Apparatus and methods for electronic information exchange

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for facilitating information exchange between an information requestor and one or more information custodians via a network are provided. The information requester creates an information request message and sends it to the apparatus. The apparatus then determines an appropriate information custodian based on predetermined categories and other information. Subsequently, the apparatus sends an answer request message to that information custodian. The information custodian replies to the answer request message with either an intermediate answer message or a reroute message. When an intermediate answer message is received, the apparatus sends a final answer message to the information requestor. Optionally, the apparatus records some or all of the messages for subsequent retrieval.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for facilitating information exchange between an information requestor and an information custodian via a network, the apparatus comprising: 
 an input coupled to the network;    a first database mapping a plurality of information custodians to a plurality of categories;    a selector in communication with the first database and the input for identifying one of the categories in the plurality of categories as being associated with an information request message received via the input from an information requestor and for selecting a subset including at least one information custodian from the plurality of information custodians, the at least one information custodian being associated with the identified category, the selector automatically selecting the subset based on historical statistical data associated with the at least one information custodian in the subset; and    a router in communication with the selector for transmitting an answer request message including at least a portion of the information request message to the at least one information custodian via the network.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the selector selects the subset by evaluating the historical statistical data in accordance with at least one variable defined by the at least one information custodian.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the information request message comprises an e-mail message.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the network comprises the Internet.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the network comprises an intranet.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the information request message includes a predefined field identifying an initial category and the selector identifies the identified category by reading the predefined field.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 6  wherein the initial category is unidentified.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 7  wherein the at least one information custodian in the subset is mapped to the unidentified category in the plurality of categories.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the information requestor has an identity and the answer request message excludes the identity of the information requester.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 9  further comprising a message mapper for recording the identity of the information requestor in association with the answer request message in a message map database.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10  further comprising a message type identifier to distinguish information request messages received from information requesters from intermediate answer messages received from information custodians.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 11  further comprising a message composer which cooperates with the message type identifier, the message map database and the router to transmit a final answer message to the information requestor associated with the information request message, the final answer message comprising at least a portion of an intermediate answer message received from the at least one information custodian in response to the answer request message.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 12  wherein the at least one information custodian has an identity and the final answer message excludes the identity of the at least one information custodian from the final answer message.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 13  wherein the message mapper records the identity of the at least one information custodian in association with the final answer message to facilitate routing a follow-up information request message from the information requestor to the at least one information custodian.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a message type identifier to distinguish re-route messages received from the information custodian from information request messages received from the information requester and intermediate answer messages received from the information custodian.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 15  wherein, when the message type identifier identifies a re-route message, the message type identifier cooperates with the selector and the router to identify a new identified category associated with the re-route message, to automatically select a new at least one information custodian associated with the new identified category, and to re-route the answer request message to the new at least one information custodian.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the historical statistical data comprises financial data.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the historical statistical data comprises a number of answer request messages a given information custodian has received within a predefined time period.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 18  further comprising a history recorder for recording the dates on which the answer request messages were routed to each of the information custodians.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the selector limits the number of answer request messages routed to a given information custodian.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 20  wherein the selector limits the number of answer request messages routed to the given information custodian based upon a variable set by the given information custodian, the variable defining a maximum number of answer request messages the given information custodian agrees to receive during a predefined time period.  
     
     
         22 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 20  wherein the selector limits the number of answer request messages routed to the given information custodian based upon a variable set by the given information custodian, the variable defining the time period during which the given information custodian can receive no more than a predefined number of answer request messages.  
     
     
         23 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a second database and a database manager, the database manager cooperating with the second database to store at least portions of final answer messages.  
     
     
         24 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 23  wherein the database manager stores information request messages received from information requesters in association with responsive intermediate answer messages received from information custodians in the second database.  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 23  wherein the database manager stores information request messages received from information requesters in association with responsive final answer messages received from information custodians in the second database.  
     
     
         26 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 24  wherein, upon receipt of the information request message from the information requestor, the database manager searches the second database for a similar information request message in the second database, and, upon identification of a similar information request message routes a final answer message associated with the similar information request to the information requester without routing an answer request message to an information custodian.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the router transmits a final answer message to the information requestor associated with the information request message, the final answer message comprising at least a portion of an intermediate answer message received from the at least one information custodian in response to the answer request message.  
     
     
         28 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1  wherein the information request message and the answer request message each comprise an e-mail message.  
     
     
         29 . An apparatus for searching for an individual having custody of information on a network comprising: 
 a database mapping a plurality of individuals to a plurality of categories;    an input coupled to the network for receiving an information request from an information requestor, the information request being associated with one of the categories;    a search engine cooperating with the input and the database for searching the database for at least one individual having custody of the requested information; and    a router for directing at least a portion of the information request to the at least one individual identified by the search engine.    
     
     
         30 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 29  further comprising means for limiting the number of information requests routed to a participating individual in the plurality during a predefined time period.  
     
     
         31 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 30  wherein the limiting means is responsive to a variable set by the participating individual, the variable defining the maximum number of information requests the participating individual can receive during a predefined time period.  
     
     
         32 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 30  wherein the limiting means is responsive to a variable set by the participating individual, the variable defining the time period during which the individual will receive no more than a predefined number of information requests.  
     
     
         33 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 29  wherein the information request comprises an e-mail message.  
     
     
         34 . An apparatus for facilitating information searching on a network comprising: 
 an input coupled to the network;    a first database mapping information requests to information replies;    a first search engine cooperating with the first database for searching for a first information reply to an information request from an information requestor received via the input;    a second database mapping a plurality of information custodians to a plurality of categories;    a second search engine cooperating with the second database, the second search engine being responsive to an unsuccessful search by the first search engine to identify one of the plurality of categories as being associated with the information request and to search the second database for an information custodian for developing a second information reply to the information request; and    a router cooperating with the first and second search engines, the router being responsive to a successful search by the first search engine to direct the first information reply from the first database to the information requester and being responsive to the second search engine for directing at least a portion of the information request to the information custodian identified by the second search engine.    
     
     
         35 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 34  wherein the information request comprises an e-mail message.  
     
     
         36 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 34  wherein the first information reply comprises an e-mail message.  
     
     
         37 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 34  wherein the second information reply comprises an e-mail message.  
     
     
         38 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 34  wherein the second information reply comprises the first information reply.  
     
     
         39 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 34  wherein the unsuccessful search occurs because the first information reply is stale.  
     
     
         40 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 34  wherein the unsuccessful search occurs because the first information reply is not in the database.  
     
     
         41 . A method for facilitating electronic information exchange between at least one information custodian and an information requester over a network, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing an exchange facilitating computing device having a first address on the network;    defining a first category of information and a second category of information;    associating a first and a second information custodian with the first category, the first information custodian having a second address on the network which is different from the first address, the second information custodian having a third address on the network which is different from the first and the second addresses;    receiving an information request message indicative of a request for information from a first information requestor at the exchange facilitating computing device via the network, the first information requestor having a fourth address on the network which is different from the first, second and the third addresses;    determining whether the information request message is associated with the first category or the second category;    if the information request message is associated with the first category, automatically selecting one of the first and second information custodians as a receiving custodian based on predetermined historical data; and    routing at least a portion of the information request message from the first address to the receiving custodian.    
     
     
         42 . A method as defined in  claim 41  wherein the information request message comprises an e-mail message.  
     
     
         43 . A portal to the Internet comprising: 
 a first search engine responsive to a query received from a searcher to search for web sites associated with the query;    a second search engine responsive to an information request from the searcher to search for individuals having custody of information associated with the information request; and    a router for directing at least a portion of the information request to at least one individual identified by the second search engine.    
     
     
         44 . A portal as defined in  claim 43 , wherein the query is the information request.  
     
     
         45 . A portal as defined in  claim 43  further comprising: 
 a database comprising replies to information requests; and  
 a third search engine, the third search engine being responsive to the information request from the searcher to search the database for a reply to the information request received from the searcher, the second search engine initiating the search for individuals in response to an unsuccessful search by the third search engine.  
 
     
     
         46 . An apparatus for dynamically gathering and providing information via a network comprising: 
 an input coupled to the network;    a first database mapping information requests to information replies;    a second database mapping a plurality of information custodians to a plurality of categories;    a search engine cooperating with the second database, the search engine being responsive to an information request received from an information requestor via the input to search the second database for an information custodian for developing an information answer message responsive to the information request;    a router cooperating with the search engine for directing at least a portion of the information request to the information custodian identified by the search engine; and    means for recording at least a portion of the answer message developed by the information custodian in the first database.    
     
     
         47 . An apparatus for facilitating information exchange between an information requestor and an information custodian via a network comprising: 
 an input coupled to the network;    a database mapping a plurality of information custodians to a plurality of categories;    a selector in communication with the database and the input, the selector being responsive to an information request message received from an information requestor via the input to automatically select a subset including at least one information custodian from the plurality of information custodians based on historical statistical data, the historical statistical data being associated with the at least one information custodian in the subset, the at least one information custodian being associated with at least one of the categories in the plurality, the at least one category being associated with the information request message; and    a router for transmitting an answer request message including at least a portion of the information request message to the at least one information custodian in the subset.