Request matching system and method

Abstract

A real-time request matching system for and method of matching free-format requests of users, as requestors, to providers in servicing the requests, each of the requesters having at least one communicator for making requests and addressing replies thereto and each of the providers having at least one communicator for addressing requests and respective replies thereto, the method comprising the steps of: receiving requests from requestors; for each request, providing for the request to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby; receiving replies from selected providers, the replies received being made by the respective providers based on the respective requests; and one or both of supplying, for each request, information regarding the respective requestor to any providers having provided a positive reply to the respective request, with a positive reply indicating that a provider is able to meet a request, and information regarding replies from selected providers to the respective request to the respective requestor.

1 - 116 . (Cancelled)  
     
     
         117 . A matching system for matching requests of users, as requesters, to providers in servicing the requests, each of the requesters having at least one communicator for making requests and addressing replies thereto and each of the providers having at least one communicator for addressing requests, the system comprising: 
 at least one request receiving unit for receiving free-format requests of requesters and storing the free-format requests as received;    at least one request relaying unit for providing for each of the stored requests to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby such as to enable the selected providers, as human decision-makers, to interpret the respective requests and decide upon a match; and    at least one reply receiving unit for receiving replies from providers, the replies received being made by the respective providers on interpreting the respective requests and deciding upon a match.    
     
     
         118 . The system of  claim 117 , further comprising: 
 at least one information supplying unit for one or both of supplying, for each request, information regarding the respective requestor to any providers having provided a positive reply to the respective request, with a positive reply indicating that a provider is able meet a request, and information regarding replies from selected providers to the respective request to the respective requester.    
     
     
         119 . The system of  claim 117 , wherein the requests include voice requests.  
     
     
         120 . The system of  claim 117 , comprising: 
 at least one inbound communications unit, each comprising at least one request receiving unit.    
     
     
         121 . The system of  claim 117 , comprising: 
 at least one outbound communications unit, each comprising at least one request relaying unit, at least one reply receiving unit and at least one information supplying unit.    
     
     
         122 . The system of  claim 117 , comprising: 
 at least one communications unit, each comprising at least one request receiving unit,    at least one request relaying unit, at least one reply receiving unit and at least one information supplying unit.    
     
     
         123 . The system of  claim 117 , wherein the at least one request relaying unit is configured to relay a request directly to the communicators of selected providers.  
     
     
         124 . The system of  claim 117 , wherein the at least one request relaying unit is configured to provide for a request to be relayed without any interrogation thereof to establish content.  
     
     
         125 . The system of  claim 117 , wherein the at least one request receiving unit includes a plurality of receivers for receiving requests, each request having a classification contact address associated with a predeterminable classification.  
     
     
         126 . The system of  claim 117 , further comprising: 
 at least one provider selection unit for selecting providers to address a request.    
     
     
         127 . The system of  claim 126 , wherein the at least one provider selection unit is configured to select providers for a request based at least in part on a geographic location assigned to the respective request and one or both of geographic locations or geographic zones assigned to the providers.  
     
     
         128 . The system of  claim 127 , wherein the geographic location assigned to the respective request is a current geographic location of the respective requester.  
     
     
         129 . The system of  claim 128 , wherein the current geographic location is determined from a communicator contact address of the communicator of the respective requester, where the communicator contact address has an assigned location.  
     
     
         130 . The system of  claim 127 , wherein the geographic location assigned to the respective request is an alternate geographic location as assigned by the respective requester.  
     
     
         131 . The system of  claim 130 , wherein the alternate geographic location is determined from a communicator contact address of a communicator, where the communicator contact address has an assigned location.  
     
     
         132 . The system of  claim 126 , wherein the at least one provider selection unit is configured to select providers for a request within a predeterminable spatial geographic zone relative to the geographic location assigned to the respective request.  
     
     
         133 . The system of  claim 132 , wherein the predeterminable spatial geographic zone is one of a geographic radius relative to the geographic location assigned to the respective request, a distance of travel relative to the geographic location assigned to the respective request, or a time of travel relative to the geographic location assigned to the respective request.  
     
     
         134 . The system of  claim 126 , wherein the at least one provider selection unit is configured to select providers for a request based at least in part on at least one requester characteristic for the respective requester, such as geographically-related and socio-economic information, as an assigned characteristic for the respective requestor or a characteristic input by the respective requestor in making the request.  
     
     
         135 . The system of  claim 126 , wherein the at least one provider selection unit is configured to select providers for a request based at least in part on at least one provider characteristic for the providers, such as requiring requesters to have a predeterminable profile or to provide contact details, as an assigned characteristic for the respective providers.  
     
     
         136 . The system of  claim 126 , wherein the at least one provider selection unit is configured to select providers for a request based at least in part on current time.  
     
     
         137 . The system of  claim 126 , wherein the at least one provider selection unit is configured to select providers for a request based at least in part on at least one classification characteristic, such as a selection mechanism for selecting providers, as an assigned characteristic for the respective classification.  
     
     
         138 . The system of  claim 126 , wherein the at least one provider selection unit is configured to schedule relaying of a request to selected providers by the at least one request relaying unit in accordance with match criteria and terminate a matching operation where the match criteria or termination criteria are satisfied.  
     
     
         139 . The system of  claim 117 , wherein the at least one request relaying unit is configured to relay a request to a predeterminable number of selected providers as addressed thereby.  
     
     
         140 . The system of  claim 117 , wherein the at least one request relaying unit is configured to multicast a request to selected providers where the request is to be relayed to a plurality of providers as addressed thereby.  
     
     
         141 . The system of  claim 117 , wherein the at least one information supplying unit is configured, for a request, to supply information regarding providers having provided a positive reply to the request to the respective requestor.  
     
     
         142 . A method of matching requests of users, as requesters, to providers in servicing the requests, each of the requesters having at least one communicator for making requests and addressing replies thereto and each of the providers having at least one communicator for addressing requests, the method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving free-format requests of requesters;    storing the free-format requests as received;    for each request, providing for the stored request to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby such as to enable the selected providers, as human decision-makers, to interpret the request and decide upon a match; and    receiving replies from providers, the replies received being made by the respective providers on interpreting the respective requests and deciding upon a match.    
     
     
         143 . The method of  claim 142 , further comprising the step of: 
 one or both of supplying, for each request, information regarding the respective requester to any providers having provided a positive reply to the respective request, with a positive reply indicating that a provider is able to meet a request, and information regarding replies from selected providers to the respective request to the respective requester.    
     
     
         144 . The method of  claim 142 , wherein the requests include voice requests.  
     
     
         145 . The method of  claim 142 , wherein the step of providing for a request to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby comprises the step of: 
 relaying a request directly to the communicators of selected providers.    
     
     
         146 . The method of  claim 142 , wherein a request is relayed without any interrogation thereof to establish content.  
     
     
         147 . The method of  claim 142 , wherein the step of receiving requests from requestors comprises the step of: 
 receiving requests from requesters at a plurality of receivers, each of the requests having a classification contact address associated with a predeterminable classification.    
     
     
         148 . The method of  claim 142 , further comprising the step of: 
 selecting respective providers to address a request.    
     
     
         149 . The method of  claim 148 , wherein the step of selecting respective providers to address a request comprises the step of: 
 selecting respective providers to address a request based at least in part on a geographic location assigned to the respective request and one or both of geographic locations or geographic zones assigned to the providers.    
     
     
         150 . The method of  claim 149 , wherein the geographic location assigned to the respective request is a current geographic location of the respective requester.  
     
     
         151 . The method of  claim 150 , wherein the current geographic location is determined from a communicator contact address of the communicator of the respective requester, where the communicator contact address has an assigned location.  
     
     
         152 . The method of  claim 149 , wherein the geographic location assigned to the respective request is an alternate geographic location as assigned by the respective requester.  
     
     
         153 . The method of  claim 152 , wherein the alternate geographic location is determined from a communicator contact address of a communicator, where the communicator contact address has an assigned location.  
     
     
         154 . The method of  claim 148 , wherein the step of selecting respective providers to address a request comprises the step of: 
 selecting respective providers to address a request within a predeterminable spatial geographic zone relative to the geographic location assigned to the respective request.    
     
     
         155 . The method of  claim 154 , wherein the predeterminable spatial geographic zone is one of a geographic radius relative to the geographic location assigned to the respective request, a distance of travel relative to the geographic location assigned to the respective request, or a time of travel relative to the geographic location assigned to the respective request.  
     
     
         156 . The method of  claim 148 , wherein the step of selecting respective providers to address a request comprises the step of: 
 selecting respective providers to address a request based at least in part on at least one requestor characteristic for the respective requestor, such as geographically-related and socio-economic information, as an assigned characteristic for the respective requester or a characteristic input by the respective requestor in making the request.    
     
     
         157 . The method of  claim 148 , wherein the step of selecting respective providers to address a request comprises the step of: 
 selecting respective providers to address a request based at least in part on at least one provider characteristic for the providers, such as requiring requestors to have a predeterminable profile or to provide contact details, as an assigned characteristic for the respective providers.    
     
     
         158 . The method of  claim 148 , wherein the step of selecting respective providers to address a request comprises the step of: 
 selecting respective providers to address a request based at least in part on current time.    
     
     
         159 . The method of  claim 148 , wherein the step of selecting respective providers to address a request comprises the step of: 
 selecting respective providers to address a request based at least in part on at least one classification characteristic, such as a selection mechanism for selecting providers, as an assigned characteristic for the respective classification.    
     
     
         160 . The method of  claim 148 , further comprising the steps of: 
 scheduling relaying of a request to selected providers in accordance with match criteria; and    terminating a matching operation where the match criteria or termination criteria are satisfied.    
     
     
         161 . The method of  claim 142 , wherein the step of providing for a request to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby comprises the step of: 
 providing for a request to be relayed to a predeterminable number of selected providers as addressed thereby.    
     
     
         162 . The method of  claim 142 , wherein the step of providing for a request to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby comprises the step of: 
 multicasting a request to selected providers where the request is to be relayed to a plurality of providers as addressed thereby.    
     
     
         163 . The method of  claim 142 , wherein the step of supplying information comprises the step of: 
 supplying, for a request, information regarding providers having provided a positive reply to the request to the respective requester.    
     
     
         164 . A matching system for matching requests of users, as requesters, to providers in servicing the requests, the system comprising: 
 a plurality of requestor communicators, each being for use by requestors in making free-format requests and addressing any respective replies thereto, at least ones of the replies including information regarding replies from selected providers to respective requests; and    a plurality of provider communicators, each being for use by providers in addressing requests and any respective replies thereto, the requests being relayed to respective selected providers as addressed such as to enable the selected providers, as human decision-makers, to interpret the respective requests and decide upon a match, and at least ones of the replies including information regarding the requester of a respective request where having provided a positive reply to the respective request, with a positive reply indicating that a provider is able to meet a request.    
     
     
         165 . A matching system for matching requests of users, as requestors, to providers in servicing the requests, the system comprising: 
 a plurality of requestor communicators, each being for use by requestors in making free-format requests and addressing respective replies thereto;    a plurality of provider communicators, each being for use by providers in addressing requests and respective replies thereto; and    at least one communications unit communicatable with the requester communicators and the provider communicators, and including at least one provider selection unit for selecting providers to address each request made by a requestor;    wherein, for each request, the system is configured such that the request is provided to be relayed to selected providers as addressed thereby such as to enable the selected providers, as human decision-makers, to interpret the request and decide upon a match.    
     
     
         166 . A method of matching requests of users, as requesters, to providers in servicing the requests, the method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving signals comprising free-format requests from requesters;    for each request, transmitting a signal to selected providers comprising the request as received such as to enable the selected providers, as human decision-makers, to interpret the request and decide upon a match;    receiving signals comprising replies from selected providers, the replies being made by the respective providers on interpreting the respective requests and deciding upon a match; and    for each request, transmitting one or both of a signal comprising information regarding the respective requestor to any providers having provided a positive reply to the respective request, with a positive reply indicating that a provider is able to meet a request, and a signal comprising information regarding replies from selected providers to the respective request to the respective requestor.