System and methods for searching and communication

摘要

Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, comprising the steps of, or structure for, storing a plurality of expert profiles in a database, each of the plurality of expert profiles comprising information associated with a person having knowledge in a particular category, subject or topic; receiving search criteria over a network from a query source; selecting at least one of the plurality of expert profiles comprising information that satisfy the search criteria; and transmitting expert profile data for each of the selected expert profiles to the remote search engine, the expert profile data comprising data that defines a displayable representation of a corresponding expert profile, the expert profile data further comprising data that facilitates a client-initiated, real-time communication session over the network with a person associated with the corresponding expert profile.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
storing, by an agent search server, topic data and agent data in a database within a system; associating, by the agent search server, topic data with one or more agents, wherein agents are active or inactive, and wherein agents are relevant or irrelevant to the topic data; determining, by the agent search server, whether any agents associated with the topic data are active and relevant, wherein agents are relevant when a topic included in one or more profiles of one or more relevant agents matches the topic data; associating, by the agent search server, one or more real-time interaction options with active relevant agents; determining, by the agent search server, status data, wherein the status data is stored in the database, and wherein the status data corresponds to active relevant agents associated with one or more real-time interaction options and the topic data; transmitting, by the agent search server, the status data to a search engine server operating remotely from the agent search server and in communication with the agent search server over a network, wherein interactive elements are associated with search results by the search engine server, wherein the search results are generated by the search engine server in response to a search request including the topic data, wherein the search request does not include a request for an agent, wherein an agent search request is generated using the topic data, wherein the agent search request is separate from the search request and includes the topic data, and wherein the agent search request is used to determine relevant agents associated with the topic data; and receiving data corresponding to a selection of an interactive element associated with search results, wherein an interactive element is separate from a search result and is displayed concurrently with a search result, wherein the selected interactive element is associated with one or more agents based on the status data, wherein the selection of the interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices, and wherein at least one device is associated with an active relevant agent associated with the topic data.