Granted Patent B2

US 8,417,552 · App. 12/175,298 · Granted Apr 9, 2013

Abstract

Claims (65)

1. A method of delegating a service order to a plurality of service providers registered on a service provider computer network, the method comprising:

establishing a computer data repository of a first tier of the service providers;

establishing a computer data repository of a second tier of the service providers;

routing the service order to the first tier of service providers;

routing the service order to the second tier of service providers if the service order is not accepted by one of the first tier service providers; and

re-establishing the first and second tiers on a periodic basis, wherein re-establishing the first and second tiers comprises:

determining costs associated with the service providers based on a cost function;

re-allocating first tier service providers having costs greater than a first threshold to the second tier; and

re-allocating second tier service providers having costs lower than a second threshold to the first tier.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first tier of service providers is mutually exclusive from the second tier of service providers.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein routing the service order to the second tier of service providers if the service order is not accepted by one of the first tier service providers comprises:

routing the service order to the second tier of service providers if the service order is not accepted by one of the first tier service providers within a predetermined amount of time.

4. A method of delegating a service order to a plurality of service providers on a computer network comprising:

registering on a service provider computer network, a first portion of service providers categorized into a first category of service providers and a second portion of service providers categorized into a second category of service;

establishing a first tier of the first portion of service providers;

establishing a second tier of the first portion of service providers;

establishing a first tier of the second portion of service providers;

establishing a second tier of the second portion of service providers;

routing the service order to the first tier of the first portion of service providers when the service order corresponds to the first category of service providers;

routing the service order to the second tier of the first portion of service providers if the service order is not accepted by one of the first tier of the first portion of service providers;

routing the service order to the first tier of the second portion of service providers when the service order corresponds to the second category of service providers;

routing the service order to the second tier of the second portion of service providers if the service order is not accepted by one of the first tier of the second portion of service providers; and

re-establishing the first and second tiers on a periodic basis, wherein re-establishing the first and second tiers comprises:

determining costs associated with the service providers based on a cost function;

re-allocating first tier service providers having costs greater than a first threshold to the second tier; and

re-allocating second tier service providers having costs lower than a second threshold to the first tier.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first category corresponds to a first geographic area and the second category corresponds to a second geographic area.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first category corresponds to a first service type and the second category corresponds to a second service type.

7. A method of delegating a service order to a plurality of service providers on a computer network comprising:

registering the plurality of service providers on a service provider computer network;

receiving service provider criteria from a buyer;

determining a first tier of the service providers based on the service provider criteria;

determining a second tier of the service providers based on the service provider criteria;

receiving the service order from the buyer;

routing the service order to the first tier of service providers;

routing the service order to the second tier of service providers if the service order is not accepted by one of the first tier service providers; and

re-establishing the first and second tiers on a periodic basis, wherein re-establishing the first and second tiers comprises:

determining costs associated with the service providers based on a cost function;

re-allocating first tier service providers having costs greater than a first threshold to the second tier; and

re-allocating second tier service provider's having costs lower than a second threshold to the first tier.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

providing a user interface for the buyer to view allocation of the service providers between the first tier and the second tier.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein determining the first tier of the service providers based on the service provider criteria comprises:

creating an invitation to join the first tier based upon the criteria;

sending the invitation to those service providers that meet a minimum degree of the criteria;

receiving one or more acceptances from one or more of the service providers that meet the minimum degree of the criteria; and

allocating the accepting service providers to the first tier.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein determining the second tier of the service providers based on the service provider criteria comprises:

allocating the non-accepting service providers to the second tier.

11. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

attaching a document to the invitation before sending the invitation.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the document comprises a contract, the method further comprising:

receiving executed versions of the contract from the one or more of the service providers that meet the minimum degree of the criteria.

13. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a request from a particular service provider for consideration for the first tier;

evaluating the particular service provider relative to the criteria; and

sending the invitation to the particular service provider if the particular service provider meets the minimum degree of the criteria.

14. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

screening the invitation before it is sent to ensure that the buyer is not spamming the service providers.

15. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

providing a user interface to the buyer for the buyer to monitor acceptances received from the one or more of the service providers that meet the minimum degree of the criteria.

16. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the buyer is a first buyer, the method further comprising:

analyzing first profile characteristics of the first buyer;

determining a second buyer that has second profile characteristics that match the first profile characteristics of the first buyer to a certain degree; and

generating recommended service provider criteria for the first buyer to consider based on the second buyer's prior experience with certain service providers.

Assignments (18)