VIRTUAL AGENT PROXY IN A REAL-TIME CHAT SERVICE
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, at a chat server executing at a computing device, a first message for a chat from a client device of an end user, wherein the chat involves a plurality of chat participants comprising the end user and a virtual agent;
updating, by the chat server, a chat log based upon the first message;
sending, by the chat server, the first message to the virtual agent via a virtual agent proxy;
receiving, at the chat server, a second message via the virtual agent proxy that was originated by the virtual agent in response to the first message;
updating, by the chat server, the chat log based upon the second message;
sending, by the chat server, the second message to the client device;
determining, by the chat server, that the chat is to be escalated from the virtual agent to a live agent; and
causing a full transcript of the chat log to be transmitted to a second client device utilized by the live agent, wherein the full transcript includes the first message and the second message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are disclosed for implementing real-time chat systems including virtual agents as chat participants, and more specifically, to the use of a virtual agent proxy in a real-time chat service. Certain techniques are disclosed that allow for seamless chat transitions between virtual agents and live agents. A chat server may include a virtual agent (VA) proxy module. The VA proxy module intercepts messages received at the chat server from end users, forwards them to virtual agents, and posts responses from the virtual agents back to be displayed to the corresponding end users. The VA proxy module thereby loosely couples virtual agents to the chat server, allowing the virtual agents to participate in chats just as live agents do. The chat server may determine that chat escalations and de-escalations are to occur, and can provide a full transcript of the chat to new chat participants.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a chat server executing at a computing device, a first message for a chat from a client device of an end user, wherein the chat involves a plurality of chat participants comprising the end user and a virtual agent; updating, by the chat server, a chat log based upon the first message; sending, by the chat server, the first message to the virtual agent via a virtual agent proxy; receiving, at the chat server, a second message via the virtual agent proxy that was originated by the virtual agent in response to the first message; updating, by the chat server, the chat log based upon the second message; sending, by the chat server, the second message to the client device; determining, by the chat server, that the chat is to be escalated from the virtual agent to a live agent; and causing a full transcript of the chat log to be transmitted to a second client device utilized by the live agent, wherein the full transcript includes the first message and the second message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to execute a chat server and perform operations comprising:
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receiving, at the chat server, a first message for a chat from a client device of an end user, wherein the chat involves a plurality of chat participants comprising the end user and a virtual agent; updating, by the chat server, a chat log based upon the first message; sending, by the chat server, the first message to the virtual agent via a virtual agent proxy; receiving, at the chat server, a second message via the virtual agent proxy that was originated by the virtual agent in response to the first message; updating, by the chat server, the chat log based upon the second message; sending, by the chat server, the second message to the client device; determining, by the chat server, that the chat is to be escalated from the virtual agent to a live agent; and causing a full transcript of the chat log to be transmitted to a second client device utilized by the live agent, wherein the full transcript includes the first message and the second message. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system, comprising:
a chat server executing at a computing device and facilitating chats each involving a plurality of chat participants, the computing device comprising one or more network interfaces for transmitting and receiving messages across a communications network, wherein the chat server; receives user messages for the chats from one or more client devices of one or more end users, wherein each of the chats includes one of the one or more end users and one of one or more virtual agents assigned to the chat; updates chat logs based upon the received user messages; sends the user messages to corresponding virtual agents assigned to the chats via a virtual agent proxy of the chat server; receives virtual agent messages via the virtual agent proxy that were originated by the corresponding virtual agents in response to the corresponding user messages; updates the chat logs based upon the virtual agent messages; sends the virtual agent messages to the corresponding client devices; determines whether the chats are to be escalated from the virtual agents to one or more live agents; and causes, upon determining that the chats are to be escalated, full transcripts of the corresponding chat logs to be transmitted to corresponding client devices utilized by the corresponding live agents, wherein each of the full transcripts includes each of the received user messages of the chat and each of the received virtual agent messages of the chat. - View Dependent Claims (20)
Specification