COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20120232978A1
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Consulting Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Apptera Incorporated
• Inventors: Steul, Donald R., Vogel, Henry M., Chisholm, Brian J., Dhaliwal, Kavinder S., Zhang, Yongjiang, Rajamiyer, Ravichandran, Becker, Jeffrey T., Dukic, Aleksandar
• Granted Patent: US 9,119,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Communication systems and methods support communication between multiple devices. In some embodiments, a method initiates a communication session between a first device and a second device via a server. The method identifies a first user associated with the first device and identifies a second user associated with the second device. An interaction history between the first user and the second user is accessed from the server and communicated to the first device for display on the first device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a communication session between a first device and a second device via a server;

identifying a first user associated with the first device;

identifying a second user associated with the second device;

accessing, using one or more processors, an interaction history between the first user and the second user from the server; and

communicating the interaction history to the first device for display on the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the interaction history to the second device for display on the second device.

3. The method of claim 1, the interaction history including text messages and voice calls between the first user and the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, the interaction history including at least one of outbound voicemail messages, outbound voicemail transcriptions, outbound voicemail date, outbound voicemail time, outbound voicemail caller identification, and outbound voicemail message length.

5. The method of claim 1, the interaction history including at least one of inbound voicemail messages, inbound voicemail transcriptions, inbound voicemail date, inbound voicemail time, inbound voicemail caller identification, and inbound voicemail message length.

6. The method of claim 1, the interaction history including an exchange of at least one of contact information, pictures, videos, music, geographic location data, data files, and screen capture images.

7. The method of claim 1, the interaction history identifying:

a plurality of interaction events between the first user and the second user; and

a time associated with each of the plurality of interaction events.

8. The method of claim 1, the interaction history including interactions with third party networks.

9. The method of claim 1, the interaction history including interactions with social media networks.

10. A method comprising:

establishing a communication session between a first device and a second device, the first device associated with a user and the second device associated with a merchant, the communication session established by a server;

the server automatically determining that the second device is associated with a merchant; and

the server communicating the merchant association with the second device to the first device, the first device maintaining a contact list of merchants with which the first device has previously established a communication session.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising communicating information associated with the merchant from the server to the first device.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, the information associated with the merchant including at least one of the name of the merchant, contact information associated with the merchant, a product or service category associated with the merchant, and a history of products or services previously purchased by the user from the merchant.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, the communication session supporting interactive display screens that allow the user of the first device to obtain information about the merchant.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, the communication session supporting interactive display screens that allow the user of the first device to enter information in forms predefined by the merchant.

15. A method as recited in claim 10, the communication session supporting use of forms defined by the merchant, the forms being displayed to the user of the first device with at least a portion of the form completed using data cached in the first device.

16. A method as recited in claim 10, the communication session supporting use of forms defined by the merchant, the forms being displayed to the user of the first device with at least a portion of the form completed using data stored in the server.

17. A method comprising:

communicating an offer to a mobile device for display on the mobile device, the offer including an option to purchase a product;

receiving a request from a user of the mobile device to purchase the product;

receiving product purchase information from the user;

offering an additional service to the user, the additional service associated with the product purchase; and

validating, using one or more processors, a user identity responsive to acceptance of the offer for the additional service by receiving physical input from the user via the mobile device.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, the additional service including at least one of future updates associated with the product and supplemental information regarding the product.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, the physical input including at least one of the user pressing a designated portion of a display screen contained in the mobile device, the user swiping a designated portion of the display screen contained in the mobile device, and the user pressing a designated sequence of buttons displayed on the display screen contained in the mobile device.

20. A method as recited in claim 17, the validating of the user identity further including receiving an audible utterance spoken by the user of the mobile device.