Technique for providing information assistance including a concierge-type service

• US 7,412,042 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Original Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Inventors: Henry, Gary E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quynh H
• Application Number:
  US10/367,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20040161097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/203.01, 379/218.01, 379/266.02
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/52 Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5108 Secretarial services

Abstract

A user may access information assistance for a concierge-type service, whereby the user may make restaurant reservations, purchase goods and services, obtain movie listings, etc. with an agent'"'"'s (or operator'"'"'s) assistance. In accordance with the invention, the agent may suggest a vendor for providing the goods or services requested by the user, and attempt to fulfill the user request. The suggested vendor may be one of the preferred vendors pre-selected by the user; it may be one of the preferred vendors pre-selected by a group to which the user belongs; it may be one of the preferred vendors pre-selected by the provider of the concierge-type service; and it may be one of the preferred vendors pre-selected by a telephone carrier to which the user subscribes. The suggested vendor may also be a function of characteristics of the vendors that the user prefers, costs, etc. The invention resolves conflicts of preferences of different parties involved to come up with the suggested vendor.

Claims

1. A method for providing a concierge-type service at a service provider comprising:

(a) receiving a call at the service provider from a caller;

(b) directing the call to an agent;

(c) receiving a request for a concierge-type service relating to an unidentified vendor from the caller;

(d) automatically determining information related to said request, said pre-selected preference information comprising one or more vendors selected by the service provider;

(e) determining if one or more inconsistencies exist between at least two of;

user preferences received with said request, said preferred vendors of a group to which the caller belongs, said preferred vendors of a concierge provider, and said preferred vendors of a telephone carrier;

(f) if no such inconsistencies exist, using said pre-selected preference information to identify an appropriate vendor;

(g) otherwise, if said one or more inconsistencies exist, accessing stored information from which said inconsistencies can be resolved, and identifying said appropriate vendor; and

(h) acting to fulfill said request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-selected preference information relates to a location of the caller.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said location of the caller is determined using GPS technology.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises retrieving said pre-selected preference information from computer storage.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said vendors selected by a party other than the caller include one or more of:

preferred vendors of a group to which the caller belongs, preferred vendors of a concierge provider, and preferred vendors of a telephone carrier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said service provider comprises an information assistance service provider, and said agent comprises an operator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (f) further comprises connecting said caller to said appropriate vendor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein step (f) further comprises attempting to fulfill said request with said appropriate vendor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a fulfillment of said request is attempted in real time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said request is fulfilled offline if said request cannot be fulfilled in real time.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of service provider preferred vendors and telephone carrier preferred vendors pays a commission.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein said pre-selected preference information further comprises a cost of fulfilling said request with a vendor.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-selected preference information further comprises one or more second vendors selected by a party other than the caller.

13. A method for selecting a vendor with which to attempt to fulfill a service request, comprising:

(a) receiving first vendor selection criteria from a user in conjunction with a user request;

(b) accessing stored second vendor selection criteria;

(c) determining if one or more inconsistencies exist between two or more vendor selection criteria;

(d) if no such inconsistencies exist, fulfilling said user request as a function of third vendor selection criteria; and

(e) otherwise, if said one or more inconsistencies exist, obtaining information from which said inconsistencies can be resolved, and fulfilling said user request as a function of fourth vendor selection criteria and said information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said user request comprises a concierge request.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said second vendor selection criteria comprise at least user preferences.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said second vendor selection criteria further comprise preferences of a service provider.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said preferences of a service provider comprise one or more of:

preferences of a concierge provider, and preferences of a telephone service provider.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said third vendor selection criteria comprise at least said first vendor selection criteria.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said third vendor selection criteria further comprise said second vendor selection criteria.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said fourth vendor selection criteria comprise said first vendor selection criteria.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said fourth vendor selection criteria comprise said second vendor selection criteria.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein said information is derived from a profile associated with the user.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein said second vendor selection criteria comprise preferences of a service provider.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said preferences of a service provider comprise one or more of:

preferences of a concierge provider, and preferences of a telephone service provider.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said third vendor selection criteria comprise said first vendor selection criteria.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said fourth vendor selection criteria comprise said first vendor selection criteria.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said fourth vendor selection criteria comprise said second vendor selection criteria.

28. The method of claim 14, wherein said concierge request is received by telephone.

29. The method of claim 13, wherein said information comprises prioritized vendor selection criteria.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said prioritized vendor selection criteria comprise priorities of entities.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said entities comprise two or more of:

a subscriber, a group of subscribers, a concierge provider and a telephone carrier.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said prioritized vendor selection criteria comprises conditional priorities.

33. A method for providing a concierge-type service at a service provider comprising:

(a) receiving a call at the service provider from a caller;

(b) directing the call to an agent in a first location;

(c) receiving a request from the caller for a concierge-type service relating to an unidentified vendor in a second location;

(d) transferring said request to another agent located in the second location;

(e) automatically determining information related to said request;

(f) using said information to identify an appropriate vendor; and

(g) acting to fulfill said request.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein said information comprises pre-selected preference information.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said pre-selected preference information comprises one or more vendors selected by a party other than the caller.

34. A method for providing a concierge-type service at a service provider comprising:

(a) receiving a call at the service provider from a caller;

(b) directing the call to an agent;

(c) receiving a request for a concierge-type service relating to an unidentified vendor from the caller, said request including first vendor selection criteria;

(d) accessing stored caller vendor selection criteria and stored service provider vendor selection criteria related to said request;

(e) determining if one or more inconsistencies exist between at least two of said first vendor selection criteria, said stored caller vendor selection criteria, and said stored service provider vendor selection criteria; and

(f) if one or more said inconsistencies exist;

accessing stored information from which said inconsistencies can be resolved;

and

fulfilling said request.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said stored service provider vendor selection criteria includes at least one of preferences of a concierge provider, and preferences of a telephone service provider.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein if no said inconsistencies exist:

using said first vendor selection criteria and said stored service provider vendor selection criteria to identify an appropriate vendor; and

fulfilling said request.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein said stored information comprises prioritized vendor selection criteria.

41. A method for providing a concierge-type service at a service provider comprising:

(a) receiving a call at the service provider from a caller;

(b) directing the call to an agent;

(c) receiving a request for a concierge-type service relating to an unidentified vendor from the caller;

(d) automatically determining pre-selected preference information related to said request, said pre-selected preference information comprising first vendor criteria selected by the caller and second vendor criteria selected by a party other than the caller;

(e) determining if one or more inconsistencies exist between the first vendor criteria the second vendor criteria; and

(f) if one or more said inconsistencies exist;

accessing stored information from which said inconsistencies can be resolved;

and

fulfilling said request.