IP Library Granted Patent US 11,086,951
Granted Patent B1
US 11,086,951 · App. 16/705,130 · Granted Aug 10, 2021

System and methods for enabling disintermediated communication associated with search operations

Inventor: Fabrice Saporito (Brookline, MA)
Assignee: COUPA SOFTWARE INCORPORATED
G06F16/9535H04L51/04H04L67/1097
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,086,951
App. No.
16/705,130
Granted
Aug 10, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for network communication disintermediation, including providing a search platform where the query terms employed by one party become a searchable medium which is usable by a second party, therefore disintermediating traditional search engines. Further, the system and methods provide for activatable communication channels which may be used to open lines of communication between different users when their interests, e.g. search query terms, etc., align. The system's servers generate searchable compilations of users' query terms, which other users may access. In some cases, the users may establish communication channels with other users based on the content of their query terms. The disclosed systems and methods provide for a number of additional functionalities, including the generation of alerts and search results.

Claims (44)

1. A computer system for establishing communication channels based on a query, the system comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to perform:

receiving, from a plurality of supplier computers, a plurality of connecting terms, wherein each supplier computer is associated with a unique supplier identifier and each supplier computer communicates one or more connecting terms, wherein each connecting term describes a product or a supplier;

generating a first compilation comprising the plurality of connecting terms and each unique supplier identifier;

receiving, from a buyer computer associated with a unique buyer identifier, a search query comprising one or more query terms describing a specific list of products;

in response to receiving the search query, performing a first search using the one or more query terms on the first compilation;

transmitting, to the buyer computer, a result based on an at least partial match between a query term and a connecting term;

transmitting, to a supplier computer, an alert based on an at least partial match between a query term and a connecting term, the alert including an option to activate an activatable communication channel with the buyer computer.

2. The system of claim 1 , the alert including the search query or profile information associated with the buyer computer.

3. The system of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

generating a second compilation comprising buyer computer identifiers and query terms from multiple buyer computers;

receiving a compilation request from a second supplier computer;

transmitting a compilation response to the second supplier computer.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the buyer computer comprises a first buyer computer associated with a first unique buyer identifier, the method further comprising:

receiving, from a second buyer computer associated with a second unique buyer identifier, a request to view a result of the first search;

transmitting, to the second buyer computer, a result of the first search including the first unique buyer identifier.

5. The system of claim 1 , the connecting term being a string of characters or an image.

6. The system of claim 1 , the one or more query terms being derived from advertising data provided by the supplier computer or reviews of the specific supplier or the specific list of products provided by buyers.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein each buyer identifier of the plurality of buyer identifiers comprises profile information or geolocation location associated with the buyer identifier.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the supplier computer, a selection of the option to activate the communication channel included in the alert;

establishing a communication channel between the supplier computer and the buyer computer, wherein the buyer computer identifier is anonymous.

9. A computer-implemented method of allowing a query for search terms to establish appropriate communication channels, comprising:

receiving, from a plurality of supplier computers, a plurality of connecting terms, wherein each supplier computer is associated with a unique supplier identifier and each supplier computer communicates one or more connecting terms, wherein each connecting term describes a product or a supplier;

generating a first compilation comprising the plurality of connecting terms and each unique supplier identifier;

receiving, from a buyer computer associated with a unique buyer identifier, a search query comprising one or more query terms describing a specific list of products;

performing, by a processor, a first search using the one or more query terms on the first compilation;

transmitting, to the buyer computer, a result based on an at least partial match between a query term and a connecting term;

transmitting, to a supplier computer, an alert based on an at least partial match between a query term and a connecting term, the alert including an option to activate an activatable communication channel with the buyer computer.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , the alert including the search query or profile information associated with the buyer computer.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising:

generating a second compilation comprising buyer computer identifiers and query terms from multiple buyer computers;

receiving a compilation request from a second supplier computer;

transmitting a compilation response to the second supplier computer.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the buyer computer comprises a first buyer computer associated with a first unique buyer identifier, the method further comprising:

receiving, from a second buyer computer associated with a second unique buyer identifier, a request to view a result of the first search;

transmitting, to the second buyer computer, a result of the first search including the first unique buyer identifier.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , the connecting term being a string of characters or an image.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , the one or more connecting terms being derived from advertising data provided by the supplier computer or reviews of the specific supplier or the specific list of products provided by buyers.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein each buyer identifier of the plurality of buyer identifiers comprises profile information or geolocation location associated with the buyer identifier.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving, from the second buyer computer, a selection of the option to activate the activatable communication channel included in the alert;

establishing a communication channel between the second buyer computer and the specific supplier computer, wherein the buyer computer identifier is anonymous.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2023
From: COUPA SOFTWARE INCORPORATED; YAPTA, INC.
To: SSLP LENDING, LLC
Reel/Frame 062887/0181 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2021
From: SAPORITO, FABRICE
To: KOBLE INC.
Reel/Frame 055889/0657 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 12, 2021
From: KOBLE INC.
To: COUPA SOFTWARE INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 055889/0759 →
Continuity (1)
Continuation 16234040 · Dec 27, 2018