System and method for an online speaker patch-through
View Patent ↗A systems and methods described herein may be incorporated into a “service marketplace” system that matches users with potential information or service providers and establishes a real-time communications connection between the user and a selected information provider. In one embodiment, an alternate is selected for the user when the service provider that the user is trying to connect with cannot be reached. In an alternative embodiment, the alternates can be used in conjunction with the service provider that does connect with the user in order to provide a second opinion or possibly deeper background information. In one embodiment, the service providers can either be a live person at the other end of the connection or a recording.
1. A system, comprising:
a first logic unit to provide a list of service providers via a communication connection, indicating a real-time availability and a rate of at least one service provider of the service providers;
a second logic unit to receive from a user a selection of a service provider from the list of service providers;
a third logic unit to attempt to establish a real-time communications connection to the selected service provider in response to the selection; and
a fourth logic unit to search a database for an alternate service provider, in response to a failed attempt to connect the selected service provider and the user, and to offer the user an option of connecting with the alternate service provider.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein, in response to a connection established between the selected service provider and the user, the fourth logic unit presents the alternate service provider after communication is completed with the service provider.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the selected service provider is an information provider.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein information of the information provider is provided as a recorded transmission.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein information of the information provider is provided as a communication with a live person.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the selection is received over a telephone connection.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the selection is received over the communication connection which includes an Internet connection.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein a set of criteria to search the database for the alternative service provider is established by a system administrator of the system.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is remote to the user.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the database is searched for the alternative service provider based at least on reliability factor indicating a ratio of successful attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users to total attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the database is searched for the alternative service provider based at least on one or more of: rate within a predetermined range of a rate of the selected service provider, and subject matter.
12. A system for establishing a real-time communication connection between two parties, the system comprising:
a communications interface; and
a controller computer linked with the communications interface, the controller computer having:
a first logic unit to provide a list of service providers over an Internet connection, indicating a real-time availability and a rate of each service provider of the service providers;
a second logic unit to receive from a user a selection of a service provider from the list of service providers;
a third logic unit to attempt to establish a real-time communications connection to the selected service provider; and
a fourth logic unit to search a database of alternate service providers, in response to a failed attempt to connect the selected service provider and the user, for an alternate service provider based on a pre-established set of criteria and to offer the user an option of connecting with the alternate service provider, wherein the set of criteria comprises one or more of: a rate within a predetermined range of a rate of the selected service provider, subject matter, and a reliability factor indicating a ratio of successful attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users to total attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the third logic unit attempts to establish a real-time communications connection between the user and the alternate service provider.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the real-time communications connection is a telephone connection.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the real-time communications connection is the Internet connection.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first logic unit provides the list of providers to the user via a web page.
17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second logic unit receives the user's selection via a web page.
18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the third logic unit provides a list of the alternate service providers to the user via a web page.
19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the selected service provider is an information provider.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the information provider's information is provided as a recorded transmission.
21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the information provider's information is provided as a communication with a live person.
22. The system of claim 12 , wherein a system administrator can establish the set of criteria.
23. The system of claim 12 , wherein a user establishes the set of criteria.
24. The system of claim 12 , wherein, in response to a connection established between the selected service provider and the user, the fourth logic unit presents the alternate service provider after communication is completed with the selected service provider.
25. A method comprising:
sending a user a list of service providers via an Internet connection, indicating a real-time availability and a rate of each service provider on the list;
receiving from the user a selection of a service provider on the list;
attempting to establish real-time communications between the user and the selected service provider; and
offering the user an option to connect to an alternate service provider elected in advance by the selected service provider, including searching a database of alternate service providers, in response to a failed attempt to connect the selected service provider and the user, for an alternate service provider based on a pre-established set of criteria comprising one or more of: a rate within a predetermined range of a rate of the selected service provider, subject matter, and a reliability factor indicating a ratio of successful attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users to total attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the communications established between the selected service provider and the user is a telephone connection.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the communications established between the selected service provider and the user is the Internet connection.
28. The method of claim 25 , in response to a connection established between the selected service provider and the user, providing the option to connect to the alternate service provider after the communications ends between the user and the selected service provider.
29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the selected service provider is an information provider.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein information of the information provider is provided as a recorded transmission.
31. The method of claim 29 , wherein information of the information provider is provided as a communication with a live person.
32. The method of claim 25 , wherein the user can determine the range.
33. The method of claim 25 , wherein a system administrator can determine the range.
34. The method of claim 25 , wherein a system administrator can establish the criteria by which a match is determined.
35. The method of claim 25 , wherein the user can establish the criteria by which a match is determined.
36. A method of rerouting a user from a selected service provider to an alternate service provider, the method comprising:
providing access to a database of alternate service providers when a selected provider cannot be reached;
searching a database of alternate service providers, in response to a failed attempt to connect the selected service provider and the user, for an alternate service provider based on a pre-established set of criteria comprising one or more of: a rate within a predetermined range of a rate of the selected service provider and a reliability factor indicating a ratio of successful attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users to total attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users; and
providing a user with a list of alternate service providers.
37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the selected service provider is an information provider.
38. The method of claim 37 , wherein information of the information provider is provided as a recorded transmission.
39. The method of claim 37 , wherein information of the information provider is provided as a communication with a live person.
40. The method of claim 36 , wherein the user can select an alternate service provider from the list and be connected to the alternate service provider.
41. The method of claim 36 , wherein the selected service provider receives a pre-established percentage of any commission paid to the alternate service provider.
42. The method of claim 36 , wherein the selected service provider is given an option to provide access to the database when the selected service provider creates an initial listing.
43. The method of claim 42 , wherein the option defaults to allow access to the database.
44. The method of claim 36 , wherein the selected service provider is notified of a missed connection with the user.
45. The method of claim 44 , wherein the notice comes in a form of an e-mail.
46. The method of claim 36 , wherein the user can determine the predetermined range.
47. The method of claim 36 , wherein a system administrator can determine the predetermined range.
48. The method of claim 36 , wherein a system administrator can establish the criteria by which a match is determined.
49. The method of claim 36 , wherein the user can establish the criteria by which a match is determined.
50. A computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a sequence of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method comprising:
sending a user a list of service providers via an Internet connection, indicating a real-time availability and a rate of each service provided on the list;
receiving from the user a selection of a service provider;
attempting to establish real-time communications between the user and the selected service provider; and
offering the user an option to connect to an alternate service provider elected in advance by the selected service provider, including searching a database of alternate service providers, in response to a failed attempt to connect the selected service provider and the user, for an alternate service provider based on a pre-established set of criteria comprising one or more of: a rate within a predetermined range of a rate of the selected service provider and a reliability factor indicating a ratio of successful attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users to total attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users.
51. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 50 , wherein the communication established between the selected service provider and the user is a telephone connection.
52. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 50 , wherein the communication established between the selected service provider and the user is an Internet connection.
53. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 50 , wherein the option to connect to the alternate service provider is sent after the communications ends between the user and the selected service provider.
54. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 50 , wherein the selected service provider is an information provider.
55. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 54 , wherein information of the information provider is provided as a recorded transmission.
56. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 54 , wherein information of the information provider is provided as a communication with a live person.
57. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 50 , wherein the user can determine the range.
58. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 50 , wherein a system administrator can determine the range.
59. The computer-readable medium of claim 50 , wherein a system administrator establish the criteria by which a match is determined.
60. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 50 , wherein the user can establish the criteria by which a match is determined.
61. A system for establishing a real-time communication connection between two parties, the system comprising:
a communications interface; and
a controller computer linked with the communications interface, the controller computer having:
a first logic unit to provide a list of service providers via an Internet connection, the list to indicate a real-time availability and a rate of each of the service providers;
a second logic unit to receive from a user a selection of a service provider from the list of service providers;
a third logic unit to attempt to establish a real-time communications connection to the selected service provider; and
a fourth logic unit to search a database of alternate service providers, in response to a failed attempt to connect the selected service provider and the user, for an alternate service provider based on a pre-established set of criteria and to offer the user an option of connecting with the alternate service provider, wherein the set of criteria comprises one or more of: a rate within a predetermined range of a rate of the selected service provider and a reliability factor indicating a ratio of successful attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users to total attempts to connect the alternate service provider and previous users, the fourth logic unit to reconnect the selected service provider to the user when the selected service provider signals availability.
62. The system of claim 61 , wherein the user can specify a method by which the selected service provider is reconnected with the user.
63. The system of claim 61 , wherein the user can set a time limit on when to reconnect to the selected service provider.