
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transmitting, by the server system to an end-user computing device via an Internet, a web page configured to indicate an option to receive, from a user, a request via the web page and a browser of the end-user computing device; processing, by the server system, a first indication of a selection of the option; selecting, by the server system, an advisor from a plurality of advisors, based at least in part on a compensation rate of the advisor and a quality score of the advisor, for indication in an advertisement for the advisor; determining, by the server system, a status of the advisor; in response to the selection, transmitting to the end-user computing device the advertisement for the advisor, the advertisement to be visually displayed via the end-user computing device, wherein the advertisement includes; at least one reference selectable by the user to request a real-time communication connection with the advisor, wherein the real-time communication connection is separate from an Internet connection used by the end-user computing device to download the web page; and an indication of the status of the advisor; while the advisor is determined to be currently available for real-time communication, receiving, by the server system, from the end-user computing device a second indication of a user selection of the at least one reference made via the advertisement, the user selection of the at least one reference corresponding to the advisor; and in response to the second indication of the user selection of the at least one reference, establishing a telephonic connection via a central controller of the server system to provide the real-time communication connection requested between the advisor and the user, wherein the establishing the telephonic connection comprises the central controller directing a first transmission to the user, the central controller directing a second transmission to the advisor, and the central controller joining the first transmission and the second transmission, and wherein the telephonic connection is separate from the Internet connection used by the end-user computing device to download the web page. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification