Virtual consultation system and method

• US 20050267778A1
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iTeam Inc.
• Original Assignee: iTeam Inc.
• Inventors: Kazman, William
• Application Number:
  US11/138,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267778A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A virtual consultation system and method enables a user to receive interactive real, or near real, time consultation from at least one consultant, wherein the consultant and consultation information are presented to the user via a plurality of presentation means.

Claims

1. A method of providing consultation over a computer network comprising the steps of:

A. providing a consultation system comprising at least one consultant device, configured for communicating with a user device via a network;

B. establishing a consultation session between the at least one consultant device and the user device, comprising;

a) presenting real-time conferencing communications between the consultant device and a first presentation means of the user device; and

b) presenting consultation information via a second presentation means of the user device as a function of information from the consultant system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the consultation information includes information relating to at least one of a product or a service offering.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the consultation information includes information relating to at least one of training, education, or instruction.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step B includes establishing the consultation session in response to a trigger event including at least one of receiving detection of a user at the user device or receiving a message indicating an input of the user at the user device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the user device is a device from a group comprising a kiosk, a personal or laptop computer, a telephone, or a personal digital assistant.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving from a database information relating to at least one prior consultation session involving the user.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the consultation session is a reestablishment of the prior consultation session.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing session information in a data storage system in conjunction with an identification of the user interacting with the user device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing session information in a data storage system in conjunction with an identification of the user interacting with the user device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the presenting of real-time communications includes presenting audiovisual information representing a consultant in the first presentation means.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the consultant is a virtual consultant and presenting audiovisual information includes providing an anthropomorphic representation of the virtual consultant synchronized to an audio stream of speech of the virtual consultant.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving at the at least one consultation device audio and video information of a user at the user device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein in step B. b) includes presenting the consultation information via the second presentation means of the user device as a further function of information from the user device.

14. A consultation kiosk comprising:

A. a network interface configured for linking to a consultation system comprising at least one consultation device;

B. at least one processor coupled to the network interface and to at least one input device for receiving information relating to a user of the kiosk;

C. a first presentation means configured for presenting real-time conferencing communications with the consultant device; and

D. a second presentation configured for presenting consultation information via a second presentation means as a function of information from the consultant system.

15. The kiosk of claim 14 wherein the consultation information includes graphical and textual information related to products, services, instruction, training or education.

16. The kiosk of claim 14 wherein the real-time information includes audiovisual information depicting a consultant.

17. The kiosk of claim 16 wherein the consultant is a virtual consultant and the second presentation means is configured for providing an anthropomorphic representation of the virtual consultant synchronized to an audio stream of speech of the virtual consultant.

18. The kiosk of claim 14 wherein at least one of the first presentation means or second means is a display screen.

19. The kiosk of claim 14 comprising at least one device from a group comprising a personal or laptop computer, a telephone, or a personal digital assistant.

20. The kiosk of claim 14 further comprising at least one detector for detecting a user at the kiosk.

21. The kiosk of claim 20 wherein the at least one processor is configured to establish a consultation session with the at least one consultant device in response to the detector detecting a user.

22. The kiosk of claim 14 wherein the second presentation means is configured for presenting the consultation information as a further function of information from the at least one device.

23. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon for execution by at least one processor of a consultation system comprising a link to at least one consultant device configured for communicating with a user device to perform a method of consulting comprising the steps of:

A. establishing a consultation session between the at least one consultant device and the user device, comprising;

a) establishing real-time conferencing communications via a first presentation means of the user device; and

b) generating consultation information for presenting via a second presentation means of the user device as a function of information from the consultant system.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the consultation information includes information relating to at least one of a product or a service offering.

25. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the consultation information includes information relating to at least one of training, education, or instruction.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising instructions for establishing the consultation session in response to a trigger event including at least one of receiving detection of a user at the user device or receiving a message indicating an input of the user at the user device.

27. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the user device is a device from a group comprising a kiosk, a personal or laptop computer, a telephone, or a personal digital assistant.

28. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising instructions for retrieving from a database information relating to at least one prior consultation session involving the user.

29. The computer program product of claim 28 further comprising instructions for reestablishing the prior consultation session as the consultation session.

30. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising instructions for storing session information in a data storage system in conjunction with an identification of the user interacting with the user device.

31. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein real-time communications includes at least one of audio conferencing, videoconferencing, or instant messaging.

32. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein presenting real-time communications includes presenting audiovisual information representing a consultant in the first presentation means.

33. The computer program product of claim 32 wherein the consultant is a virtual consultant and presenting audiovisual information includes providing an anthropomorphic representation of the virtual consultant synchronized to an audio stream of speech of the virtual consultant.

34. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising instructions for processing at the at least one consultation device audio and video information of a user at the user device.

35. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein in step A. b) includes presenting the consultation information via the second presentation means of the user device as a further function of information from the user device.

36. A consultation system for enabling consultation over a computer network, the consultation system comprising:

A. at least one consultant device, configured for communicating with a user device via a network;

B. means for establishing a consultation session between the at least one consultant device and the user device, comprising;

a) means for presenting real-time conferencing communications between the consultant device and a first presentation means of the user device; and

b) means for presenting consultation information via a second presentation means of the user device as a function of information from the consultant system.