Management and allocation of services using remote computer connections

• US 9,940,593 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2017
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Busa Strategic Partners, LLC
• Original Assignee: Busa Strategic Partners, LLC
• Inventors: Busa, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Julian
• Application Number:
  US15/589,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20170249579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for allocating services among a plurality of service operators where each capable of providing at least one service and each service operator operating a respective computer to receiving at a support server a request for service from at least one computer being operated by a user, generating a questionnaire to be answered by the user operating the at least one computer, selecting at least one service operator based upon the answered questionnaire, and establishing a service session between the at least one computer being operated by the user and the computer being operated by the at least one selected service operator for providing the requested service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for allocating services among a plurality of service operators each having associated therewith at least one service area and a respective skill level for the at least one service area, each service operator operating a respective computer, the method comprising:

receiving at a support server a request for service from a user computer being operated by a user;

determining a user level awareness of a type of service needed at the support server based upon the received request for service;

generating a questionnaire to be answered by the user operating the user computer based upon the user level of awareness of the type of service needed at the support server;

determining the type of service needed based on the answered questionnaire at the support server;

comparing the respective service areas and skill levels associated with each of the plurality of service operators to the type of service needed at the support server;

selecting at least one of the plurality of service operators based upon the comparison at the support server;

at the support server, establishing a support session with the computer being operated by the at least one selected service operator for providing the requested service;

at the support server, generating a charge associated with the support session;

collecting user feedback data at the support server for the support session from the user computer for the at least one selected service operator; and

at the support server, when the feedback data meets a satisfaction threshold, performing a billing transaction comprising billing an account associated with the user and crediting an account associated with the at least one selected service operator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the requested service is performed on the user computer operated by the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the requested service is performed on the computer being operated by the at least one selected service operator.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the requested service is performed at a service workspace that is separate from the user computer and the computer being operated by the at least one selected service operator, with the service workspace being accessible by each.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one selected service operator continues to provide service on the service workspace even after the user terminates their connection thereto.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising including in the established support session a computer being operated by a second service operator, the second service operator also for providing the requested service.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the questionnaire is generated based upon information collected from the user computer being operated by the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the questionnaire further comprises prompting the user to select a priority level of the requested service.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the priority level corresponds to a level of urgency of the requested service.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the priority level corresponds to a level of expertise by the plurality of service operators.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the support session further comprises connecting a computer being operated by an initial service operator to the support session for providing the requested service, and subsequently connecting a computer being operated by a supervising service operator to the support session based upon a duration of the support session.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the at least one service operator further comprises selecting the at least one service operator also based upon a duration the at least one service operator has been waiting to respond to a request for service.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the at least one service operator further comprises selecting the at least one service operator also based upon a prior service history for prior support session between the at least one service operator and the user.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for a support server for allocating services among a plurality of service operators each having associated therewith at least one service area and a respective skill level for the at least one service area, each service operator operating a respective computer, the non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing the support server to perform steps comprising:

receiving a request for service from a user computer being operated by a user;

determining a user level awareness of a type of service needed based upon the received request for service;

generating a questionnaire to be answered by the user operating the user computer based upon the user level of awareness of the type of service needed;

determining the type of service needed based on the answered questionnaire;

comparing the respective service areas and skill levels associated with each of the plurality of service operators to the type of service needed;

selecting at least one of the plurality of service operators based upon the comparison;

establishing a support session with the computer being operated by the at least one selected service operator for providing the requested service;

generating a charge associated with the support session;

collecting user feedback data for the support session from the user computer for the at least one selected service operator; and

when the feedback data meets a satisfaction threshold, performing a billing transaction comprising billing an account associated with the user and crediting an account associated with the at least one selected service operator.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the questionnaire is generated based upon information collected from the user computer being operated by the user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein generating the questionnaire comprises generating the questionnaire further based upon prompting the user to select a priority level of the requested service.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the priority level corresponds to a level of urgency of the requested service.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the priority level corresponds to a level of expertise by the plurality of service operators.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein establishing the support session further comprises establishing the support session by further connecting a computer being operated by an initial service operator to the support session for providing the requested service, and subsequently connecting a computer being operated by a supervising service operator to the support session based upon a duration of the support session.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein selecting the at least one service operator further comprises selecting the at least one service operator also based upon a duration the at least one service operator has been waiting to respond to a request for service.