Abstract:
An information service includes a network and material on the network provided by an entity. The network provides or is linked to, a request for information elements for submission of a request by the submitter to the entity. Elements are provided to optionally provide an inducement to likely submitters or selected subgroup or subgroups of likely submitters to submit a query.

Description:
Throughout the description and claims of this specification the word “comprise” and variations of that word, such as “comprises” and “comprising”, are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to an information service and has been devised particularly though not necessarily solely for providing information over the internet or a local area network. 
   Online publishers of information such as bloggers and web page publishers can post information and receive comments on their information from viewers to their blog or web page. 
   The online publishers of information can also post an email address or a form which allows the online user to contact the online publisher of information directly. 
   However, there remains a need for a system or service that would allow the online publisher of information to sell their expertise and also to provide an inducement to online users to seek information from the online publisher of information. 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information service which will go at least someway towards meeting the foregoing requirement in a simple yet effective manner or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly in a first aspect the invention consists in an information service comprising a network, material on the network provided by an entity, the network providing, or being linked to, a request for information means, for submission of a request by the submitter to the entity, and means to optionally provide an inducement to likely submitters or selected subgroup or subgroups of likely submitters to submit a query. 
   Preferably the inducement comprises a reward. 
   Preferably the inducement comprises a monetary reward. 
   Alternatively, the inducement comprises a reward having a non monetary value. 
   Preferably the service further provides means to enable the entity to charge a fee for response to a request for information. 
   Preferably the request for information means is provided by a clearing house or service provider. 
   Preferably the entity can provide further inducements to the submitter of a request for information. 
   Preferably the network is the internet or a local area network. 
   Preferably the system further includes means to enable the submitter to increase the reward to the entity. 
   In a further aspect the invention consists in a method of providing information comprising the steps of providing material on a network, providing a request for information means to allow submission of a request by a submitter, and means to optionally provide an inducement to likely submitters or selected subgroup or subgroups of likely submitters to submit a query. 
   Preferably the inducement comprises a reward. 
   Preferably the inducement comprises a monetary reward. 
   Alternatively, the inducement comprises a reward having a non monetary value. 
   Preferably the service further provides means to enable the entity to charge a fee for response to a request for information. 
   Preferably the request for information means is provided by a clearing house or service provider. 
   Preferably the method further includes means to allow further inducements to be provided to the submitter of a request for information. 
   Preferably the network is the internet or a local area network. 
   Preferably the method further includes means to enable the submitter to increase the reward to the entity. 
   To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting. 
   One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1-3  are flow chart indicating key elements of the invention, 
       FIG. 4  is a representation of a pop-up box or page that can be used to solicit queries by using a preferred from of the invention, 
       FIG. 5  is a log-on box usable in a preferred form of the invention by an online information provider, 
       FIG. 6  indicates a possible registration form for use by an online information provider in the preferred form of the invention, 
       FIG. 7  shows a configuration chart usable in a preferred form of the invention to allow an on-line publisher of information to use to join the service, 
       FIG. 8  shows indicates a code form usable to provide the service on, for example, a web page, 
       FIG. 9  shows diagrammatically, information that an online publisher of information may provide to the service provider to enable users to be ranked as to their value to the online information provider, 
       FIG. 10  a further form useful in allowing users to be ranked, 
       FIG. 11  a representation of an online publisher of information is possible email domain rankings, 
       FIG. 12  indicates a further list of users to view or add to existing registered users, 
       FIG. 13  is a page allowing further information to be provided to the service, and 
       FIG. 14  is a page indicating inducements that can be given to people likely to submit requests, 
       FIG. 15  shows a log-on form for a potential query submitter to use the service, 
       FIG. 16  confirms that a query is to be submitted, 
       FIG. 17  is a form enabling a response to be made. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  an online publisher of information  1  registers and configures with a service provider  2 . Through the service provider  1  a “contact me” form  3  is provided on a searchable database which is preferably a webspace such as the internet or a local area network. The contact form may be provided, for example, on a blog or a web page  4 . The online information provider  1  may receive snippets of code at  5  and also places a code provided, for example, by the service provider  2  on to the blog or web page, for example, through server  6 . The code is received when the online publisher of information has registered and configured their page. When the code is entered in, for example, the blog or web page either the “contact me” form  3  may be provided on the blog or web page or there may be a link from the blog or web page to the “contact me” form. 
     FIG. 2  shows the “contact me” form  3 , as for example, a pop-up on the blog or web page  4 . A user or potential request submitter  7  may visit the blog or web site page  4  and using the “contact me” form  3  may submit a query to the online publisher of information  1 . The system is optionally able to provide a reward to the submitter of the request and this will be described further later but at least the service provider  2  knows the value of any reward which may be money, or a non monetary reward such as points, virtual currency, any other device having a value. The user  7  either has enough value to submit a query indicated in  FIG. 2  at a cost of say $5, or must buy more, for example, through a credit card payment facility  8 . 
   The user  7  then submits the query as indicated in  FIG. 3  and the online publisher of information  1  can then respond to the submitter  7 , either through the sever  2  or directly, for example, by email, and if it is desired can offer an inducement towards submitting further queries by providing a reward to the submitter  7 . 
     FIG. 4  show a pop-up box  10  or alternatively the material can be provided on another page which enables a potential submitter of a query to contact die online information provider  1 . The form  10  may have an information panel  11 , a space for a subject at  12 , and a space to enter the query at  13 . An indication to allow a voice message can be provided at  14  along with a typical submit button  15 . 
   A message allowing responses to be viewed can be provided at  16  and indication of available space at  17 . This process will be described further hereinafter. 
   Turing now to  FIG. 5 , this allows an online information provider to access their account with the service provider indicated at  20  and indicate that they need a further code  21  for the system provided by the invention. Once the email and password are entered the online information provider is taken to form  30  indicated in  FIG. 6  which seeks typical information such as email address, password, name information, optionally occupation, home country, and language. 
   Once the submit button  31  is pressed the online information provider is taken to form  32  indicated in  FIG. 7 , which allows the information provider to configure their service. Thus at  33  the option is provided to charge a fee for the response to a query (including a free option as indicated). At  34  there is an opportunity for the online information provider to indicate an exchange rate between the value of the inducement offered and for example, a currency such as United States dollars. At  35  an opportunity is provided which will allow a query submitter to increase their payment if desired, for example, to increase their priority in terms of receiving a response to their query. Panel  36  allows a privacy option, for example at an extra fee. 
   Panel  37  allows an initial inducement to submit queries to be provided to a user and  38  activates the voice query option. 
     39  indicates options in relation to the provision of an inducement to the user such as providing a reward at a standard amount, providing a reward selected by the online information provider, or never providing an inducement. 
   Optional features such as an uploading of a logo or image is provided at  40  or to change the image at  41 . 
   The URL to which clicking the logo or image will lead can be entered at  42 . 
   Once the submit button at  43  is pressed the online information provider is taken to the material in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
     FIG. 8  is representative of a code provided by the surface provider  2  as at  50  and the panels in  FIG. 9  allow further options. 
   The code at  50  is cut and pasted on to the blog or web site for example, of the online information provider and this will have the effect of causing the form of  FIG. 4  to be displayed on the blog or website. 
     FIG. 9  commences the procedure for ranking users, that is to say, request submitters. Panel  51  allows an inducement to be provided to an email address entered at  52  and requests the questions be directed to the online service providers now set up page indicated as “yyyyy” at  53 . If the online information provider has selected categories, these can then be displayed at  54 . 
   Panel  57  allows uploading of multiple email addresses and panel  58  allows an inducement to be provided, for example, to users having a particular domain suffix entered at  59 . When submit button  60  is pressed the online information provider is taken to the panel  63  indicated in  FIG. 10 , which also allows multiple email addresses to be uploaded and submitted by pressing submit button  64 . 
   A user can click on a panel to view existing domain rankings to bring up the panel  65  shown in  FIG. 11  where various email domains are indicated by way of example only. 
   Initial reward values are indicated at  66 . 
   Clicking the wording at  67  takes the user back to the “rank my users” page indicated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
   Panel  70  in  FIG. 12  allows the online information provider to view or add to their existing list of registered users and again allows category selection at  71  if desired. 
   The construction at  FIG. 12  allows further users to be entered at  72  with their email address at  73 . Reward values standing to those that users credit indicated at  74  and in amounts to be given by way of inducement when those submitters submit a query as indicated at  75 . The date the particular user first entered the online information providers service page may be shown at  76 . Multiple pages are indicated at  77 . 
   If the online information provider selects to give rewards to other members of their system this material can be entered in panels  80  and  81  indicated in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . 
   Panel  90  in  FIG. 15  is panel usable as part of the query submitting system being the initial page that must first be entered. 
   Pressing the submit button  91  takes the persons submitting the query to panel  100  shown in  FIG. 16 . 
   Options are indicated at  101  along with an indication to who the query is submitted to at  102 . This is selected by the submitter. The online information provider&#39;s fee is indicated at  103  and the option for privacy indicated at  104 . 
   Panels  105  show the state of the submitters account and also includes an option for voice reply at  106 . Any initial inducement to submit a query is indicated at  107  and the account total after the query has been submitted is indicated at  108 . 
   Once the submit button  109  is pressed the query is submitted. 
     FIG. 17  indicates the reply panel or page  110  with the query indicated at  111  and the response at  112 . 
   The responder&#39;s options are indicated at  113  such as not wishing to respond to the query, publishing the query and response, or saving as a stock response under a name indicated at  114 . 
   The amount of any reward or inducement to the query submitter is entered at  115 . 
   Thus it can be seen that an information service or a method of providing information is provided which has the advantage that the online information provider can be accessed through a blog or web page in a web space such as the internet or local area network. The system is of particular advantage as it allows an inducement to be offered to likely submitters, groups of submitters, or sub-groups of submitters to make a submission. This acts as a type of discount and can be offered to selected persons. The option to allow the submitter to increase their fee to elevate their priority is also desirable.