# US 10,121,153 B1 · Online escrow service > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,153 B1 - Document ID: US10121153B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 13/109,818 - Filed: 2011-05-17 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-15 - Assignees: Elance, Inc. - Applicants: Jonathan Paul Diller; Rajasekhar L. Kovuru; James Kang-Koog Lee - Inventors: Jonathan Paul Diller; Rajasekhar L. Kovuru; James Kang-Koog Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121153B1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 20/10: specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems - G06Q 20/12: specially adapted for electronic shopping systems - G06Q 20/207: {Tax processing} - G06Q 20/389: {Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction} - G06Q 30/0619: {Neutral agent} - G06Q 40/02: Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance (credit or loans G06Q40/03) - G06Q 50/16: Real estate - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A method of using an escrow service within a services exchange medium allows a buyer to deposit asset for a project into escrow. The asset is released to a service provider once the project is completed and approved by the buyer. The buyer and the service provider are able to ascribe escrow status to the project before starting the project. The buyer is able to upon posting the project. The service provider is able to while bidding on the project even if the buyer had not ascribe the escrow status to the project upon posting. The escrow service includes a tax filing feature and a dispute assistance feature. The tax filing feature issues 1099 U.S. federal tax forms on behalf of U.S. buyers to the I.R.S. after each tax year. The dispute assistance feature facilitates discussion between the service provider and the buyer to foster a resolution of a dispute. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method of optimizing performance in a services exchange medium, the method comprising: receiving from a first end user device a request to create a job post of a project that a buyer needs completed; receiving from a second end user device a request to create an online profile of a service provider; publishing the job post of the project that the buyer needs completed and the online profile of the service provider within the services exchange medium such that the job post and the online are searchable by viewers; and providing a networked platform communicatively coupling the first end user device and the second end user device, wherein the networked platform includes online resources configured to facilitate completion of the project by the service provider, wherein the online resources include an online escrow service and a private message board, wherein the private message board maintains a written record of communication between the buyer and the service provider, wherein the communication includes internal message board posts that originate from inside of the services exchange medium and external email exchanges that originate from outside of the services exchange medium to improve overall throughput of the computing device by reducing the total number of simultaneous client connections with the computing device necessary for the maintenance of the written record, wherein the communication includes establishment of a plurality of tasks for the job, wherein a finished work product associated with each of the plurality of tasks is transmitted to the buyer via the private message board; presenting an user interface allowing a user to choose between a standard payment option and an escrow payment option for each of the plurality of tasks associated with the project, wherein the project is visibly distinguished as an escrow project from non-escrowed projects in the online services exchange medium upon the user choosing the escrow payment option for at least one of the plurality of tasks associated with the project; automatically generating and transmitting to the buyer a request for funding of a task designated by the user as using the escrow payment option; interfacing with the online escrow service configured to secure an asset for the task designated by the user as using the escrow payment option; periodically transmitting a status report to the buyer until the task is completed; automatically generating and transmitting to the buyer a notification of the service provider completing the task; transmitting an invoice for the task, wherein all transmitted status reports are appended with the invoice; releasing the asset from escrow upon a predetermined event; and transmitting a finished work product associated with the task via the private message board. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the task is a milestone for the project. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising receiving the asset from the buyer after automatically generating and transmitting the buyer a request for funding of a task. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, further comprising depositing the asset into escrow after receiving the asset from the buyer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is the buyer approving completion of the task, and wherein the asset is released to the service provider. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising filing a U.S. federal tax form in response to releasing the asset from escrow. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising utilizing a dispute assistance feature to settle a dispute arising from the task. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the dispute assistance feature is at least one of self-resolution, dispute support offered by the services exchange medium, and arbitration offered by a third party. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein automatically generating and transmitting to the buyer a request for funding of a task is in response to the buyer posting the task to the online services exchange medium and selecting the escrow payment option. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein automatically generating and transmitting to the buyer a request for funding of a task is in response to the service provider indicating on the online services exchange medium that the service provider has completed the task. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is the buyer approving the completion of the task, and wherein the asset is released to a third party. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the escrow has been funded, and wherein the notification further comprises a release-asset message. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein automatically generating and transmitting to the buyer a request for funding of a task is in response to the service provider ascribes the escrow payment option while bidding on the task. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising ascribing the project escrow status, wherein the escrow payment option is selected for at least one of the plurality of tasks. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the notification is an instant message. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the notification is a phone call. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising, prior to receiving funding for the task, presenting a service policy of the services exchange medium to the buyer, wherein the buyer is required to read and agree to the policy. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the transmitted status reports include at least one report generated upon a request from the buyer. ### Claim 19 A method of optimizing performance in a services exchange medium, comprising: maintaining a plurality of service provider profiles in a data store accessible by the services exchange medium; maintaining a plurality of job posts in the data store, wherein each of the plurality of job posts is associated with a job to be completed within the service exchange medium; providing a networked platform configured to connect a service provider with a buyer of the services exchange medium based on a profile of the service provider and a job post of the buyer, wherein the networked platform includes online resources configured to facilitate completion of a project by the service provider, wherein the project is associated with the job post of the buyer, wherein the online resources include an online escrow service and a private message board, wherein the private message board maintains a written record of communication between the buyer and the service provider, wherein the communication includes internal message board posts that originate from inside of the services exchange medium and external email exchanges that originate from outside of the services exchange medium to improve overall throughput of the computing device by reducing the total number of simultaneous client connections with the services exchange medium necessary for the maintenance of the written record, wherein the communication includes establishment of a plurality of tasks for the job, wherein each of the plurality of tasks is selectably associated with either a standard payment option or an escrow payment option; interfacing with the online escrow service to pay for performance by the service provider of at least one of the plurality of tasks designated as using the escrow payment option; automatically generating and transmitting to the buyer a request for funding of the at least one of the plurality of tasks designated as using the escrow payment option; communicating with a remote account that is located outside of the services exchange medium, thereby resulting in a charge to the remote account, wherein the charge is associated with the request for funding; periodically transmitting a status report to the buyer until the at least one of the plurality of tasks is completed; automatically generating and transmitting to the buyer a notification of the service provider completing the at least one of the plurality of tasks; transmitting an invoice for the at least one of the plurality of tasks, wherein all transmitted status reports are appended with the invoice; releasing an asset for the at least one of the plurality of tasks from escrow; and transmitting a finished work product associated with the at least one of the plurality of tasks via the private message board. ### Claim 20 A method of optimizing performance in a services exchange medium, comprising: maintaining a plurality of buyer profiles and a plurality of service provider profiles in a data store hosted by the services exchange medium, wherein each buyer profile and each service provider profile is associated with a respective buyer and a respective service provider, and each service provider profile comprises service provider expertise associated with its respective service provider; maintaining a plurality of job posts in the data store, wherein each of the plurality of job posts is associated with a job to be completed within the service exchange medium; providing a networked platform configured to connect a selected service provider with a buyer of the services exchange medium, the selection based on the service provider expertise of the selected service provider profile and a job post of the buyer, wherein the networked platform includes online resources configured to facilitate completion of a project by the selected service provider, wherein the project is associated with the job post of the buyer, wherein the online resources include an online escrow service and a private message board, wherein the private message board maintains a written record of communication between the buyer and the service provider, wherein the communication includes internal message board posts that originate from inside of the services exchange medium and external email exchanges that originate from outside of the services exchange medium to improve overall throughput of the computing device by reducing the total number of simultaneous client connections with the services exchange medium necessary for the maintenance of the written record, wherein the communication includes establishment of a plurality of tasks for the job, wherein each of the plurality of tasks is selectably associated with either a standard payment option or an escrow payment option; automatically generating and transmitting to the buyer a request for funding of the at least one of the plurality of tasks designated as using the escrow payment option; communicating with a remote account that is located outside of the services exchange medium, thereby resulting in a charge to the remote account, wherein the charge is associated with the request for funding; periodically transmitting a status report to the buyer until the at least one of the plurality of tasks is completed; automatically generating and transmitting to the buyer a notification of the service provider completing the at least one of the plurality of tasks; transmitting an invoice for the at least one of the plurality of tasks, wherein all transmitted status reports are appended with the invoice; releasing an asset for the at least one of the plurality of tasks from escrow; and transmitting a finished work product associated with the task via the private message board.