Assistance method and apparatus
AssigneeKeen.com, Inc.
InventorRandall B. Lauffer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention provides for a method of (or apparatus for) facilitating the delivery of advice to consumers using a server unit which can store and display the names and characteristics of experts and then rapidly assist in connecting the expert and consumer for real-time communication. The server can also have the ability to receive keywords from the consumer, match those keywords to one or more experts, and tell the consumer how to contact an expert.
Claims41
A method of connecting two parties in real time, the method comprising:
- providing a set of experts to a consumer via a connection with said consumer prior to the consumer submitting a question;
- indicating whether each expert is currently available to telephonically communicate with said consumer at a time when said consumer is provided with the set of experts;
- in response to the consumer selecting an expert from the set, automatically establishing a telephonic connection between the expert and the consumer prior to the consumer submitting a question to the expert;
- and
- said automatically establishing the telephonic connection includes a central controller placing a telephone call to said consumer, and said central controller placing a telephone call to said expert.
A system for connecting two parties in real time, the system comprising:
- a database to store information about a plurality of experts;
- a first logic unit linked with the database to provide a set of experts to a consumer prior to the consumer submitting a question, to indicate individually whether each expert is currently available to telephonically communicate with said consumer at a time when the set is provided;
- and
- a second logic unit linked with the database to automatically establish, in response to the consumer selecting an expert from the set, a telephonic connection between the expert and the consumer prior to the consumer submitting a question to the expert;
- said second logic unit automatically establishing the telephonic connection by a central controller placing a telephone call to said consumer, and said central controller placing a telephone call to said expert.
A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:
- providing a set of experts to a consumer via a connection with said consumer prior to the consumer submitting a question;
- indicating whether each expert is currently available to telephonically communicate with said consumer at a time when said consumer is provided with the set of experts;
- in response to the consumer selecting an expert from the set, automatically establishing a telephonic connection between the expert and the consumer prior to the consumer submitting a question to the expert;
- and
- said automatically establishing the telephonic connection includes a central controller placing a telephone call to said consumer, and said central controller placing a telephone call to said expert.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.