Method and system for facilitating the exchange of information between human users in a networked computer system
US5948054A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 27, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 7, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 27, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/329
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a networked computer system including a customer computer associated with a human customer, one or more consultant computers associated with one or more human consultants, and a server computer, the human customer sends an information request to the server via the customer computer. The request, which includes a question that the customer wishes to have answered, does not specify a consultant from which the answer may be obtained. In response, the server determines which one or ones of the consultants is qualified to provide the requested information. The server then solicits the requested information from one or more of the qualified consultants. If at least one of the qualified consultants decides to provide the requested information, then the server receives the information from the consultant via one of the consultant computers. Thereafter, the server sends the information to the customer via the customer computer. In this manner, the server matches the human customer with the question with a human consultant with the answer. By doing so, the sever enables the customer to obtain an answer to his question without knowing up front which consultant has sufficient knowledge to p…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.