Buyer-provider matching algorithm

• US 10,650,332 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elance Incorporation
• Original Assignee: Elance Incorporation
• Inventors: Sinha, Ved Ranjan, Song, Sunny SunMin, Kotbagi, Harish Bal
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawley, Talia F
• Application Number:
  US12/476,039
• Time in Patent Office: 3,998 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

In a services exchange medium, buyers are able to search and hire service providers to get projects done quickly and cost effectively. A buyer-provider matching algorithm uses two scores to calculate a “Provider Search” score for each service provider: a “Reputation” score and a “Provider Match” score. In some embodiments, the “Reputation” score is a quantitative metric score of a service provider'"'"'s overall reputation within the services exchange medium. In other embodiments, the “Reputation” score is configured to enhance the “Provider Match” score. Since reputation is an important attribute when searching for a qualified service provider, the “Provider Search” score takes into consideration the “Reputation” score. A provider results list generated from a provider search is sorted by the “Provider Search” score. As such, the provider results list is sorted in a significant manner useful to the buyer searching for the qualified service provider.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

obtaining a timeframe, specified by a buyer, that includes a number of months relative to a current time;

communicatively coupling with at least one data store that together stores service provider profiles and projects completed by services providers within a services exchange medium;

assessing a services exchange medium reputation score for each service provider in the services exchange medium;

based on a determination that a search text has been specified by the buyer,

for each service provider profile stored in the at least one data store,

calculating a provider search score for a respective service provider profile, wherein the provider match score is based upon a match between the search text entered by the buyer and a section of the respective service provider profile, wherein the respective service provider profile comprises multiple sections entered by the service provider associated with the respective service provider profile, wherein the section of the respective service provider profile is weighted according to conditions established by the services exchange medium to contribute to the provider match score upon match between the section and the search text, wherein the provider match score as a first hit value is further modified according to one or more total secondary hit scores of subsequent matches of the section and the search text in response to the established weighting conditions, wherein a sum of the first hit value and the total secondary hit score determines a participation in a calculation of an associated section of the respective service provider profile and wherein the provider search score is also based upon a match between the search text entered by the buyer and a part of each project that is completed by the service provider associated with the respective service provider profile and within the timeframe specified by the buyer; and

adjusting the provider search score by the services exchange medium reputation score of the service provider associated with the respective service provider profile; and

sorting a provider results list based on adjusted provider search scores;

based on a determination that a search text has not been specified by the buyer, sorting the provider results list based on the services exchange medium reputation score; and

presenting the provider results lists in a user interface.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the services exchange medium reputation score is dependent on at least one of customer satisfaction, earnings, and participation by a service provider within the services exchange medium.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein a number of points for the match between the search text and the section of the profile comprises the first hit value and the total secondary hit score.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the calculating comprises adjusting the total secondary hit score by a secondary hits magnifier.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the secondary hits magnifier is modifiable.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the calculating further comprises adding the first hit value and the total secondary hit score together, and multiplying an absolute weight to a sum of the first hit value and the total secondary hit score.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein the absolute weight is modifiable.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the part of the project is a project name or a project description.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein a number of points associated with a match between the search text and the project name is modifiable.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein a number of points associated with a match between the search text and the project description is modifiable.

11. A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodied thereon a program of instructions executable by a processor for performing a method of searching service providers in a services exchange medium operable to connect a buyer and a service provider over a network, the method comprising:

obtaining a timeframe that includes a number of months relative to a current time;

accessing at least one data store that together includes service provider profiles of the service providers in the services exchange medium;

assessing a first score for each service provider in the services exchange medium, wherein the first score is dependent on services exchange medium reputation of that service provider;

based on a determination that a search text has been provided by a buyer,

comparing the search text with the profile belonging to a service provider and stored in the at least one data store of the services exchange medium, wherein the profile comprises multiple sections entered by the service provider;

computing a plurality of second scores based on matches between the search text and the profile belonging to the service provider, wherein each section of the profile is weighted according to conditions established by the services exchange medium to contribute to the second scores upon match between a respective section and the search text, wherein the second scores are further modified according to one or more subsequent match score of subsequent matches of the respective section and the search text in response to the established weighting conditions, wherein a sum of the second score and the subsequent match score determines a participation in a calculation of an associated section of the respective section on the service provider profile;

computing a plurality of third scores based on matches between the search text and parts of each project that is completed by the service provider within the services exchange medium and within the timeframe specified by the buyer;

determining a fourth score based on the plurality of second scores and the plurality of third scores that together are enhanced by the first score;

repeating steps of comparing to determining for all service providers within the services exchange medium; and

generating a provider results list that is sorted by the fourth score; and

based on a determination that a search text has not been provided by a buyer, generating a provider results list that is sorted by the first score.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the services exchange medium reputation is dependent on at least one of customer satisfaction, earnings, and participation by the service provider within the services exchange medium.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the sections include provider tagline section, a provider user ID section, a provider name section, a summary services description section, a keywords section, a skills section, an about us section, a detailed services exchange section, a credentials section, and an experience section.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the parts include a project name and a project description.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein a number of points for a match between the search text and a section of the profile comprises a first hit value and a total secondary hit score.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the comparing comprises adjusting the total secondary hit score by a secondary hits magnifier.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the secondary hits magnifier is modifiable.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the comparing further comprises adding the first hit score and the total secondary hit score together, and multiplying an absolute weight to a sum of the first hit value and the total secondary hit score.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the absolute weight is modifiable.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein a number of points for a match frequency between the search text and the project name is modifiable.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein a number of points for a match frequency between the search text and the project description is modifiable.

22. A system for generating a provider results list comprising:

a processor; and

an application executed by the processor, the application for;

obtaining a timeframe that includes a number of months relative to a current time;

accessing at least one data store that together stores profiles of service providers of a services exchange medium that is operable to connect buyers with the service providers over a network;

assessing, for each service provider, a reputation score that is dependent on reputation of that service provider within the services exchange medium;

based on a determination that a search text has been specified by a buyer,

calculating a provider search score for each of the service providers within the services exchange medium, wherein the provider search score is a sum of at least one provider match score, wherein each of the at least one provider match score is based on a match between the search text entered by the buyer and a section of the service provider profile for the respective service provider or is based on a match between the search text entered by the buyer and a part of each project that is completed by the service provider within the services exchange medium and within the timeframe, wherein the service provider profile comprises multiple sections entered by the respective service provider, wherein the section of the profile is weighted according to conditions established by the services exchange medium to contribute to the provider match score upon match between the section and the search text, wherein the provider match score is further modified according to one or more subsequent match scores of subsequent matches of the section and the search text in response to the established weighting conditions, wherein a sum of the provider match score and the subsequent match score determines a calculation participation of an associated section of the respective section on the service provider profile, wherein the sum of the at least one provider match score is enhanced by the reputation score; and

sorting the provider results list based on the provider search score;

based on a determination that a search text has not been specified by the buyer, sorting the provider results list based on the reputation score; and

generating a user interface that includes the sorted provider results list.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the application is executed online.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the reputation score is dependent on at least one of customer satisfaction, earnings, and participation by a service provider within the services exchange medium.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the section of the profile is a provider tagline section, a provider user ID section, a provider name section, a summary services description section, a keywords section, a skills section, an about us section, a detailed services exchange section, a credentials section, or an experience section.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein a number of points for a match between the search text and the section of the profile comprises a first hit value and a total secondary hit score.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the calculating comprises adjusting the total secondary hit score by a secondary hits magnifier.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the secondary hits magnifier is modifiable.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the calculating further comprises adding the first hit value and the total secondary hit score together, and multiplying an absolute weight to a sum of the first hit value and the total secondary hit score.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the absolute weight is modifiable.

31. The system of claim 22 wherein the part of the project is a project name or a project description.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein a number of points associated with a match between the search text and the project name is modifiable.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein a number of points associated with a match between the search text and the project description is modifiable.

35. The system of claim 22 wherein the timeframe is specified by the buyer.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the timeframe is specified via the user interface.

34. A computer-implemented method of enhancing provider match scores comprising:

obtaining a timeframe that includes a number of months relative to a current time;

accessing at least one data store that together stores a profile entered by a service provider of a services exchange medium operable to connect a buyer and the service provider over a network;

assessing an enhancement value that is dependent on reputation of the service provider within the services exchange medium;

based on a determination that a search text has been specified by the buyer,

determining a first match score based on a match between the search text and a section of the profile, wherein the section of the profile is weighted to contribute to the first match score according to conditions established by the services exchange medium, wherein the first match score is further modified according to one or more second match scores of subsequent matches in response to the established weighting conditions, wherein a sum of the first match score and the one or more second match scores determines a calculation participation of an associated section of the profile, wherein the established weighting conditions includes a magnifier associated with the one or more subsequent matches, by a computer programmed with instructions for determining the first match score;

determining a second match score based on a number of matches between the search text and a project title of each project completed by a service provider within the services exchange medium and within the timeframe specified by the buyer, by a computer programmed with instructions for determining the second match score;

determining a third match score based on a number of matches between the search text and a project description of each project completed by the service provider within the services exchange medium and within the timeframe specified by the buyer, by a computer programmed with instructions for determining the third match score;

adding together first match scores, the second match score, and the third match score to obtain a total match score, by a computer programmed with instructions for obtaining the total match score;

multiplying the enhancement value to the total match score to obtain a search value, by a computer programmed to multiply the enhancement value to the total match score; and

determining a position of the service provider relative to other service providers in the services exchange medium based on the search value; and

based on a determination that a search text has not been specified by the buyer, determining a position of the service provider relative to other service providers in the services exchange medium based on the enhancement value.