Patent ID: 7634573

Claim:
A method for altering service-response sequential order in which a service provider provides a service for a service request by a service requester via a network, comprising: a service-request acceptance step of sequentially accepting a service request which a service requester requests of a service provider, being a request for receiving a predetermined service from said service provider, and a priority level which said service requester designates for receiving said service on a priority basis and which is a second or lower order; a first storing step of storing a plurality of wait records each of which includes data on said service, said priority level, an identifier for a service requester making said service request, and said sequential order in which said service request has been accepted in one or more wait queues, and storing said wait queues in a storing unit; a sequence-interchange step of interchanging, according to said priority levels and to points which are required for said service requester to designate said priority level, said wait records of said service requester and of another service requester in said sequential order and interchanges, according to said priority levels and said points, said wait records in said sequential order of said service requester belonging to one of said groups, and other another service requester belonging to another of said groups; an updating step of changing and updating in said storing unit said points for said service requester and another service requester whose wait records in said sequential order have been interchanged a sequence-interchange-request-acceptance step of accepting a request to change sequential order of said wait records; a specifying step of specifying one of said wait records in said sequential order which will be interchanged, according to said priority level and to said points held by a sequence-interchange-requester being said requester of said request to change sequential order, with said wait record for said sequence-interchange-requester; an inquiry step of inquiring as to whether or not said service requester for said specified wait record consents to said interchanging of sequential orders; and a consent-acceptance step of accepting consent as granted by said service requester in said inquiry step; wherein said interchange step interchanges said sequential orders in response to said consent.