METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ASSISTANCE VIA VIDEO

• US 20090153646A1
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Morrison, John, Jensen, Eric, Mashek, Kristina, BOURGUIGNON, LINDSAY
• Granted Patent: US 9,760,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.110
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/251 where a voice mode or a visual mode can be used interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/257 remote control of substation user interface for telephonic services, e.g. by ISDN stimulus, ADSI, wireless telephony application WTA, MExE or BREW
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

A system, device, and method for providing assistance to a user may include initiation of a video and/or text chat session as an audio telephone call between a terminal operated by the user and a call host, establishment, by the call host, of an audio connection between the user terminal and call host for the audio telephone call, a routing, by the call host, of the audio telephone call to a terminal of a human agent, the routing depending on a type of assistance requested by the user, and the user terminal and the agent terminal establishing a video connection and/or a text chat connection between the user terminal and the agent terminal after the audio telephone call is accepted by the agent terminal.

Claims

1. A method for providing assistance to a user via video, comprising:

initiating a video chat session as an audio telephone call between a terminal operated by the user and a call host;

establishing, by the call host, an audio connection between the user terminal and the call host for the audio telephone call;

routing, by the call host, the audio telephone call to a terminal of a human agent, the routing depending on a skill required for providing a type of assistance requested by the user; and

the user terminal and the agent terminal establishing a video connection between the user terminal and the agent terminal after the audio telephone call is accepted by the agent terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video connection is maintained in parallel with an audio connection between the user terminal and the agent terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the assistance includes technical support related to a device operated by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a video of the user device for display to the agent.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a text chat connection between the user terminal and the agent terminal in conjunction with the video connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a real-time video of the agent for display at the user terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the real-time agent video is also displayed to the agent.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a real-time video of the user for display to the agent.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the real-time user video is also displayed to the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiation of the video chat session is contingent upon the user terminal being unlocked by an administrator of the user terminal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating the video chat session after a predetermined period of user inactivity.

12. A system for providing assistance to a user via video, comprising:

a call host configured to receive incoming telephone calls;

a computing terminal operated by the user and configured to initiate a video chat session as an audio telephone call with the call host; and

a plurality of human agent operated terminals in communication with the call host;

wherein;

the call host is configured to establish an audio connection between the user terminal and the call host for the audio telephone call and route the audio telephone call to a terminal of a human agent, the routing depending on a skill required for providing a type of assistance requested by the user; and

responsive to the agent terminal accepting the routed telephone call, the agent terminal and the user terminal are configured to establish a video connection between the user terminal and the agent terminal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the video connection is maintained in parallel with an audio connection between the user terminal and the agent terminal.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an audio-visual capture device in communication with the computing terminal, the audio-visual capture device configured to capture a video of at least one of the user and a device operated by the user for transmission as part of the chat session.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the assistance includes technical support related to a device operated by the user.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the user terminal is configured to transmit a video of the user device for display at the agent terminal.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein a text chat connection is established between the user terminal and the agent terminal in conjunction with the video connection.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the agent terminal is configured to transmit a real-time video of the agent for display at the user terminal.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the agent terminal is configured to display the real-time agent video.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the user terminal is configured to transmit a real-time video of the user for display at the agent terminal.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the user terminal is configured to display the real-time user video at the user terminal.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the video chat session is initiated contingent upon the user terminal being unlocked by an administrator of the user terminal.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the call host is configured to terminate the video chat session after a predetermined period of user inactivity.

24. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions executable by a processor for providing assistance to a user via video, the instructions configured to cause the processor to perform the steps of:

initiating a video chat session as an audio telephone call between a terminal operated by the user and a remote computing device;

establishing, by the call host, an audio connection between the user terminal and the remote computing device for the audio telephone call;

routing, by the call host, the audio telephone call to a terminal of a human agent, the routing depending on a skill required for providing a type of assistance requested by the user; and

the user terminal and the agent terminal establishing a video connection between the user terminal and the agent terminal after the audio telephone call is accepted by the agent terminal.

25. A system for providing assistance to a user, comprising:

a user terminal; and

a call host,

wherein the user terminal directs a chat session telephone call to the call host, the call host selecting an agent terminal from a plurality of agent terminals and routing the telephone call as an audio connection to the selected agent terminal, and responsive to the routing of the telephone call, the user terminal and the selected agent terminal directly negotiating with each other to establish at least one of a video connection and a text chat connection that is maintained in parallel with the audio connection.