System and method of event triggered voice call origination

• US 20070071192A1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Unwired Asset Management LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gnumber Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Charles, Tooley, Chris, Butcher, James, Zuniga, Roy, Walker, Lanny
• Application Number:
  US11/228,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20070071192A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.120
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A method is disclosed and includes presenting a list of items for sale. The method also includes receiving a user selection of an item from the list of items for sale and placing the selected item on an action list in response to a user action. Additionally, the method includes monitoring the selected item on the action list and placing a call to the user over a voice channel before an end of an offer for sale of the selected item. The method also includes authenticating the user. In an alternative embodiment, the method includes instructing a third party to place a call to the user before the end of the offer for sale of the selected item.

Claims

1. 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 a user action;

monitoring the selected item on the action list;

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

authenticating the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the user is registered at a web server, before placing the selected item on the action list.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving one or more sign-in credentials from the user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising registering the user after determining that the user is not registered.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user action is:

a request to place the selected item on a watch list, a request to place the selected item on a wish list, a bid, or a best offer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the action list is:

a watch list, a wish list, a bid list, or a best offer list.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving primary contact information associated with the user from a database.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising retrieving secondary contact information associated with the user from the database.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising attempting to contact the user using the primary contact information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising attempting to contact the user using the secondary contact information after attempting to contact the user using the primary contact information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of items for sale is presented based on a search query.

12. A method of registering a user at an e-commerce website, the method comprising:

receiving user information;

receiving account information from the user;

prompting the user to select an option for real-time communication over a voice channel regarding one or more user selected items available via the e-commerce website, wherein the real-time communication occurs before an end of an offer for sale of the one or more user selected items; and

prompting the user to select an option for authenticating the user when the real-time communication is received.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving primary contact information from the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the primary contact information is a first telephone number.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first telephone number is a plain old telephone service (POTS) telephone number or a wireless telephone number.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving secondary contact information from the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the secondary contact information is a second telephone number.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second telephone number is a plain old telephone service (POTS) telephone number or a wireless telephone number.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the user information includes at least one of the following:

a first name, a last name, an address, a primary telephone number, a secondary telephone number, a date of birth, and an email address.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the account information includes at least one of the following:

a user identification, a user password, an email address, a confirmation code, a secret question, and an answer to the secret question.

21. 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; and

instructing a third party to place a call to the user over a voice channel before an end of an offer for sale of the selected item.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting user contact information to the third party.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving a user authentication.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising authenticating the user.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting a status of the selected item to the third party.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving a user action from the third party.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the user action is:

a bid, a best offer, or a purchase request.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising updating the status of the selected item based on the user action.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising transmitting an updated status of the selected item to the third party.

30. 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; and

requesting an authentication credential from the user.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising authenticating the user.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising transmitting the authentication credential to the vendor website server and receiving an indication that the user is authenticated.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising receiving a status of the item from the vendor website.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising transmitting a status of a selected item to the user.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising receiving a user action.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the user action is:

a bid, a best offer, or a purchase request.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising transmitting the user action to the vendor website.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising receiving an updated status of the selected item in response to the user action.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising transmitting the updated status to the user.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising receiving an end of sale indication for the vendor website that the selected item is no longer for sale.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising transmitting the end of sale indication to the user.

42. A server comprising:

a computer readable medium accessible to a processor, the computer readable medium comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises;

instructions to receive a user action related to an item available for sale;

instructions to place the item on an action list in response to the user action;

instructions to contact a user in real-time via a voice channel before an end of an offer for sale of the item; and

instructions to authenticate the user.

43. The server of claim 42, wherein the user action is:

a request to place the item on a watch list, a request to place the item on a wish list, a bid, or a best offer.

44. The server of claim 42, wherein the action list is a:

watch list, a wish list, a bid list, or a best offer list.

45. The server of claim 42, further comprising a vendor interface module embedded within the computer readable medium, wherein the vendor interface module connects the user to the server.

46. The server of claim 45, further comprising an inventory module embedded within the computer readable medium, wherein the inventory module tracks an inventory of items for sale.

47. The server of claim 46, further comprising a user history and watch list module embedded within the computer readable medium, wherein the user history and watch list module tracks a shopping and bidding history of the user and wherein the user history and watch list module tracks at least one item.

48. The server of claim 47, further comprising a transaction processing module embedded within the computer readable medium, wherein the transaction processing module processes one or more user transactions.