INSTANT MESSAGING ROBOT TO PROVIDE PRODUCT INFORMATION

• US 20120215871A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Xiaoming
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Methods and systems to automatically respond to a request for product information are described. In one embodiment, a data collection module may collect product data over a network, identify that the product data is related to a particular product, and store the product data and an association between the product data and the particular product in a database. An instant messaging engine may receive a request for the product data after the product data is stored in the database and an interpreter module may identify, in response to the request, the request to correspond to the particular product and retrieve the product data based on the association between the particular product and the product data. The instant messaging engine may also transmit, using an instant messaging protocol, a response to the request, the response including the product data.

Claims

1. A method of automatically responding to a request for product information, the method comprising:

collecting, using one or more processors, product data over a network;

identifying that the product data is related to a particular product;

storing the product data and an association between the product data and the particular product in a database;

receiving a request for the product data after the product data is stored in the database, the request being received via an instant messaging protocol;

in response to the request, identifying the request to correspond to the particular product;

retrieving the product data based on the association between the particular product and the product data; and

transmitting, using the instant messaging protocol, a response to the request, the response including the product data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular product is a ticket to an event, and wherein the product data comprises at least one of information about the ticket to the event and of information about the event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the product data over the network comprises:

accessing a website containing the product data; and

monitoring instant message communications.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the response to the request comprises a link associated with the particular product.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the link associated with the particular product is a link to a webpage where the particular product is purchased.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, using the instant messaging protocol, a prompt to provide a search criteria;

receiving a reply to the prompt, the reply comprising the search criteria; and

searching the database for the product data using the search criteria.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for the product data is associated with an instant messaging identifier, the method further comprising:

detecting a notification event,

retrieving, in response to detecting the notification event, a message associated with the instant messaging identifier,

wherein the response to the request includes the message.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying a transaction associated with the request, wherein the message is further associated with the transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the request to correspond to the particular product is based on a popularity score of the particular product.

10. A system to automatically respond to a request for product information, the system comprising:

a data collection module to;

collect product data over a network,

identify that the product data is related to a particular product, and

store the product data and an association between the product data and the particular product in a database;

an instant messaging engine to receive a request for the product data after the product data is stored in the database; and

an interpreter module to;

identify, in response to the request, the request to correspond to the particular product, and

retrieve the product data based on the association between the particular product and the product data; and

the instant messaging engine further to transmit, using an instant messaging protocol, a response to the request, the response including the product data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the data collection module is further to:

access a website containing the product data.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the instant messaging engine is to;

transmit, using the instant messaging protocol, a prompt to provide a search criteria, and

receiving a reply to the prompt, the reply comprising the search criteria; and

the interpreter module is to search the database for the product data using the search criteria.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the request for the product data is associated with an instant messaging identifier, the system further comprising:

a notification module to

detect a notification event, and

retrieve a message associated with the instant messaging identifier; and

wherein the response to the request includes the message.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the notification module is further to:

identify a transaction associated with the request, wherein the message is further associated with the transaction.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the interpreter module is further to identify the request to correspond to the particular product based on a popularity score of the particular product.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a machine to:

collect product data over a network;

identify that the product data is related to a particular product;

store the product data and an association between the product data and the particular product in a database;

receive a request for the product data after the product data is stored in the database;

identify, in response to the request, the request to correspond to the particular product;

retrieve the product data based on the association between the particular product and the product data; and

transmit, using an instant messaging protocol, a response to the request, the response including the product data.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising stored instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

monitor instant message communications.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising stored instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

transmit, using the instant messaging protocol, a prompt to provide a search criteria;

receiving a reply to the prompt, the reply comprising the search criteria; and

search the database for the product data using the search criteria.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the request for the product data is associated with an instant messaging identifier, the machine-readable medium further comprising stored instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

retrieve a notification associated with the instant messaging identifier; and

wherein the response to the request includes the notification.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising stored instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

identify the request to correspond to the particular product based on a popularity score of the particular product.