Facilitating commerce among consumers and service providers by matching ready-to-act consumers and pre-qualified service providers

• US 7,096,193 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2000
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Service Magic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Service Magic Incorporated
• Inventors: Rice, Rodney S., Beaudoin, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C.
• Application Number:
  US09/574,909
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: 705/25, 705/26, 705/10, 705/8, 705/9, 705/11
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for matching ready-to-act consumers and pre-qualified service providers. According to one aspect of the present invention, the Internet is used to attempt to solve communications problems and to achieve efficiency in Consumer-to-Business commerce transactions. Initially, a database of pre-qualified service providers is established. Then, a description of the consumer'"'"'s needs may be extracted from a consumer using decision trees appropriate for the desired task. Subsequently, the consumer needs are packaged and presented to multiple service providers that meet a set of predetermined qualifications. The consumer needs may be presented, for example, by way of a set of heterogeneous communication devices depending upon preferences supplied by the service providers. For example, the set of heterogeneous communication devices may include facsimile, pager, mobile phone, home phone, office phone, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit, email, etc. The service providers may choose to submit a response for the consumer'"'"'s needs or reject the task. After a sufficient number of responses have been received from the pre-qualified service providers, they are presented to the consumer. The consumer may then select from the pre-qualified service providers based upon one or more objective and/or subjective factors associated with the pre-qualified service providers. For example, objective service provider qualification information may be presented to the consumer along with the service provider responses. In addition, a database of consumer-generated service provider ratings and/or reviews may be maintained and made available for consumer queries.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for matching a consumer with a home service provider comprising:

creating a database comprising home service providers and data for tracking a historical acceptance of consumer leads by each home service provider;

receiving information relating to a home service;

in response to receiving the information, providing a first list comprising tasks that relate to skills of home service providers;

receiving a selection of a task from the first list;

in response to receiving the selection of the task, forming a second list comprising home service providers from the database who match the selected task;

selecting home service providers from the second list based upon historical acceptance of consumer leads by home service providers; and

providing a third list comprising home service providers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting home service providers who match a geographical location of the consumer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising prioritizing home service providers of the second list based on the historical acceptance leads by home service providers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting home service providers from the second list based upon past response times of each respective home service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving background information from home service providers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the database comprises storing information comprising at least one of tasks performed by a home service provider, geographic region of operation, service response and fulfillment time, communication preferences, and preferences for tasks.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message that identifies a consumer to a home service provider present in the third list.

8. A computer-implemented method for matching a consumer with a home service provider comprising:

receiving background information from home service providers;

monitoring a historical acceptance of consumer leads by each home service provider;

creating a database of home service providers based on the background information received from the home service providers;

receiving information relating to a home service;

in response to receiving the information, providing a menu comprising tasks that relate to skills of home service providers;

receiving a selection of a task from the menu;

in response to receiving the selection of the task, forming a dataset comprising home service providers from the database who match the selected task; and

selecting home service providers from the dataset based upon historical acceptance of consumer leads by home service providers.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein forming the dataset further comprises selecting home service providers who match a geographical location of the consumer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein forming the dataset further comprises prioritizing home service providers of the dataset based on the historical acceptance of consumer leads by home service providers.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein forming the dataset further comprises prioritizing home service providers of the dataset based on past response times to service request.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a dataset comprising home service providers to the consumer.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the background information comprises tasks performed by a home service provider, geographic regions of operation, service response and fulfillment time, communication preference, and preferences for desired tasks.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending a message identifies a consumer to a home service provider present in the data set.

15. A system for matching a consumer with a home service provider via a distributed electronic network comprising:

a database accessible via the distributed electronic network for storing background information on home service providers and for storing a historical acceptance of consumer leads by each home service provider; and

a host server for communicating with the database and with a network device via the distributed electronic network and for executing computer-executable instructions for;

receiving information relating to a home service;

in response to receiving the information, providing a menu comprising tasks that relate to skills of home service providers;

receiving a selection of a task from the menu;

in response to receiving the selection of the task, forming a dataset comprising home service providers from the database who match the selected task; and

;

selecting home service providers from the dataset based upon historical acceptance of consumer leads by home service providers.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein forming the dataset further comprises selecting home service providers who match a geographical location of the consumer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the network device comprises a personal computer running an Internet browser application.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the host server executes instructions for providing a dataset to the consumer via the Internet.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the host server provides a dataset comprising home service providers to the consumer.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the host server prioritizes home service providers of the dataset based on the historical acceptance of consumer leads by home service providers.