Automatic matching of users and service providers

• US 9,342,559 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jedrzejowicz, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): BOWEN, RICHARD L
• Application Number:
  US13/894,934
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales

Abstract

A system is configured to receive a search query from a user device; identify a set of organizations that offer services relevant to the search query; generate first scores for the set of organizations using a first scoring function; generate a document that includes information identifying the set of organizations based on the first scores; provide the document to the user device; receive, based on providing the document to the user device, information indicating a selection of one of the set of organizations as a selected organization; identify a set of service providers, associated with the selected organization, that offer the services relevant to the search query; generate second scores for the set of service providers using a second scoring function, where the second scoring function may be different from the first scoring function; select or receive selection of one of the set of service providers, as a selected service provider, based on the second scores; and cause a video communication session to be established between the user device and a device associated with the selected service provider.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more server devices, comprising:

receiving service provider information from devices associated with a plurality of organizations, the service provider information received from a respective device associated with a respective organization including an identifier of the respective organization, information identifying respective service providers employed by the respective organization, and information identifying respective services offered by the respective organization;

mapping each of the plurality of organizations to topics based on the service provider information;

receiving, by at least one of the one or more server devices, a search query from a user device;

identifying, by at least one of the one or more server devices, a subset of the plurality of organizations that offer services relevant to the search query,

where identifying the subset of the plurality of organizations includes;

identifying a topic associated with the search query; and

identifying the subset of the plurality of organizations based on the plurality of organizations being mapped to the topic associated with the search query;

generating, by at least one of the one or more server devices, first scores for the subset of the plurality of organizations using a first scoring function;

generating, by at least one of the one or more server devices, a document that includes information identifying the subset of the plurality of organizations based on the first scores;

providing, by at least one of the one or more server devices, the document to the user device;

receiving, by at least one of the one or more server devices and based on providing the document to the user device, information indicating a selection of one of the subset of the plurality of organizations as a selected organization;

identifying, by at least one of the one or more server devices, a plurality of service providers, associated with the selected organization, that offer the services relevant to the search query;

generating, by at least one of the one or more server devices, second scores for the plurality of service providers using a second scoring function,

the second scoring function being different from the first scoring function;

selecting or receiving selection of one of the plurality of service providers, as a selected service provider, based on the second scores;

causing, by at least one of the one or more server devices, a video communication session

to be established between the user device and a device associated with the selected service provider;

receiving feedback from a user of the user device,

the feedback relating to the video communication session between the user device and the device associated with the selected service provider; and

adjusting the first scoring function used to generate the first scores for the subset of the plurality of organizations based on the feedback.

2. The method of claim 1, where the first scoring function uses a different set of signals than a set of signals used by the second scoring function.

3. The method of claim 1, where the first scoring function uses a same set of signals as the second scoring function,

the first scoring function assigning first weights to the set of signals,

the second scoring function assigning second weights to the set of signals,

the first weights being different than the second weights.

4. The method of claim 1, where selecting or receiving selection of the one of the plurality of service providers includes:

automatically selecting the one of the plurality of service providers,

the one of the plurality of service providers having a highest score of the second scores for the plurality of service providers.

5. The method of claim 1, where the document is a first document,

where selecting or receiving selection of the one of the plurality of service providers includes:

generating a second document that includes information identifying the plurality of service providers based on the second scores,

providing the second document to the user device, and

receiving, based on providing the second document to the user device, information indicating a selection of the one of the plurality of service providers as the selected service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the feedback to adjust the second scoring function.

7. The method of claim 1, where the video communication session permits the selected service provider to provide, in real time, a service to a user of the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, where identifying the plurality of service providers includes:

identifying the plurality of service providers based on the plurality of service providers being employed by the selected organization.

9. The method of claim 1, where at least one of the first scoring function or the second scoring function is based on information regarding lengths of video communication sessions involving service providers associated with the plurality of organizations,

where a longer length of a video communication session causes at least one of a higher first score or a higher second score than caused by a shorter length of a video communication session.

10. A system, comprising:

one or more server devices to;

receive service provider information from devices associated with a plurality of organizations,

the service provider information received from a respective device associated with a respective organization including an identifier of the respective organization, information identifying respective service providers employed by the respective organization, and information identifying respective services offered by the respective organization;

map each of the plurality of organizations to topics based on the service provider information;

receive a search query from a user device;

identify a subset of the plurality of organizations that offer services relevant to the search query,

where identifying the subset of the plurality of organizations includes;

identifying a topic associated with the search query; and

identifying the subset of the plurality of organizations based on the plurality of organizations being mapped to the topic associated with the search query;

generate first scores for the subset of the plurality of organizations using a first scoring function;

generate a document that includes information identifying the subset of the plurality of organizations based on the first scores;

provide the document to the user device;

receive, based on providing the document to the user device, information indicating a selection of one of the subset of the plurality of organizations as a selected organization;

identify a plurality of service providers, associated with the selected organization, that offer the services relevant to the search query;

generate second scores for the plurality of service providers using a second scoring function,

the second scoring function being different from the first scoring function;

select one of the plurality of service providers, as a selected service provider, based on the second scores;

cause a video communication session to be established between the user device and a device associated with the selected service provider;

receive feedback from a user of the user device,

the feedback relating to the video communication session between the user device and the device associated with the selected service provider; and

adjust the first scoring function used to generate the first scores for the subset of the plurality of organizations based on the feedback.

11. The system of claim 10, where the one or more server devices, when generating the document, are to:

form a ranked list that includes information identifying the plurality of organizations in an order based on the first scores, and

generate the document to include information from the ranked list.

12. The system of claim 10, where the one or more server devices, when selecting the one of the plurality of service providers, are to:

automatically select the one of the plurality of service providers,

the one of the plurality of service providers having a highest score of the second scores for the plurality of service providers.

13. The system of claim 10, where the one or more server devices are further to:

determine a length of time associated with the video communication session; and

send information regarding the length of time to a billing server for calculation of a charge for the video communication session.

14. The system of claim 10, where the video communication session permits the selected service provider to provide, in real time, a service to a user of the user device.

15. The system of claim 10, where at least one of the first scoring function or the second scoring function uses a plurality of signals that includes two or more of:

information regarding a quantity or a ratio of video communication sessions involving service providers associated with the plurality of organizations,

information regarding lengths of video communication sessions involving service providers associated with the plurality of organizations,

information regarding ratings of the plurality of organizations,

information regarding reviews of the plurality of organizations,

information regarding ratings of service providers associated with the plurality of organizations,

information regarding reviews of service providers associated with the plurality of organizations,

information regarding prior video communication sessions between a user of the user device and service providers associated with the plurality of organizations,

information regarding areas or levels of expertise of service providers associated with the plurality of organizations,

information regarding an amount of money that a user of the user device has spent for video communication sessions,

information regarding time spent by a user of the user device searching for video communication sessions, browsing for video communication sessions, or involved in video communication sessions,

information regarding waiting times of service providers associated with the plurality of organizations,

information regarding a cost charged for services by the plurality of organizations,

information regarding one or more geographic areas with which the plurality of organizations or service providers associated with the plurality of organizations are associated, or

information regarding a quality of connection of the user device or communication devices used by service providers associated with the plurality of organizations.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors associated with one or more server devices, cause the one or more processors to;

receive service provider information from devices associated with a plurality of organizations,

the service provider information received from a respective device associated with a respective organization including an identifier of the respective organization, information identifying respective service providers employed by the respective organization, and information identifying respective services offered by the respective organization;

map each of the plurality of organizations to topics based on the service provider information;

receive a search query from a user device;

identify a subset of the plurality of organizations that offer services relevant to the search query,

where identifying the subset of the plurality of organizations includes;

identifying a topic associated with the search query; and

identifying the subset of the plurality of organizations based on the plurality of organizations being mapped to the topic associated with the search query;

generate first scores for the subset of the plurality of organizations using a first scoring function;

generate first scores for the subset of the plurality of organizations using a first scoring function;

generate a document that includes information identifying the plurality of organizations based on the first scores;

provide the document to the user device;

receive, based on providing the document to the user device, information indicating a selection of one of the subset of the plurality of organizations as a selected organization;

identify a plurality of service providers, associated with the selected organization, that offer the services relevant to the search query;

generate second scores for the plurality of service providers using a second scoring function,

the second scoring function being different from the first scoring function;

receive selection of one of the plurality of service providers, as a selected service provider, based on the second scores;

cause a video communication session to be established between the user device and a device associated with the selected service provider;

receive feedback from the user device,

the feedback relating to the video communication session between the user device and the device associated with the selected service provider; and

adjust the first scoring function used to generate the first scores for the subset of the plurality of organizations based on the feedback.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the first scoring function uses a different set of signals than a set of signals used by the second scoring function.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the first scoring function uses a same set of signals as the second scoring function,

the first scoring function assigning first weights to the set of signals,

the second scoring function assigning second weights to the set of signals,

the first weights being different than the second weights.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the document is a first document,

where one more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to receive selection of the one of the plurality of service providers, further cause the one or more processors to:

generate a second document that includes information identifying the plurality of service providers based on the second scores,

provide the second document to the user device, and

receive, based on providing the second document to the user device, information indicating a selection of the one of the plurality of service providers as the selected service provider.