Automated device assistance

• US 10,083,450 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Mande, Christian, Williamson, Mark, Watkins, Brendan, Furey, Ryan, Price, Anne, Pearce, Alison, Bentubo, Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dahir, Bille M
• Application Number:
  US14/788,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20170004509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

A user may perform activities at an automated device having various technical features, such as a display, a printer, a camera, a microphone, a speaker, and other features used to perform activities at the automated device. During performance of an activity, the user may run into an issue and request assistance from an agent having a computing device (e.g., a portable computing device). Additionally or alternatively, the automated device may detect the issue and send a request for assistance to a computing device managing a transaction assistance portal or directly to the agent'"'"'s computing device. The request may identify the user, the activity, and/or the issue, and the agent and his or her computing device may be used to resolve the issue. The agent'"'"'s computing device may also be used to facilitate customer relationship management with the user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a computing device managing an activity assistance portal, status information for each of a plurality of automated self-service devices at a same location, wherein the status information for an automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices indicates an activity being performed by a corresponding user at the automated self-service device, and wherein the computing device managing the activity assistance portal is remotely located from the plurality of automated self-service devices;

determining, by the computing device and for each of the plurality of automated self-service devices, an amount of time associated with the activity being performed by the corresponding user at the automated self-service device;

determining, by the computing device, an order for assisting the plurality of automated self-service devices based on the amount of time associated with the activity being performed by the corresponding user at the automated self-service device;

determining, by the computing device, a first portable activity assistance device and a second portable activity assistance device, of a plurality of portable activity assistance devices, that are at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices;

responsive to determining that the first portable activity assistance device of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices is assisting a first automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices, generating, by the computing device, a first interface for display on the first portable activity assistance device, wherein the first interface comprises the status information for each of the plurality of automated self-service devices according to the determined order, and wherein generating the first interface comprises generating the first interface by positioning status information for the first automated self-service device above status information for the remaining automated self-service devices of the plurality of automated self-service devices;

transmitting, by the computing device and to the first portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices, the first interface for display on the first portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices;

responsive to determining that the second portable activity assistance device of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices is assisting a second automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices, generating, by the computing device, a second interface for display on the second portable activity assistance device, wherein generating the second interface comprises generating the second interface by positioning status information for the second automated self-service device above status information for the remaining automated self-service devices of the plurality of automated self-service devices; and

transmitting, by the computing device and to the second portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices, the second interface for display on the second portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time associated with the activity comprises an amount of time the corresponding user spent at the automated self-service device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time associated with the activity comprises an amount of time the corresponding user spent waiting for assistance from one or more of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device managing the activity assistance portal and from each of the plurality of automated self-service devices at the same location, the status information for the respective automated self-service device, of the plurality of automated self-service devices, at the same location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information for the first automated self-service device indicates an amount of time the first portable activity assistance device has been assisting the first automated self-service device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information for the second self-service automated device indicates an amount of time the second portable activity assistance device has been assisting the second automated self-service device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that an activity time at a third automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices exceeds an expected activity time by more than a threshold,

wherein generating the first interface comprises including a notification on the first interface requesting one or more of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices to assist the third automated self-service device.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

determine status information for each of a plurality of automated self-service devices at a same location, wherein the status information for an automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices indicates an activity being performed by a corresponding user at the automated self-service device, wherein the apparatus is configured to manage an activity assistance portal, and wherein the apparatus is remotely located from the plurality of automated self-service devices;

determine, for each of the plurality of automated self-service devices, an amount of time associated with the activity being performed by the corresponding user at the automated self-service device;

determine an order for assisting the plurality of automated self-service devices based on the amount of time associated with the activity being performed by the corresponding user at the automated self-service device;

determine a first portable activity assistance device and a second portable activity assistance device, of a plurality of portable activity assistance devices, that are at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices;

responsive to determining that the first portable activity assistance device of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices is assisting a first automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices, generate a first interface for display on the first portable activity assistance device, wherein the first interface comprises the status information for each of the plurality of automated self-service devices according to the determined order, and wherein generating the first interface comprises generating the first interface by positioning status information for the first automated self-service device above status information for the remaining automated self-service devices of the plurality of automated self-service devices;

transmit, to the first portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices, the first interface for display on the first portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices;

responsive to determining that the second portable activity assistance device of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices is assisting a second automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices, generate a second interface for display on the second portable activity assistance device, wherein generating the second interface comprises generating the second interface by positioning status information for the second automated self-service device above status information for the remaining automated self-service devices of the plurality of automated self-service devices; and

transmit, to the second portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices, the second interface for display on the second portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the amount of time associated with the activity comprises an amount of time the corresponding user spent at the automated self-service device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the amount of time associated with the activity comprises an amount of time the corresponding user spent waiting for assistance from one or more of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive, from each of the plurality of automated self-service devices at the same location, the status information for the respective automated self-service device, of the plurality of automated self-service devices, at the same location.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the status information for the first automated self-service device indicates an amount of time the first portable activity assistance device has been assisting the first automated self-service device.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the status information for the second automated self-service device indicates an amount of time the second portable activity assistance device has been assisting the second automated self-service device.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine that an activity time at a third automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices exceeds an expected activity time by more than a threshold,

wherein generating the first interface comprises including a notification on the first interface requesting one or more of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices to assist the third automated self-service device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a computing device to:

determine status information for each of a plurality of automated self-service devices at a same location, wherein the status information for an automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices indicates an activity being performed by a corresponding user at the automated self-service device, wherein the computing device is configured to manage an activity assistance portal, and wherein the computing device is remotely located from the plurality of automated self-service devices;

determine, for each of the plurality of automated self-service devices, an amount of time associated with the activity being performed by the corresponding user at the automated self-service device;

determine an order for assisting the plurality of automated self-service devices based on the amount of time associated with the activity being performed by the corresponding user at the automated self-service device;

determine a first portable activity assistance device and a second portable activity assistance device, of a plurality of portable activity assistance devices, that are at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices;

responsive to determining that the first portable activity assistance device of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices is assisting a first automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices, generate a first interface for display on the first portable activity assistance device, wherein the first interface comprises the status information for each of the plurality of automated self-service devices according to the determined order, and wherein generating the first interface comprises generating the first interface by positioning status information for the first automated self-service device above status information for the remaining automated self-service devices of the plurality of automated self-service devices;

transmit, to the first portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices, the first interface for display on the first portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices;

responsive to determining that the second portable activity assistance device of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices is assisting a second automated self-service device of the plurality of automated self-service devices, generate a second interface for display on the second portable activity assistance device, wherein generating the second interface comprises generating the second interface by positioning status information for the second automated self-service device above status information for the remaining automated self-service devices of the plurality of automated self-service devices; and

transmit, to the second portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices, the second interface for display on the second portable activity assistance device at the same location as the plurality of automated self-service devices.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the amount of time associated with the activity comprises an amount of time the corresponding user spent at the automated self-service device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the amount of time associated with the activity comprises an amount of time the corresponding user spent waiting for assistance from one or more of the plurality of portable activity assistance devices.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 having additional computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the computing device to:

receive, from each of the plurality of automated self-service devices at the same location, the status information for the respective automated self-service device, of the plurality of automated self-service devices, at the same location.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the status information for the first automated self-service device indicates an amount of time the first portable activity assistance device has been assisting the first automated self-service device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the status information for the second self-service automated device indicates an amount of time the second portable activity assistance device has been assisting the second automated self-service device.