System And Method For A Household Services Marketplace

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for the operation of an In-home Assistant Service. The service provides a marketplace to connect households with assistants for frequent and specialized jobs. The service collects profile data of potential assistants including multiple skills the assistant can provide. It also enables the household to provide detailed request criteria. A locate process is then performed to determine, which assistants best meet the identified criteria.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing households with part-time service assistants comprising:
 collecting and storing a plurality of assistant profiles from at least 20 assistants, the assistant profiles each comprising a name, a location, availability, two or more skills, confirmation of a background check, and a rated ability level for each skill;   collecting and storing a household profile from a household, the household profile comprising a name and a location;   receiving a job request from the household, the job request comprising a requested time, one or more requested skills, a requested ability level for each requested skill and a requested preference criteria;   screening the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on a set of essential criteria comprising the location and requested time derived from the household profile and the job request;   screening the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on a set of secondary criteria comprising the requested ability level and the requested preference, derived from the client profile and the job request, wherein the screening based on secondary criteria comprises determining which of the plurality of assistant profiles meet the largest number of criteria.;   collecting assistant profiles present in both of the screenings;   selecting a chosen assistant from profiles present in both screenings;   notifying the chosen assistant about the job request;   receiving confirmation from the chosen assistant;   notifying the household;   billing the household; and   receiving a perceived ability level pertaining to the chosen assistant from the household and adjusting the rated ability level in the chosen assistant's profile based on the perceived ability level.   
     
     
         2 . A method for providing households with part-time service assistants comprising:
 collecting a plurality of criteria from at least 20 assistants;   storing the plurality of criteria for each assistant as an assistant profile;   receiving a job request from a household, the job request comprising a plurality of job details;   screening the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on a set of essential criteria derived from one or more of the plurality of job details;   screening the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on a set of secondary criteria from one or more of the plurality of job details;   collecting assistant profiles present in both of the screenings; and   selecting a chosen assistant from profiles present in both screenings.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the essential criteria comprises a location and a requested skill. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the secondary criteria comprises a location, a requested time, and a requested preference. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein a location is both one of the essential criteria and one of the secondary criteria 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the screening based on secondary criteria comprises determining which of the plurality of assistant profiles meet the largest number of criteria. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the screening based on secondary criteria comprises ordering the secondary criteria based on importance and discarding assistant profiles that do not match the most important ordered secondary criteria, then from the remaining assistant profiles discarding the assistant profiles that do not match the next most important secondary, criteria and continuing to discard assistant profiles that do not meet each successive secondary criteria until there are no remaining profiles or there are no remaining ordered secondary criteria. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising receiving a perceived performance pertaining to the selected assistant from the household and adjusting the rated ability level in the selected assistant's profile based on the perceived performance. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising billing the household. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the selecting step comprises transmitting information identifying the assistant profiles present in both of the screenings and receiving a communication from the household identifying the chosen assistant. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the selecting step transmitting information identifying the job described in the job request to assistants identified in the assistant profiles present in both of the screenings, receiving a communication from the assistant's indicating their rate for performing the job, and selecting the assistant with the lowest rate as the chosen assistant. 
     
     
         12 . A program product for providing households with service assistants comprising:
 a computer readable media containing computer program logic comprising:
 program logic for collecting a plurality of criteria from a plurality of assistants; 
 program logic for storing the plurality of criteria for each assistant as an assistant profile; 
 program logic for receiving a job request from a household, the job request comprising a plurality of job details; 
 program logic for screening the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on a set of essential criteria derived from one or more of the plurality of job details; 
 program logic for screening the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on a set of secondary criteria from one or more of the plurality of job details; 
 program logic for collecting assistant profiles present in both of the screenings; and 
 program logic for selecting an assistant profile. 
   
     
     
         13 . The program product of  claim 12  wherein the essential criteria comprises a location and a requested time. 
     
     
         14 . The program product of  claim 12  wherein the secondary criteria comprises a location, a requested ability level, and a requested preference. 
     
     
         15 . The program product of  claim 12  wherein a location is both one of the essential criteria and one of the secondary criteria. 
     
     
         16 . The program product of  claim 12  wherein the program logic for screening based on secondary criteria comprises determining which of the plurality of assistant profiles meet the largest number of criteria. 
     
     
         17 . The program product of  claim 12  wherein the program logic for screening based on secondary criteria comprises ordering the secondary criteria based on importance and discarding assistant profiles that do not match the most important ordered secondary criteria, then from the remaining assistant profiles discarding the assistant profiles that do not match the next most important secondary, criteria and continuing to discard assistant profiles that do not meet each successive secondary criteria until there are no remaining profiles or there are no remaining ordered secondary criteria. 
     
     
         18 . The program product of  claim 12  further comprising program logic for receiving a perceived ability level pertaining to the selected assistant from the household and adjusting the rated ability level in the selected assistant's profile based on the perceived ability level. 
     
     
         19 . The program product of  claim 12  further comprising program logic for billing the household. 
     
     
         20 . The program product of  claim 12  wherein the program logic for selecting comprises transmitting information identifying the assistant profiles present in both of the screenings and receiving a communication from the household identifying the chosen assistant. 
     
     
         21 . The program product of  claim 12  wherein the program logic for selecting transmitting information identifying the job described in the job request to assistants identified in the assistant profiles present in both of the screenings, receiving a communication from the assistant's indicating their rate for performing the job, and selecting the assistant with the lowest rate as the chosen assistant. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus for providing households with service assistants comprising:
 a processor;   a memory connected to and in communication with the processor and containing program instructions;   a network interface connected to the processor to provide network access to the processor;   wherein the processor executes program instructions contained in the memory and the program instruction comprise:
 collecting a plurality of criteria from a plurality of assistants; 
 storing the plurality of criteria for each assistant as an assistant profile; 
 receiving a job request from a household, the job request comprising a plurality of job details; 
 screening the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on a set of essential criteria derived from one or more of the plurality of job details; 
 screening the stored plurality of assistant profiles based on a set of secondary criteria from one or more of the plurality of job details; 
 collecting assistant profiles present in both of the screenings; and 
 selecting an assistant profile. 
   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the essential criteria comprises a location and a requested time. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the secondary criteria comprises a location, a requested ability level, and a requested preference. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein a location is both an essential criteria and a secondary criteria. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the program instruction for screening based on secondary criteria comprises determining which of the plurality of assistant profiles meet the largest number of criteria. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the program instruction for screening based on secondary criteria comprises ordering the secondary criteria based on importance and discarding assistant profiles that do not match the most important ordered secondary criteria, then from the remaining assistant profiles discarding the assistant profiles that do not match the next most important secondary, criteria and continuing to discard assistant profiles that do not meet each successive secondary criteria until there are no remaining profiles or there are no remaining ordered secondary criteria. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 22  further comprising program instruction for receiving a perceived ability level pertaining to the selected assistant from the household and adjusting the rated ability level in the selected assistant's profile based on the perceived ability level. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 22  further comprising program instruction for billing the household. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the program instruction for selecting comprises transmitting information identifying the assistant profiles present in both of the screenings and receiving a communication from the household identifying the chosen assistant. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the program instruction for selecting transmitting information identifying the job described in the job request to assistants identified in the assistant profiles present in both of the screenings, receiving a communication from the assistant's indicating their rate for performing the job, and selecting the assistant with the lowest rate as the chosen assistant.