System and method for coordination of remote inspectors

Abstract

A method and a system to automatically coordinate remote inspectors are provided. Initially, a listing is identified for remote inspection in an online publication system. The listing may describe an item for sale that is, in turn, associated with a geographical location and a category. One or more remote inspectors are identified based on the geographical location and the category associated with the item for sale. The listing and respective profiles of each of the one or more remote inspectors is published to a buyer. A selection of a selected remote inspector is received from the buyer. A template inspection report is provided to the selected remote inspector. Once the remote inspector has inspected the item for sale, the buyer is provided a completed inspection report received from the selected remote inspector.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 receiving, via a listing of an online publication system, data describing a specialty and a geographic location for a remote inspector;   determining, from an inspector table including records for remote inspectors and corresponding geographic regions that the remote inspectors service, a subset of remote inspectors that service the geographic location and provide the specialty;   publishing, in connection with the listing of the online publication system, data from the subset of records, the data describing at least a first remote inspector and a second remote inspector;   receiving an input identifying the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector; and   in response to receiving the request, facilitating a reverse auction among the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving, via the listing of the online publication system, a request for a remote inspector; and   presenting, in connection with the listing of the online publication system, a prompt for the specialty and the geographic location.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the data describing the at least the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector that is published in connection with the listing of the online publication system includes a rating of the first remote inspector and a rating of the second remote inspector. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising receiving feedback data about a selected remote inspector. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the data describing the geographic location is a zip code. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein facilitating the reverse auction among the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector comprises:
 transmitting messages to the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector for bids to provide the specialty.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving a bid from the first remote inspector; and   providing the bit from the first remote inspector to a requesting user.   
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 one or more computer processors; and   one or more computer-readable mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, via a listing of an online publication system, data describing a specialty and a geographic location for a remote inspector; 
 determining, from an inspector table including records for remote inspectors and corresponding geographic regions that the remote inspectors service, a subset of remote inspectors that service the geographic location and provide the specialty; 
 publishing, in connection with the listing of the online publication system, data from the subset of records, the data describing at least a first remote inspector and a second remote inspector; 
 receiving an input identifying the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector; and 
 in response to receiving the request, facilitating a reverse auction among the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving, via the listing of the online publication system, a request for a remote inspector; and   presenting, in connection with the listing of the online publication system, a prompt for the specialty and the geographic location.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the data describing the at least the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector that is published in connection with the listing of the online publication system includes a rating of the first remote inspector and a rating of the second remote inspector. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising receiving feedback data about a selected remote inspector. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the data describing the geographic location is a zip code. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein facilitating the reverse auction among the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector comprises:
 transmitting messages to the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector for bids to provide the specialty.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving a bid from the first remote inspector; and   providing the bit from the first remote inspector to a requesting user.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, via a listing of an online publication system, data describing a specialty and a geographic location for a remote inspector;   determining, from an inspector table including records for remote inspectors and corresponding geographic regions that the remote inspectors service, a subset of remote inspectors that service the geographic location and provide the specialty;   publishing, in connection with the listing of the online publication system, data from the subset of records, the data describing at least a first remote inspector and a second remote inspector;   receiving an input identifying the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector; and   in response to receiving the request, facilitating a reverse auction among the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving, via the listing of the online publication system, a request for a remote inspector; and   presenting, in connection with the listing of the online publication system, a prompt for the specialty and the geographic location.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the data describing the at least the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector that is published in connection with the listing of the online publication system includes a rating of the first remote inspector and a rating of the second remote inspector. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , the operations further comprising receiving feedback data about a selected remote inspector. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the data describing the geographic location is a zip code. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein facilitating the reverse auction among the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector comprises transmitting messages to the first remote inspector and the second remote inspector for bids to provide the specialty, the operations further comprising:
 receiving a bid from the first remote inspector; and   providing the bit from the first remote inspector to a requesting user.