Method and system for facilitating marketing dialogues

• US 20060136545A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Vignette Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, James, Reistad, Brian, Payne, Andrew C., Snapper, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A system for facilitating marketing dialogues permits multiple instances of multiple scripts to be active at the same time, where each of these dialogues can be at a different place in its script. The dialogues permit interactive communications between the user of the system (such as a marketer) and the user'"'"'s customers or other participants. Scripts are created using a graphical user interface, in which shapes corresponding to steps in a script are dragged and dropped into a script. Communications can be over a network, by telephone, by mail, or by other means. Overall data from the execution of the scripts can be monitored using another graphical user interface, allowing results and trends to be observed and corrections made to the marketing program. Information regarding the scripts and variables used by the scripts is maintained in a set of tables in one or more databases. A data dictionary provides an interface for data stored in the databases.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for facilitating a network based dialogue, comprising

executing a first instruction of the program associated with a first instance of the program, wherein the first instruction is operable to send a first communication to a first corresponding participant;

and

executing a second instruction of the program subsequent to the occurrence of a first specified event associated with the first corresponding participant.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising associating each of one or more instances of a program with a corresponding participant.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first corresponding participant is associated with the first instance of the program.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second instruction of the program is associated with the first instance of the program

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second instruction is operable to send a second communication to the first corresponding participant.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second communication includes data associated with the first specified event.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the second instruction is operable to initiate a purchase at a web site.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the second instruction is operable to schedule a telephone call to the corresponding participant.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the first specified event is the expiration of a specified time period.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the first specified event is a response to the first communication.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining the second instruction based on the first specified event.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving the first specified event; and

identifying the first instance of the program associated with the first specified event.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

executing the first instruction of the program associated with a second instance of the program, wherein the first instruction is operable to send a second communication to a second corresponding participant associated with the second instance of the program; and

executing the second instruction of the program associated with the second instance of the program in response to the occurrence of a second specified event associated with the second corresponding participant.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising executing a third instruction of the program associated with the first instance of the program upon the occurrence of a third specified event associated with the first corresponding participant.

31. A system for facilitating a network based dialogue, comprising:

a program including a first instruction operable to send a communication to a participant and a second instruction;

an engine operable to process one or more instances of the program, the engine operable to associate a first instance of the first program with a first corresponding participant, execute the first instruction of the first instance to send a first communication to the first corresponding participant and execute the second instruction of the first instance in response to the occurrence of a first specified event associated with the first corresponding participant.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the second instruction is operable to send a second communication to the first corresponding participant.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the second communication includes data associated with the first specified event.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the second instruction is operable to initiate a purchase at a web site.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the second instruction is operable to schedule a telephone call to the corresponding participant.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the first specified event is the expiration of a specified time period without a response from the first corresponding participant.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the first specified event is a response to the first communication.

38. The system of claim 31, wherein the engine is further operable to determine the second instruction based on the first specified event.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the engine is further operable to identify the first instance of the program associated with the first specified event based on the first specified event.

40. The system of claim 31, wherein the engine is further operable to execute the first instruction of the program associated with a second instance of the program to send a second communication to a second corresponding participant associated with the second instance of the program and execute the second instruction of the program associated with the second instance of the program in response to the occurrence of a second specified event associated with the second corresponding participant.

41. The system of claim 31, wherein the engine is further operable to execute a third instruction of the program associated with the first instance of the program in response to the occurrence of a third specified event associated with the first corresponding participant.

42. A method for facilitating a network based dialogue, comprising

executing an first instruction of a program, wherein the first instruction is operable to send a first electronic communication to a corresponding participant;

and

executing an second instruction of a program subsequent to the occurrence of a specified event associated with the corresponding participant, wherein the second instruction is operable to send a second electronic communication to the corresponding participant.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the second electronic communication includes data associated with the specified event.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the specified event is the expiration of a specified time period without a response from the corresponding participant.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein the specified event is a response to the first electronic communication.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein the specified event is an interaction with the first electronic communication.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the interaction is the selection of a link in the first electronic communication.

48. The method of claim 42, wherein the specified event is an initiation of a purchase.

49. The method of claim 42, further comprising determining content of the second electronic communication based on the specified event.

50. A system for facilitating a network based dialogue, comprising:

one or more programs, each program including a first instruction operable to send a first electronic communication to a participant and a second instruction operable to send a second electronic communication to the participant;

an engine operable to process the program, the engine operable to execute the first instruction to send the first electronic communication to the participant and execute the second instruction to send a second electronic communication to the participant in response to the occurrence of a specified event associated with the first corresponding participant.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the second electronic communication includes data associated with the specified event.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the specified event is the expiration of a specified time period without a response from the corresponding participant.

53. The system of claim 50, wherein the specified event is a response to the first electronic communication.

54. The system of claim 50, wherein the specified event is an interaction with the first electronic communication.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the interaction is the participant selecting a link in the first electronic communication.

56. The system of claim 50, wherein the specified event is an initiation of a purchase.

63. The method of claim 54, wherein the specified event is an initiation of a purchase.

57. A method for facilitating a network based dialogue, comprising

associating each of one or more instances of a program with a corresponding participant;

executing a first instruction of a first instance of the program, wherein the first instruction is operable to send a first electronic communication to a first corresponding participant; and

executing a second instruction of the first instance of the program a subsequent to the occurrence of a specified event associated with the first corresponding participant, wherein the second instruction is operable to send a second electronic communication to the first corresponding participant.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the second electronic communication includes data associated with the specified event.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein the specified event is the expiration of a specified time period without a response from the corresponding participant.

60. The method of claim 57, wherein the specified event is a response to the first electronic communication.

61. The method of claim 57, wherein the specified event is an interaction with the first electronic communication.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the interaction is the selection of a link in the first electronic communication.

64. The method of claim 57, further comprising determining content of the second electronic communication based on the specified event.

65. A system for facilitating a network based dialogue, comprising:

a program including a first instruction operable to send a first electronic communication to a participant and a second instruction operable to send a second electronic communication to the participant;

an engine operable to process one or more instances of the program, the engine operable to associate a first instance of the first program with a first corresponding participant, execute the first instruction associated with the first instance to send a first communication to the first corresponding participant and execute the second instruction associated with the first instance to send a second electronic communication to the first corresponding participant in response to the occurrence of a specified event associated with the first corresponding participant.

66. The system of claim 65, wherein the second electronic communication includes data associated with the specified event.

67. The system of claim 65, wherein the specified event is the expiration of a specified time period without a response from the corresponding participant.

68. The system of claim 65, wherein the specified event is a response to the first electronic communication.

69. The system of claim 65, wherein the specified event is an interaction with the first electronic communication.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein the interaction is the participant selecting a link in the first electronic communication.

71. The system of claim 65, wherein the specified event is an initiation of a purchase.