System, method, and user interface for interacting with an e-commerce website

• US 20070067224A1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unwired Asset Management LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gnumber Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Charles, Tooley, Chris, Butcher, James, Zuniga, Roy, Walker, Lanny
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A user interface for communicating over a voice channel regarding an item that is available at an e-commerce website is disclosed and includes a speaker to communicate at least one audible voice message and at least one audible non-voice message. The audible voice message can indicate the status of an item and/or the status of an offer to purchase the item. Further, the at least one audible non-voice message can indicate a time period in which user input can be received. Moreover, the at least one audible non-voice message is transmitted concurrently with the at least one audible voice message.

Claims

1. A user interface for communicating over a voice channel regarding an item available at an e-commerce website, the user interface comprising:

an audio speaker to communicate at least one audible voice message and at least one audible non-voice message; and

wherein the at least one audible non-voice message is transmitted concurrently with the at least one audible voice message.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the at least one audible non-voice message is played in the background while playing the at least one audible voice message.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the at least one audible non-voice message includes an indicator of a timer countdown.

4. The user interface of claim 3, wherein the at least one audible non-voice message includes a pulsing tone.

5. The user interface of claim 4, wherein a frequency of the pulsing tone increases as a time period winds down, wherein a volume of the pulsing tone increases as the time period winds down, and wherein a pitch of the pulsing tone increases as the time period winds down.

6. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a keypad, wherein a user can respond to the at least one audible voice message by pressing one or more buttons on the keypad.

7. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a microphone, wherein a user can respond to the at least one audible voice message by speaking a command into the microphone.

8. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the at least one audible non-voice message includes:

a primary audible non-voice message that indicates a timer countdown; and

a secondary audible non-voice message that indicates a change in status.

9. A method of contacting a user about an item that is available via an e-commerce website, the method comprising:

authenticating the user;

transmitting at least one voice message to the user; and

transmitting at least one audible non-voice message to the user, wherein the at least one audible non-voice message indicates a time period in which user input can be received, wherein the user input is related to the item that is available via the e-commerce website.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving the user input; and

determining whether a status of the item has changed in response to the user input.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the user input is:

a bid, a bid increase, or a request to purchase the item.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one audible non-voice message is a pulsing tone that is played in the background of the at least one voice message.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

indicating that the time period has ended; and

indicating a final status of the item.

14. A method comprising:

presenting a list of items for sale;

receiving a user selection of an item from the list of items for sale;

placing the selected item on an action list in response to the user selection;

placing a call to the user over a voice channel before an end of an offer for sale of the selected item;

authenticating the user;

transmitting a plurality of voice messages over the voice channel after the user is authenticated; and

transmitting an audible non-voice message over the voice channel while transmitting at least one of the plurality of voice messages.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the audible non-voice message is played in the background of at least one of the plurality of voice messages.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of voice messages include a greeting, an identification of the selected item, and an indication that the user has a time period to take an action with respect to the selected item.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the audible non-voice message indicates a count down of the time period.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the audible non-voice message is a pulsing tone and a frequency of the pulsing tone increases as the time period winds down.

19. A method comprising:

receiving a request to contact a user from a vendor website server regarding an item offered for sale at the vendor website server;

retrieving contact information for the user;

initiating a call to the user over a voice channel using an automated notification device;

transmitting at least one voice message to the user while transmitting at least one audible non-voice message to the user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one voice message includes a request for an authentication credential from the user.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving the authentication credential; and

transmitting the authentication credential to the vendor website server.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one voice message includes an indication that the user is authenticated.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving a status of the item from the vendor website.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one voice message further includes an indication of the status of the item.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving a user action;

transmitting the user action to the vendor website; and

receiving an updated status of the selected item in response to the user action.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one voice message further comprises an indication of the updated status.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving an end of sale indication from the vendor website that indicates that the selected item is no longer for sale.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one voice message further comprises an indication that the selected item is no longer for sale.

29. A system for notifying a user about an item at an auction website over a voice channel, the system comprising:

a voice generation module embedded within a memory, wherein the voice generation module includes;

a first voice message, wherein the first voice message includes a greeting, a reason for the call, and a prompt for a personal identification number, wherein the reason for the call relates to an event associated with the auction website.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the voice generation module further includes a second voice message, wherein the second voice message includes at least one of the following:

an indication that the PIN is incorrect, a prompt to the user to try inputting the PIN again, and a prompt to press a selected button to receive the PIN via an email address.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the voice generation module further includes a third voice message, wherein the third voice message includes at least one of the following:

an indication that the user can bid on an auction for the item, an auction number associated with the item, a category associated with the item, and a sub-category associated with the item.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the voice generation module further includes a fourth voice message, wherein the fourth voice message includes at least one of the following:

a current high bid for the item, an indication that the user is currently a high bidder, and an indication that the user is currently not a high bidder.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the voice generation module further includes:

a fifth voice message, wherein the fifth voice message includes a prompt to press start to place a bid;

a sixth voice message, wherein the sixth voice message includes an indication of a time remaining for the auction for the item;

a seventh voice message, wherein the seventh voice message includes at least one of the following;

a prompt to press pound to enter a minimum bid and a prompt to enter a bid in dollars and cents and press pound to enter a maximum bid;

an eighth voice message, wherein the eighth voice message includes an indication that the bid is less than a current minimum bid;

a ninth voice message, wherein the ninth voice message includes at least one of the following an indication of the bid entered by the user, a prompt to press one to confirm the bid entered by the user, a prompt to press two to enter a different bid amount, and a prompt to press star to cancel the bid;

a tenth voice message, wherein the tenth voice message includes an indication that the bid is a successful bid;

an eleventh voice message, wherein the eleventh voice message includes an indication that the current high bid has changed;

a twelfth voice message, wherein the twelfth voice message includes an indication that the bid is a successful bid, but the another user has outbid the user;

a thirteenth voice message, wherein the thirteenth voice message includes at least one of the following;

a prompt to press two to hear the user'"'"'s current maximum bid, a prompt to press three to get the current bid for the item, a prompt to press four to get the time remaining for the auction, a prompt to press five to get the category for the auction, and a prompt to press nine to hear one or more options again;

a fourteenth voice message, wherein the fourteenth voice message includes an indication that an invalid key has been pressed;

a fifteenth voice message, wherein the fifteenth voice message includes an indication that the auction has ended early;

a sixteenth voice message, wherein the sixteenth voice message includes an indication that the user has cancelled the bid;

a seventeenth voice message, wherein the seventeenth voice message includes an indication that the system is unable to communicate with the auction provider;

an eighteenth voice message, wherein the eighteenth voice message includes an indication that the PIN is correct, but a username and password associated with the auction provider must be updated;

a nineteenth voice message, wherein the nineteenth voice message includes an indication that the auction ended before the bid was submitted;

a twentieth voice message, wherein the twentieth voice message includes an indication that the bid is being submitted to the auction provider;

a twenty-first voice message, wherein the twenty-first voice message includes an indication that the auction has ended;

a twenty-second voice message, wherein the twenty-second voice message includes at least one of the following;

an indication that the user has won the auction and an instruction to check an email address for information to complete a transaction associated with the auction for the item;

a twenty-third voice message, wherein the twenty-third voice message includes an indication that the user has not won the auction;

a twenty-fourth voice message, wherein the twenty-fourth voice message includes an indication that that the user can skip ahead at any time; and

a twenty-fifth voice message, wherein the twenty-fifth voice message includes at least one of the following;

an indication that an auction status is being updated and an indication that the close of the auction is being verified with the auction provider.