# US 2014/0156389 A1 · Interactive consumer level servicing portal with per-use user payment

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- Number: US 2014/0156389 A1
- Document ID: US20140156389A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/693,917
- Filed: 2012-12-04
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04
- Assignees: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
- Applicants: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporat
- Inventors: Michael Roberts
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156389A1

## CPC

- G06Q 30/016: After-sales
- G06Q 30/015: Providing customer assistance, e.g. assisting a customer within a business location or via helpdesk
- G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- 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

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for helping a consumer to solve a problem associated with a product. During operation, the system receives, via a web portal, a description of the problem from the consumer; generates a list of experts based on the description of the problem; receives a selection of an expert based on the list from the consumer; and establishes a online session between the consumer and the selected expert, thereby facilitating the expert in helping the consumer to solve the problem.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-executable method, the method comprising:
receiving, from a user, a description of a problem associated with a product;
generating, by one or more computers, a list of experts based on the description of the problem;
receiving a selection of an expert in the list;
establishing, by one or more computers, an online session between the user and the selected expert, thereby facilitating the expert in helping the user to solve the problem;
selecting, from a model library by the one or more computers, a 3-dimensional (3-D) model that matches the product in the user's description of the problem, wherein the 3-D model contains topographical information and movement constraints corresponding to the product; and
providing the 3-D model to the user and the expert during the online session, by the one or more computers, so that the 3-D model is collaboratively manipulated by the user and the expert.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, from a client device, the 3-D model associated with the product;
storing the 3-D model in the model library in association with a manufacturer or a model number for the product;
receiving commands that change an appearance of the 3-D model; and
updating the 3-D model based on the received commands.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the commands are received from at least one of:
the consumer; and
the expert.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the list further comprises rankings associated with the experts.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, from a second expert, a solution for the problem; and
in response to displaying the solution to a consumer, making a payment to the second expert.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the solution is displayed on a web page that comprises advertisements, and wherein the payment to the second expert is determined based on revenue associated with the advertisements.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the solution includes an animation constructed based on the 3-D model.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a time duration of the online session;
receiving a first payment from the consumer based on the time duration; and
making a second payment to the expert based on the time duration.

### Claim 9

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving a description of a problem associated with a product;
generating a list of experts based on the description of the problem;
receiving a selection of an expert in the list;
establishing an online session between the user and the selected expert, thereby facilitating the expert in helping the user to solve the problem;
selecting, from a model library, a 3-dimensional (3-D) model that matches the product in the user's description of the problem, wherein the 3-D model contains topographical information and movement constraints corresponding to the product; and
providing the 3-D model during the online session to the user and the expert, so that the 3-D model is collaboratively manipulated by the user and the expert.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from a client device, the 3-D model model associated with the product;
storing the 3-D model in the model library in association with a manufacturer or a model number for the product;
receiving commands that change an appearance of the 3-D model; and
updating the 3-D model based on the received commands.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the commands are received from at least one of:
the consumer; and
the expert.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the list further comprises rankings associated with the experts.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from a second expert, a solution for the problem; and
in response to displaying the solution to a consumer, making a payment to the second expert.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the solution is displayed on a web page that comprises advertisements, and wherein the payment to the second expert is determined based on revenue associated with the advertisements.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:
determining a time duration of the online session;
receiving a first payment from the consumer based on the time duration; and
making a second payment to the expert based on the time duration.

### Claim 16

A server for a web portal, comprising:
a processor;
a memory;
a receiving mechanism configured to receive a description of a problem associated with a product;
a generation mechanism configured to generate a list of experts based on the description of the problem;
an expert-selection receiving mechanism configured to receive a selection of an expert in the list;
an online-session module configured to establish an online session between the user and the selected expert, thereby facilitating the expert in helping the user to solve the problem;
a selection mechanism configured to select a 3-dimensional (3-D) model that matches the product in the user's description of the problem, wherein the 3-D model contains topographical information and movement constraints corresponding to the product; and
a model-providing mechanism configured to provide the 3-D model to the user and the expert during the online session, so that the 3-D model is collaboratively manipulated by the user and the expert.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The server of claim 16, further comprising:
a model-uploading mechanism configured to receive, from a client device, the 3-D model associated with the product;
storing the 3-D model in the model library in association with a manufacturer or a model number for the product;
a command-receiving mechanism configured to receive commands that change an appearance of the 3-D model; and
a model-updating mechanism configured to update the 3-D model based on the received commands.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The server of claim 17, wherein the command-receiving mechanism is configured to receive commands from at least one of:
the consumer; and
the expert.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The server of claim 16, wherein the list further comprises rankings associated with the experts.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The server of claim 16, further comprising:
a solution-receiving mechanism configured to receive, from a second expert, a solution for the problem;
a displaying mechanism configured to display the solution to a consumer; and
a compensation mechanism configured to, in response to the displaying mechanism displaying the solution to the consumer, make a payment to the second expert.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The server of claim 20, wherein the display mechanism is further configured to display advertisements while displaying the solution, and wherein while making the payment to the second expert, the compensation mechanism is further configured to calculate revenue associated with the advertisements.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The server of claim 16, further comprising a payment module configured to:
determine a time duration of the online session;
receive a first payment from the consumer based on the time duration; and
make a second payment to the expert based on the time duration.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

the method of claim 1, wherein providing the 3-D model to the user and the expert during the online session involves:
receiving, from one of the expert or the user, commands which modify the 3-D model; and
sending, to the other of the expert and the user, the modifications to the 3-D model that result from executing the commands.