METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FLEXIBLE AUTOMATED INTERACTIONS

• US 20120137174A1
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oracle OTC Subsidiary LLC (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Art Technology Group Incorporated (Oracle Corporation), Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: BERKOVITZ, Joseph, SHAVER, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/367,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20120137174A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A computer platform provides a method and system for establishing scenarios for interactions between users (both individually and as a group) and a web site or other software application over a network. The interactions are described in terms of events, actions, and conditions, where a single mechanism may be used to describe events, actions, and conditions for both individuals and a group. One portion of a scenario may apply to the group, while another portion applies to individuals. Time elements and branches also can be employed to describe the scenario. The scenario may describe a non-deterministic process, but be modeled as a deterministic state machine for execution.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to establishing a plurality of interactions with a web site for a group of users, the instructions comprising:

creating a plurality of states and a plurality of branches to form a scenario for an interaction of each user with the web site, wherein the states comprise a waiting state and an intermediate state, and wherein the waiting state waits for one or more events, and the intermediate state channels the user to different branches of the scenario;

tracking each user along the scenario using a state machine when the user is interacting with the web site;

storing profile information of each user;

storing an individual state of at least one user in the scenario; and

storing a collective state of the users in the scenario.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

using the collective state to delay creating a first individual state during the interaction.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

using the collective state to avoid creating a first individual state during the interaction.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising rolling back the interaction to a previous event when an error occurs during an event using the stored individual state and the stored collective state.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user is channeled to a branch based on a random number.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user is channeled to a branch based on a condition or an event.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the condition is based on user profile information and the event is based on user actions.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein an event comprises an object that comprises attributes.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein a first user executes multiple branches of the scenario in parallel.

10. A computer implemented method for establishing a plurality of interactions with a web site for a group of users, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of states and a plurality of branches to form a scenario for an interaction of each user with the web site, wherein the states comprise a waiting state and an intermediate state, and wherein the waiting state waits for one or more events, and the intermediate state channels the user to different branches of the scenario;

tracking each user along the scenario using a state machine when the user is interacting with the web site;

storing profile information of each user;

storing an individual state of at least one user in the scenario; and

storing a collective state of the users in the scenario.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

using the collective state to delay creating a first individual state during the interaction.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

using the collective state to avoid creating a first individual state during the interaction.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising rolling back the interaction to a previous event when an error occurs during an event using the stored individual state and the stored collective state.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the user is channeled to a branch based on a random number.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the user is channeled to a branch based on a condition or an event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the condition is based on user profile information and the event is based on user actions.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein an event comprises an object that comprises attributes.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein a first user executes multiple branches of the scenario in parallel.

19. A web site server system comprising:

a web site generator;

a scenario generator for the web site to establish a plurality of interactions with the web site for a group of users, the scenario comprising a plurality of states and a plurality of branches, wherein the states comprise a waiting state and an intermediate state, and wherein the waiting state waits for one or more events, and the intermediate state channels the user to different branches of the scenario;

a tracker for tracking each user along the scenario using a state machine when the user is interacting with the web site; and

storage for storing profile information of each user, an individual state of at least one user in the scenario, and a collective state of the users in the scenario.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the user is channeled to a branch based on a random number.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the user is channeled to a branch based on a condition or an event.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the condition is based on user profile information and the event is based on user actions.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein an event comprises an object that comprises attributes.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein a first user executes multiple branches of the scenario in parallel.