FIELD OF INVENTION
[001] The present invention is directed to connecting consumers with service providers. More particularly, the invention relates to providing a specialized search engine for searching, identifying and selecting professional service providers.
BACKGROUND
[002] The present invention is a result of a number of factors which have become part of our lives over the last few years including the growing demand for professional services, advances in data transmission, the rapid expansion of the communications networks and the communication tools, the expansion of the search engine market, and the personalized and customized online experience via profiling, compatibility, scheduling, and matchmaking technologies.
[003] This system and method of delivery will accommodate a society and economy that is more mobile, connected, social and customer centric. This invention will fulfil the needs of a global economy in which knowledge capital is the most viable path to achieving goals, finding solutions and enhancing skills.
[004] The invention relates to a system and method for finding professional services and professional service providers to individuals and organizations over the communication networks via an online platform which would provide listing, profiling, searching, scheduling, reservation, online consultation, access and feedback components. The instant dissemination of knowledge capital by experts who specialize in providing professional services in several fields, including education, information technology, healthcare, law, financial planning and advising etc. is transforming the global economy so that individuals and organizations will always be able to connect with knowledge providers for support, guidance, information and advice.
[005] The online environment has created burgeoning e-Commerce communities of buyers and sellers of mostly physical goods. With an accelerating economy and a greater emphasis on customer-centric technologies, more consumers and organizations will participate in an online environment to interact with knowledge experts over the communications networks to receive fast and personalized solutions, information and guidance and to engage the skills and services of these knowledge expert providers anytime, anywhere.
[006] Some systems have been earlier developed to connect consumers and their providers over the Internet and the World Wide Web. Some systems use e-mail messaging and web-based forms to increase the level of connectivity between a consumer and a service provider. The consumer sends an e-mail or goes to a website that generates and sends a message (typically an e-mail or an e-mail type message) to a service provider.
[007] While generally viewed as an addition to the spectrum of services that may be desired by consumers, the benefits of such services are not clear. One of the concerns associated with offering additional communication channels, such as e-mail, is that it can result in over consumption of services, rather than provide for better coordination.
[008] While limited to only a few projects, plans are embracing the notion of consumerism by offering advanced tools for consumers to become informed and acquire the required services. Facilitating timely and more organized communication between the consumers and service provider is perceived as a natural investment in the new consumer-driven world. While still at an early stage, interest in electronically finding a service provider has picked up in the commercial world. Vendors offering services typically now describe their roadmap for the incorporation (or interfacing with) online platforms and environments.
[009] In conclusion, the invention provides a convenient and customized system and method for searching and delivery of services with listing, profiling, scheduling and online commerce components.
SUMMARY
[0010] The invention is generally focused on a method and system for the delivery and integration of real-time professional services over the communications networks such as the internet via an online environment. The system provides an end-to-end service to users including searching, selection, procurement, reservation, and delivery. Users will engage the services of knowledge experts after communicating their needs, selecting providers based on profiles or after accessing the website's search engine for a compatible match, and scheduling a session or appointment, with a knowledge provider from the database.
[0011] In general, in one aspect, a request is received from a consumer of services to consult with a service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider, an available service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes is identified, and a communication channel is provided to establish a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider.
[0012] Users can review the profiles and ratings of providers before making a selection and can select the services of a provider for a scheduled event with a provider for the delivery of services after making a payment through a variety of online payment methods.
[0013] The primary purpose of the present invention is to enable users to access the services of an extensive database of profiled knowledge experts anywhere, anytime, while accommodating the growing online commerce environment and providing a personalized and customized interactive experience. Without this invention, it is unlikely any individual user would have access to such a broad selection of available service providers.
[0014] Accordingly, the present invention provides a fast, easy, and convenient way for individuals and organizations to search, select and to connect with a database of service providers by a searching and matching system, to purchase these services via an online environment, to schedule and engage the services of professional service providers over the communication networks such as internet. Finally, the present invention facilitates real-time interactive sessions and events in which users require the expertise or knowledge of providers when there are specific time constraints.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0015] The following description of illustrative embodiments is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings:
[0016] Fig. 1 depicts a typical information registration form for professional services provider in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0017] Fig. 2 depicts a search results page along with search filtering options in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] Fig. 3 depicts the landing page for searching the services providing the broad example categories of services.
DESCRIPTION
[0019] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a new online hub is created that is focused primarily on professional services. There users and service providers on the online hub are able to work in an environment which eliminates geographical and time limitations, and the service providers are able to control their availability easily. The professional service providers could be individuals or business entities.
[0020] The service providers would be able to update and control their profiles wherein they will be able to fill in details of their specialization, country, city, locality, keywords, skills and specialization, charges for professional services. In an embodiment of the invention, the system incorporates the information about the usertype and community based on specialization entered. For eg. If a user enters specialization as “Cardiologist”, the user will be assigned the usertype “Healthcare” and community “Doctor” by the system itself.
[0021] The service providers will also have access to an appointment scheduler which would allow them to customize and manage their appointment timings. Providers will be able to offer their services to users in an optimized fashion whereby schedules are submitted and frequently updated so that users have many choices of dates, times, and service providers.
[0022] There are many potential ways that services can be listed by providers and located by users. The present invention integrates an advanced search engine that specializes in searching for professional services. Users seeking professional services can search for providers on the basis of keywords. Advance search functionality provides user with a number of filtering options to allow the user to search, identify and select the right professional service provider. Such filtering can be on the basis of location, specialization, skills of providers, ratings, professional charges, availability,, etc.
[0023] An important benefit of the disclosed method is that a user has the ability to search and contact service providers anywhere in the world. For eg., a person in India could possibly contact and consult a doctor in the USA for obtaining an opinion. The present invention thus removes the borders in connection with obtaining professional services.
[0024] Once the user has identified the provider and time block they wish to take an appointment for, they can purchase the service immediately through established e-commerce methodologies. Once the purchase has been confirmed, the user may settle their account through any number of established online payment methods. Users of the disclosed system will be able to search for professional services in ways similar to the present practices of searching for physical goods on online platforms.
[0025] In an embodiment, offline payment methodology can be implemented for the services being obtained from the searched service providers.
[0026] The new confirmed reservation is then reflected on the public provider schedule as a blocked off unit of time that cannot be booked by other users. In an embodiment, the service provider would also be able to incorporate information of its bookings to block off units of time available for his appointment.
[0027] At the previously scheduled time, depending on the mode of communication allowed by the provider, the user may have a physical meeting with the provider or the provider will initiate the interactive session with the user. Where available, the user may also opt for video conference option for obtaining services from a professional. Once the service is delivered and the session is over, the user will have an opportunity to rate and review the performance of the provider and this rating information can be made available to other users of the online platform to aid and assist in their decision making when searching for a service provider.
[0028] The present system also provides for purchase of some utility services such as booking of cab, train, flight, hotel, holidays, movies, etc. either independently on the disclosed system itself or through integration in the system of services of third party facilitators of such specific services.
[0029] For some services, on selecting the type of service to be availed, the user will be provided with additional options and selections to be made before the services could be purchased on the system such as in the case of diagnostic lab services, the tests to be conducted will require to be selected for purchase of services to be effected.
[0030] Having thus described a few particular embodiments of the invention, various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alteration, modifications, and improvements as are made obvious by this disclosure are intended to be part of this description though not expressly stated herein, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only, and not limiting.

I claim:
1. A method for facilitating professional services comprising the steps of:
a. Storing profile information about a plurality of professional service providers including information about the service provider specialization, location, charges, availability skills and such other;
b. Entering of search criteria or keywords by user search for professional services;
c. Supplying a list of professional service providers to the user based on search criteria input;
d. Identifying of a professional service provider based on the displayed profile information of the provider;
e. Checking the availability of the service provider and selecting the available time slot for receiving the services;
f. Purchasing and paying for the services to be rendered by professional service provider;
g. Receiving the services at the selected time slot.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the payment for services to be received is made through online or offline modes of payment.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the usertype and community of the service provider are assigned by the system automatically.

4. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user is provided with a number of filtering options such as on the basis of location, specialization, skills of providers, ratings, professional charges, location, availability, etc., to include in the search criteria for achieving the best suited results for the required services.

5. Method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of updating the appointment schedule of the professional service provider with the booking information of the user so as to block the time slot of the service provider for any other user.

6. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user selects the mode of communication for receiving the services through physical meeting, video conference or through an interactive online session.

7. Method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of reviewing and rating the services received by the user from the professional service provider for the benefit of other users.

8. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein before and / or after the purchase of service, the professional can be contacted by the user through instant chat / messaging service / video conference on the platform itself.

9. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein apart from professional services, various utility bookings can be made and managed on the platform such as cab, train, flight, hotel, holidays, movies, etc.

10. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein for certain services additional options and selections are displayed to the user. The user has to make additional selections before purchasing such services such as diagnostic test services, hospital appointment booking and such others.