Apparatus and methods for electronic information exchange
DCFirst Claim
1. Apparatus for facilitating information exchange between an information requester and an information custodian via a network, the apparatus comprising:
- an input coupled to the network;
a first database mapping a plurality of information custodians to a plurality of categories;
a selector in communication with the first database and the input for identifying one of the categories in the plurality of categories as being associated with an information request message received via the input from an information requestor and for selecting a subset including at least one information custodian from the plurality of information custodians, the at least one information custodian being associated with the identified category, the selector automatically selecting the subset based on historical statistical data associated with the at least one information custodian in the subset; and
a router in communication with the selector for transmitting an answer request message including at least a portion of the information request message to the at least one information custodian via the network.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for facilitating information exchange between an information requestor and one or more information custodians via a network are provided. The information requestor creates an information request message and sends it to the apparatus. The apparatus then determines an appropriate information custodian based on predetermined categories and other information. Subsequently, the apparatus sends an answer request message to that information custodian. The information custodian replies to the answer request message with either an intermediate answer message or a reroute message. When an intermediate answer message is received, the apparatus sends a final answer message to the information requester. Optionally, the apparatus records some or all of the messages for subsequent retrieval.
285 Citations
31 Claims
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1. Apparatus for facilitating information exchange between an information requester and an information custodian via a network, the apparatus comprising:
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an input coupled to the network;
a first database mapping a plurality of information custodians to a plurality of categories;
a selector in communication with the first database and the input for identifying one of the categories in the plurality of categories as being associated with an information request message received via the input from an information requestor and for selecting a subset including at least one information custodian from the plurality of information custodians, the at least one information custodian being associated with the identified category, the selector automatically selecting the subset based on historical statistical data associated with the at least one information custodian in the subset; and
a router in communication with the selector for transmitting an answer request message including at least a portion of the information request message to the at least one information custodian via the network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for facilitating electronic information exchange between at least one information custodian and an information requestor over a network, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing an exchange facilitating computing device having a first address on the network;
defining a first category of information and a second category of information;
associating a first and a second information custodian with the first category, the first information custodian having a second address on the network which is different from the first address, the second information custodian having a third address on the network which is different from the first and the second addresses;
receiving an information request message indicative of a request for information from a first information requestor at the exchange facilitating computing device via the network, the first information requester having a fourth address on the network which is different from the first, second and the third addresses;
determining whether the information request message is associated with the first category or the second category;
if the information request message is associated with the first category, automatically selecting one of the first and second information custodians as a receiving custodian based on predetermined historical data; and
routing at least a portion of the information request message from the first address to the receiving custodian. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. An apparatus for facilitating information exchange between an information requestor and an information custodian via a network comprising:
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an input coupled to the network;
a database mapping a plurality of information custodians to a plurality of categories;
a selector in communication with the database and the input, the selector being responsive to an information request message received from an information requestor via the input to automatically select a subset including at least one information custodian from the plurality of information custodians based on historical statistical data, the historical statistical data being associated with the at least one information custodian in the subset, the at least one information custodian being associated with at least one of the categories in the plurality, the at least one category being associated with the information request message; and
a router for transmitting an answer request message including at least a portion of the information request message to the at least one information custodian in the subset.
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Specification