Method and system to contact a provider

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9800732-B2
Application number	US-63803506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2006
Priority date	Dec 13, 2006
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A method and system to contact a provider are described. The system may include a communication module to receive a referral request, a referral generator, and a call module. The referral generator may be configured to respond to the referral request by selecting a provider from a network of providers. The call module may be configured to initiate a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call in order to contact the selected provider.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
at least one processor coupled to a memory;
a Graphical User Interface (GUI), the GUI comprising:
a call visual control associated with a particular service, the particular service associated with a plurality of providers in an on-line referral service, information about the plurality of providers being maintained by the on-line referral service, and
one or more selection visual controls associated with the particular service to permit a user to submit selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service, the call visual control and the one or more visual controls provided on the same screen of the GUI;
a communication module implemented using the at least one processor to:
detect activation of the one or more selection visual controls,
in response to the detecting of the activation of the one or more selection visual controls determine the selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service,
in response to the detection of the activation of the one or more selection visual controls, automatically controlling communication of a referral request to the on-line referral service;
a referral generator, implemented using the at least one processor, to receive the referral request, to determine that the referral request includes the selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service, and to automatically select, from the plurality of providers, a provider of the particular service, in response to the referral request and based on the selection criteria; and
a call module, implemented using at least one processor, to automatically initiate a communication with the selected provider subsequent to the receiving of the referral request and subsequently to the selecting of the provider based on the selection criteria.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the referral generator is to select the provider of the particular service utilizing business rules.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria is associated with demographic information of a provider.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein data associated with the plurality of providers is organized utilizing demo graphic information of the plurality of providers.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the activation of the call visual control is indicative of a referral request, the leads manager to store information associated with an originator of the referral request.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the leads manager is to make the information associated with the originator of the referral request available to the selected provider.

8. The system of claim 1 , comprising a leads manager to determine, using the at least one processor, metrics associated with the initiated communication.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the leads manager is to:
monitor duration of the communication; and
based on the duration of the communication, identify the communication as a generated lead.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the leads manager is to calculate fees to be charged to the selected provider.

11. A method comprising:
detecting, using at least one processor coupled to a memory, activation of one or more selection visual controls, the one or more selection visual controls associated with a particular service, to permit a user to submit selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service, the particular service associated with a plurality of providers in an on-referral service, information about the plurality of providers being maintained by the on-line referral service;
in response to the detecting of the activation of the one or more selection visual controls, determining the selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service, the call visual control and the one or more visual controls provided on the same screen of a Graphical User Interface (GUI);
detecting, at the computer system, activation of the call visual control, the activation of the call visual control causing communication of a referral request to the on-line referral service;
in response to the detecting of activation of the call visual control, accessing the selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service and selecting a provider of the particular service based on the selection criteria;
determining that the referral request includes the selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service;
automatically selecting, from the plurality of providers, a provider of the particular service, in response to the referral request and based on the selection criteria; and
using a call module, implemented using at least one processor, automatically initiating a communication with the selected provider subsequent to the receiving of the referral request and subsequently to the selecting of the provider based on the selection criteria.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining of the metrics includes determining duration of the communication.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the communication is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call.

14. The method of claim 11 , comprising storing information associated with an originator of the referral request and making the information associated with the originator of the referral request available to the selected provider.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the selecting of the provider from the plurality of providers comprises selecting the provider utilizing business rules.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the selection criteria is associated with demographic information of a provider from the network of member providers.

17. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
determining metrics associated with the communication; and
based on the metrics, identifying the communication as a generated lead.

18. The method of claim 17 , comprising calculating fees to be charged to the selected provider.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instruction data to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:
detecting, at a computer system, activation of one or more selection visual controls, the one or more selection visual controls associated with a particular service, to permit a user to submit selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service, the particular service associated with a plurality of providers in an on-referral service, information about the plurality of providers being maintained by the on-line referral service;
in response to the detecting of the activation of the one or more selection visual controls, determining the selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service, the call visual control and the one or more visual controls provided on the same screen of a Graphical User Interface (GUI);
detecting, at the computer system, activation of the call visual control, the activation of the call visual control causing communication of a referral request to the on-line referral service;
in response to the detecting of activation of the call visual control, accessing the selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service and selecting a provider of the particular service based on the selection criteria;
determining that the referral request includes the selection criteria with respect to a provider of the particular service;
automatically selecting, from the plurality of provider

Assignees

• Stuart Erik Anderson
• Shirk Valerie K
• Steinhorn Jason Scott
• Ebay Inc

Inventors

• Stuart Erik Anderson
• Shirk Valerie K
• Steinhorn Jason Scott

Classifications

• G06Q30/00

  Commerce · CPC title

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• H04M7/003 Primary

  Click to dial services · CPC title