SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR SEARCHING AND COMMUNICATION

• US 20150248486A1
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Published: 09/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LivePerson Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LivePerson Incorporated
• Inventors: Barak, Matan, Schorzman, Julius, Ninio, Nir Holtzman, Goldstein, Uri
• Granted Patent: US 9,563,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/783 Distributed allocation of resources, e.g. bandwidth brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, comprising the steps of, or structure for, storing a plurality of expert profiles in a database, each of the plurality of expert profiles comprising information associated with a person having knowledge in a particular category, subject or topic; receiving search criteria over a network from a query source; selecting at least one of the plurality of expert profiles comprising information that satisfy the search criteria; and transmitting expert profile data for each of the selected expert profiles to the remote search engine, the expert profile data comprising data that defines a displayable representation of a corresponding expert profile, the expert profile data further comprising data that facilitates a client-initiated, real-time communication session over the network with a person associated with the corresponding expert profile.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

storing topic data and resource data in a database within a system;

associating topic data with one or more resources, wherein resources are active or inactive, and wherein resources are relevant or irrelevant to the topic data;

determining whether any resources associated with the topic data are active and relevant;

associating one or more real-time interaction options with active relevant resources;

determining status data, wherein the status data is stored in the database, and wherein the status data corresponds to active relevant resources associated with one or more real-time interaction options;

transmitting the status data to a remote search engine that associates interactive elements with search results; and

receiving data corresponding to a selection of an interactive element associated with search results, wherein the interactive element is associated with one or more resources based on the status data, wherein the selection of the interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices, and wherein at least one device is associated with an active relevant resource associated with the topic data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status data is dynamically modifiable.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the status data is active or inactive, wherein the status data is active when a relevant resource associated with the topic is active, and wherein the status data is inactive when a relevant resource associated with the topic is inactive.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time interactions include using communication logic capable of facilitating a real-time communication session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein real-time communication sessions include text messaging sessions, internet telephony sessions, or real-time chat sessions, and wherein real-time chat sessions include audio, video, or textual communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a resource corresponds to an individual, and wherein when a relevant resource is active, the individual is available, and wherein when a relevant resource is inactive, the individual is unavailable.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein an available individual is an individual that is available for a real-time communication session including text messaging sessions, internet telephony sessions, or real-time chat sessions, and wherein real-time chat sessions include audio, video, or textual communication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating real-time communication includes evaluating additional data including credential data or historical data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the status data is generated in response to a search query or one or more keywords.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein when a relevant resource associated with the topic data is active, corresponding status data is generated.

11. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed on the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

storing topic data and resource data in a database within a system;

associating topic data with one or more resources, wherein resources are active or inactive, and wherein resources are relevant or irrelevant to the topic data;

determining whether any resources associated with the topic data are active and relevant;

associating one or more real-time interaction options with active relevant resources;

determining status data, wherein the status data is stored in the database, and wherein the status data corresponds to active relevant resources associated with one or more real-time interaction options;

transmitting the status data to a remote search engine that associates interactive elements with search results; and

receiving data corresponding to a selection of an interactive element associated with search results, wherein the interactive element is associated with one or more resources based on the status data, wherein the selection of the interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices, and wherein at least one device is associated with an active relevant resource associated with the topic data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the status data is dynamically modifiable.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the status data is active or inactive, wherein the status data is active when a relevant resource associated with the topic is active, and wherein the status data is inactive when a relevant resource associated with the topic is inactive.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the real-time interactions include using communication logic capable of facilitating a real-time communication session.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein real-time communication sessions include text messaging sessions, internet telephony sessions, or real-time chat sessions, and wherein real-time chat sessions include audio, video, or textual communication.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein a resource corresponds to an individual, and wherein when a relevant resource is active, the individual is available, and wherein when a relevant resource is inactive, the individual is unavailable.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein an available individual is an individual that is available for a real-time communication session including text messaging sessions, internet telephony sessions, or real-time chat sessions, and wherein real-time chat sessions include audio, video, or textual communication.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein facilitating real-time communication includes evaluating additional data including credential data or historical data.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the status data is generated in response to a search query or one or more keywords.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein when a relevant resource associated with the topic data is active, corresponding status data is generated.

21. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

store topic data and resource data in a database within a system;

associate topic data with one or more resources, wherein resources are active or inactive, and wherein resources are relevant or irrelevant to the topic data;

determine whether any resources associated with the topic data are active and relevant;

associate one or more real-time interaction options with active relevant resources;

determine status data, wherein the status data is stored in the database, and wherein the status data corresponds to active relevant resources associated with one or more real-time interaction options;

transmit the status data to a remote search engine that associates interactive elements with search results; and

receive data corresponding to a selection of an interactive element associated with search results, wherein the interactive element is associated with one or more resources based on the status data, wherein the selection of the interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices, and wherein at least one device is associated with an active relevant resource associated with the topic data.

22. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the status data is dynamically modifiable.

23. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the status data is active or inactive, wherein the status data is active when a relevant resource associated with the topic is active, and wherein the status data is inactive when a relevant resource associated with the topic is inactive.

24. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the real-time interactions include using communication logic capable of facilitating a real-time communication session.

25. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein real-time communication sessions include text messaging sessions, internet telephony sessions, or real-time chat sessions, and wherein real-time chat sessions include audio, video, or textual communication.

26. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein a resource corresponds to an individual, and wherein when a relevant resource is active, the individual is available, and wherein when a relevant resource is inactive, the individual is unavailable.

27. The computer-program product of claim 26, wherein an available individual is an individual that is available for a real-time communication session including text messaging sessions, internet telephony sessions, or real-time chat sessions, and wherein real-time chat sessions include audio, video, or textual communication.

28. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein facilitating real-time communication includes evaluating additional data including credential data or historical data.

29. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the status data is generated in response to a search query or one or more keywords.

30. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein when a relevant resource associated with the topic data is active, corresponding status data is generated.