VEHICLE SALES MANAGEMENT AND VIDEO CHAT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DEALERSHIP SALESPERSON MOBILE DEVICE AND A REMOTE VISITOR WEB BROWSER

• US 20200137353A1
• Filed: 10/28/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dealer Inspire Inc. (Cars.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dealer Inspire Inc. (Cars.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: STEWART, Trevor, LADOUCEUR, Max
• Granted Patent: US 10,750,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831

Abstract

Vehicle sales management and video chat systems and methods use website listings that correspond to vehicles for sale at a dealership. A remote visitor clicks a “live video” button beside a desired vehicle, and schedules a time for a video chat, using their web browser. A dealership salesperson receives an alert, via a sales application running on on the salesperson'"'"'s mobile device. At the scheduled time, a video chat window opens in the visitor'"'"'s web browser with live audio/video of the desired vehicle from the dealership in real-time. The website visitor uses their web browser for live communication, in real-time, to the salesperson on their sales application. After the video chat, the website visitor can use their browser to download and save a recording of the video chat session.

Claims

1. A vehicle sales management and video chat system, for use with a salesperson'"'"'s networking electronic device that is local to a salesperson at a dealership and with a standard web browsing application running on a visitor'"'"'s networking electronic device that is local to a website visitor who is remote from the dealership, with the system comprising:

at least one desired vehicle that is physically located onsite at the dealership and available for potential acquisition by the website visitor;

a dealership website that is remote from and presented to the website visitor via the standard web browsing application;

listings on the dealership website that comprise at least one available vehicle listing which corresponds to the desired vehicle;

a live video button, substantially adjacent to the available vehicle listing on the dealership website, that is selectively engageable by the website visitor;

a scheduling window that is presented to the website visitor, via the standard web browsing application, after the website visitor has selectively engaged the live video button;

wherein the scheduling window enables the website visitor to select a predetermined video chat time;

a dedicated vehicle sales application running on the salesperson'"'"'s networking electronic device;

an alert notification that is presented to the salesperson, via the dedicated vehicle sales application, after the website visitor has selected the predetermined video chat time;

a visitor video chat window that, starting substantially at the predetermined video chat time, presents live audio and video from the dealership, via the dedicated vehicle sales application running on the salesperson'"'"'s networking electronic device, substantially in real-time, to the website visitor via the standard web browsing application;

wherein the live audio and video from the dealership comprises live audio and video of the desired vehicle;

a salesperson video chat window that, starting substantially at the predetermined video chat time, presents live communication from the website visitor, via the standard web browsing application, substantially in real-time, to the salesperson via the dedicated vehicle sales application;

a dealership storage subsystem that is remote from the website visitor;

a session recording of the live audio and video from the dealership and the communication from the website visitor;

wherein the session recording is securely stored by the dealership storage subsystem;

a hang-up button that is presented to the website visitor via the standard web browsing application and to the salesperson via the dedicated vehicle sales application, and is selectively engageable to close the visitor video chat window and the salesperson video chat window; and

a video download window that is presented to the website visitor, via the standard web browsing application, after selective engagement of the hang-up button;

wherein the video download window enables the website visitor to selectively download and store a copy of the session recording to the visitor'"'"'s networking electronic device.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more communication buttons that are presented via the standard web browsing application, and are selectively engageable by the website visitor to present, as said live communication, one or more of the following inputs as received by the visitor'"'"'s networking electronic device:

text only;

voice only; and

voice and video together.

3. The system according to claim 1, further adapted for use by other dealership personnel at the dealership, and further comprising a call transfer button that is presented to the website visitor via the standard web browsing application and to the salesperson via the dedicated vehicle sales application, and is selectively engageable to transfer the salesperson video chat window to an appropriate one of the other dealership personnel based on at least one of:

the live audio and video from the dealership;

the desired vehicle; and

the live communication from the website visitor.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein when the website visitor has a potential trade-in vehicle for appraisal as part of the potential acquisition of the desired vehicle, the appropriate one of the other dealership personnel is a vehicle appraiser.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the scheduling window enables selection of the predetermined video chat time from among one or more preset options.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a timer window that is presented via the standard web browsing application after the website visitor has selected the predetermined video chat time, and counts-down the time remaining until the predetermined video chat time;

and wherein the system enables the website visitor to continue otherwise using the standard web browsing application until the predetermined video chat time.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the alert notification prompts the salesperson to prepare, before expiry of any time remaining until the predetermined video chat time, a live presentation of the desired vehicle for the website visitor.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the video download window requires entry of a personal name and an email address/SMS number for the website visitor before delivering, to the email address/SMS number, a download link that enables the website visitor to, as aforesaid, selectively download and store a copy of the session recording to the visitor'"'"'s networking electronic device;

and wherein the dealership storage subsystem stores the personal name and the email address/SMS number and provides the personal name and the email address/SMS number to the salesperson and the dealership.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a feedback prompt that is presented to the website visitor, via the standard web browsing application, after the video download window;

wherein the feedback prompt enables the website visitor to share feedback concerning the live audio and video for access by the dealership and potentially via social media for third party access.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a dealership prompt that is presented to the website visitor, via the standard web browsing application, after the video download window;

wherein the dealership prompt enables the website visitor to schedule an in-person meeting with the salesperson for a test drive and to advance the potential acquisition of the desired vehicle by the website visitor.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a trade-in prompt that is presented to the website visitor, via the standard web browsing application, after the video download window;

wherein the trade-in prompt enables the website visitor to schedule a video chat with the dealership for appraisal of a potential trade-in vehicle as part of the potential acquisition of the desired vehicle.

12. The system according to claim 1, further adapted for use by a number of other salespeople at the dealership and for use with a current volume of website traffic, and further comprising:

a log-in window that enables the salesperson to log-in to the dedicated vehicle sales application after arriving at the dealership;

a dealership queue of the other salespeople at the dealership who have logged-in to the dedicated vehicle sales application, with the dealership queue being stored in the dealership storage subsystem;

a dealership processor that calculates;

a position of the salesperson in the dealership queue based on when the salesperson logged-in to the dedicated vehicle sales application; and

, based on the position of the salesperson in the dealership queue and on the current volume of website traffic, an estimated time until the salesperson will be presented with the alert notification as aforesaid; and

a time estimate notification that is presented to the salesperson, via the dedicated vehicle sales application, after the salesperson has logged-in as aforesaid;

wherein the time estimate notification comprises the estimated time and the position of the salesperson in the dealership queue.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein after the alert notification is presented to the salesperson, the dealership processor calculates updated positions of the other salespeople in the dealership queue, and new estimated times based on the updated positions of the other salespeople in the dealership queue and on the current volume of website traffic;

and wherein the dedicated vehicle sales application presents the new estimated times to the other salespeople in the dealership queue.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a dealership administrator interface that enables the dealership to monitor, review, and manage all information and activity related to the dealership website, the website visitor, the listings on the dealership website, the available vehicle listing, the dedicated vehicle sales application, the salesperson, the live audio and video from the dealership, the live communication from the website visitor, the dealership storage subsystem, and the session recording, for quality control and training purposes.

15. A method of vehicle sales management and video chat, for use with a salesperson'"'"'s networking electronic device that is local to a salesperson at a dealership and with a standard web browsing application running on a visitor'"'"'s networking electronic device that is local to a website visitor who is remote from the dealership, with the method comprising:

a listing step of using the standard web browsing application, running on the networking electronic device that is local to the website visitor, to present;

(a) at least one available vehicle listing among listings on a dealership website, wherein the available vehicle listing corresponds to a desired vehicle that is physically located onsite at the dealership and available for potential acquisition by the website visitor; and

(b) a live video button that is substantially adjacent to the available vehicle listing on the dealership website, wherein the live video button is selectively engageable by the website visitor;

a scheduling step of presenting a scheduling window to the website visitor, via the standard web browsing application, after the website visitor has selectively engaged the live video button;

wherein the scheduling window enables the website visitor to select a predetermined video chat time;

a vehicle sales application providing step of providing a dedicated vehicle sales application running on the salesperson'"'"'s networking electronic device;

an alert step of presenting an alert notification to the salesperson, via the dedicated vehicle sales application, after the website visitor has selected the predetermined video chat time;

a video chat step of providing;

(i) a visitor video chat window that, starting substantially at the predetermined video chat time, presents live audio and video from the dealership, via the dedicated vehicle sales application running on the salesperson'"'"'s networking electronic device, substantially in real-time, to the website visitor via the standard web browsing application;

wherein the live audio and video from the dealership comprises live audio and video of the desired vehicle; and

(ii) a salesperson video chat window that, starting substantially at the predetermined video chat time, presents live communication from the website visitor, via the standard web browsing application, substantially in real-time, to the salesperson via the dedicated vehicle sales application;

a dealership storage step of providing a dealership storage subsystem that is remote from the website visitor;

a session recording step of providing a session recording of the live audio and video from the dealership and the communication from the website visitor;

wherein the session recording is securely stored by the dealership storage subsystem;

a hang-up step of providing a hang-up button that is presented to the website visitor via the standard web browsing application and to the salesperson via the dedicated vehicle sales application, and is selectively engageable to close the visitor video chat window and the salesperson video chat window; and

a video download step of providing a video download window that is presented to the website visitor, via the standard web browsing application, after selective engagement of the hang-up button;

wherein the video download window enables the website visitor to selectively download and store a copy of the session recording to the visitor'"'"'s networking electronic device.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a communication step of providing one or more communication buttons that are presented via the standard web browsing application, and are selectively engageable by the website visitor to present, as said live communication, one or more of the following inputs as received by the visitor'"'"'s networking electronic device:

text only;

voice only; and

voice and video together.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a timer step of providing a timer window that is presented via the standard web browsing application after the website visitor has selected the predetermined video chat time, and counts-down the time remaining until the predetermined video chat time;

and wherein, during the timer step, the dealer website enables the website visitor to continue otherwise using the standard web browsing application until the predetermined video chat time.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein in the video download step, the video download window requires entry of a personal name and an email address/SMS number for the website visitor before delivering, to the email address/SMS number, a download link that enables the website visitor to, as aforesaid, selectively download and store a copy of the session recording to the visitor'"'"'s networking electronic device;

and wherein in the dealership storage step, the dealership storage subsystem stores the personal name and the email address/SMS number and provides the personal name and the email address/SMS number to the salesperson and the dealership.

19. The method according to claim 15, further adapted for use by a number of other salespeople at the dealership and for use with a current volume of website traffic, and further comprising:

a log-in step of providing a log-in window that enables the salesperson to log-in to the dedicated vehicle sales application after arriving at the dealership;

a dealership queuing step of providing a dealership queue of the other salespeople at the dealership who have logged-in to the dedicated vehicle sales application, with the dealership queue being stored in the dealership storage subsystem;

a dealership processing step of using a dealership processor to calculate;

a position of the salesperson in the dealership queue based on when the salesperson logged-in to the dedicated vehicle sales application; and

, based on the position of the salesperson in the dealership queue and on the current volume of website traffic, an estimated time until the salesperson will be presented with the alert notification as aforesaid; and

a time estimate notification step of providing a time estimate notification that is presented to the salesperson, via the dedicated vehicle sales application, after the salesperson has logged-in as aforesaid;

wherein the time estimate notification comprises the estimated time and the position of the salesperson in the dealership queue.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising a dealership administration step of providing a dealership administrator interface that enables the dealership to monitor, review, and manage all information and activity related to the dealership website, the website visitor, the listings on the dealership website, the available vehicle listing, the dedicated vehicle sales application, the salesperson, the live audio and video from the dealership, the live communication from the website visitor, the dealership storage subsystem, and the session recording, for quality control and training purposes.