Obfuscated Service Provider Identity Matching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Service industries face challenges in maximizing revenue by filling available time slots and clients struggle to find convenient and competitive services without manual inquiries, leading to limited options being considered.

Innovation Solution

A system that matches clients with service providers by receiving service requests, selecting providers based on location and availability, generating bids that obfuscate provider identities, and allowing clients to select preferred services and times, while also providing service providers with potential clients and automated scheduling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If clients manually identify and contact multiple service offices to obtain service information, then they can access pricing and availability data, but the process becomes inconvenient and time-consuming, leading clients to contact only one or two offices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to pricing and service informationVSAvoidconvenience of contacting service offices

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an automated intermediary system that acts as a mediator between clients and multiple service providers. The system receives service requests from clients, automatically contacts multiple service providers to obtain pricing and availability information, then presents this consolidated information to the client. This eliminates the need for clients to manually contact each provider while ensuring comprehensive information access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables service providers to automatically provide their service information and availability through automated communications. Rather than requiring client initiation for each contact, the system allows providers to self-present their capabilities, pricing, and available time slots through automated responses to standardized service requests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of information

If service providers disclose their identities during client selection, then clients can make informed choices, but service providers lose the ability to compete on merit alone and may be biased by brand recognition

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient access to provider identity informationVSAvoidcompetitive fairness in service selection

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by collecting service information, pricing, and availability from multiple providers before revealing their identities to the client. This allows the comparison and selection process to occur based on objective service parameters first, with identity revelation occurring only after the client has evaluated the service offerings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the traditional sequence by presenting service offerings without provider identities first, then revealing identities after client selection. This reversal ensures that client decisions are based on service merit rather than brand recognition, with identity information serving as a secondary confirmation rather than a primary decision factor.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Loss of information

If the system provides detailed provider information upfront, then clients can make informed decisions, but service providers receive fewer qualified leads and the matching process becomes less efficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient access to provider informationVSAvoidefficiency of service booking process

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments information disclosure into distinct phases: first providing essential service parameters (pricing, availability, service type), then providing detailed provider information only after client interest is established. This segmentation ensures that clients receive comprehensive information for decision-making while the system maintains efficiency by withholding detailed information until necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial information provision by giving clients just enough information initially to make an informed selection decision, then providing complete information after selection. This partial action approach prevents information overload that would reduce efficiency while ensuring full information availability when needed for final decision-making.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11328348B2Obfuscated service provider identity during client selection

Publication Date: 2022.05.10 TRUOTH LLC

AI summary

A method for matching a client with a service provider is provided. The method includes receiving a request for a service from a client device, selecting one or more service providers based on the location indicated for the service, comparing the request to one or more profiles for the one or more service providers and to available services times, generating at least one bid for the service based on the one or more profiles, and sending the at least one bid to the client device. Sending the at least one bid includes obfuscating, to the client device, the identity of the one or more service providers corresponding to the at least one bid. The method also includes receiving from the client device a selection of one of the at least one bids and sending to the client device the specific identity of the one or more service providers.