Network based system design of custom products with live agent support

• US 7,650,381 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clairson Inc (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Peters, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US10/476,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,821 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A network based computer implemented system for designing products is disclosed. The system comprises a network server, such as an Internet web server (30) operable to manage interaction of the system with external computers, and a product design module (204) communicating with the network server. The product design module (204) is operable to generate product designs. The system further comprises a live agent support system (44) communicating with the network server. The live agent support system (44) is operable to provide live assistance to a customer of the system. An agent (312) of the live agent support system (44) and a customer of the system simultaneously view a same page of the design tool. The customer and agent (312) also mutually communicate while collaboratively manipulating the page.

Claims

1. A network based computer implemented system for designing products, the system comprising:

a network server operable to manage interaction of the system with external computers;

a product design module communicating with said network server, said product design module operable to generate product designs via first and second product design applications that provide a same portion of information;

a live agent support system communicating with said network server and implementing the first product design application, said live agent support system operable to provide live assistance to a customer that is generating one of the product designs using the second product design application; and

a collaboration server that provides a first collaboration application that receives data from the first design application, and a second collaboration application that receives the data from the first collaboration application and sends the data to the customer to update the second design application while the customer is generating the one of the product designs.

2. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a rendering engine communicating with said network server, said rendering engine operable to generate visual representations of the custom product designs for display on a computer monitor.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a customer database connected to said network server, said customer database operable to store customer data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said product design module includes a design tool operable to provide a page to the customer that includes the same portion of information, said page operable for use with designing a product.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the customer and an agent of said live agent support system simultaneously view a same page of the design tool that includes the same portion of information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the customer and the agent simultaneously share an ability to manipulate the page and thereby collaboratively design the product.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of:

a) the agent has an agent ability to substantially control a customer input device, wherein the customer input device corresponds at least in part to a customer pointer rendered on a customer active display, whereby the customer views the same page, and wherein the control corresponds at least in part to movement of the customer pointer; and

b) the customer has a customer ability to substantially control an agent input device, wherein the agent input device corresponds at least in part to an agent pointer rendered on an agent active display, whereby the agent views the same page, and wherein the control corresponds at least in part to movement of the agent pointer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer and an agent of the live agent support system communicate via internet chat technology.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second product design applications correspond to first and second design applets, respectively, and wherein the product design module provides the first and second design applets to a client of the web server, the first and second design applets operable for use with designing a product and adapted to communicate with other applications.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the customer and an agent of the live agent support system view design applets of a same type, and wherein input to one of the first and second design applets is communicated to another of the first and second design applets.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein input to the first design applet is received by the second design applet and reflected in the second design applet.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the input is communicated via a peer to peer connection.

13. A network based computer implemented system for designing products, the system comprising:

a network server operable to manage interaction of the system with external computers;

a product design module communicating with said network server, said product design module operable to generate product designs;

a live agent support system communicating with said network server, said live agent support system operable to provide live assistance to a customer,

wherein the product design module provides a design applet to a client of the web server, the design applet operable for use with designing a product and adapted to communicate with other applications,

wherein the customer and an agent of the live agent support system view design applets of a same type, and wherein input to one of the design applets is communicated to another of the design applets; and

a collaboration tool connected to the network server for providing a collaboration applet to a client of the network server, the collaboration applet operable to receive information from a first application and relay said information to a second collaboration applet, said second collaboration applet operable to communicate the information to a second application,

wherein each design applet is adapted to communicate with a collaboration applet, and

wherein the input is communicated via use of collaboration applets.

14. A method of encoding data operable to assist a customer of a web-based design tool, the method comprising:

receiving information transmitted over a computer network, wherein the information relates at least in part to a request for live assistance from the customer;

viewing a page of the web-based design tool remote from the customer and using a first design application, wherein the page visually corresponds to a customer page of the web-based design tool, the customer page further defined as a page of the web-based design tool that is a page currently in use by the customer that views the page with a second design application;

encoding data operable to assist the customer based on a first collaboration applet that receives first data from the second design application that updates the page viewed by the live assistance, wherein the data is embeddable into a second collaboration applet for transmission over the computer network to the first design application, said encoding based on said receiving and said viewing,

wherein said receiving, said reviewing, and said encoding are performed by a live agent.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising manipulating the page, wherein said encoding is based on said manipulating, and wherein said manipulating is performed by the live agent.

16. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising at least one of:

a) selecting text for communication to the customer, wherein said selecting is performed by the live agent; and

b) composing text for communication to the customer, wherein said composing is performed by the live agent, and

wherein said encoding is based on at least one of;

a) said selecting; and

b) said composing.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the propagating wave corresponds to a wave of the type used with internet chat technology.

18. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising choosing at least one of:

a) a page for pushing to the customer, and

b) an image for sending to a customer, and

wherein said encoding is based on said choosing, and

wherein said choosing is performed by the live agent.

19. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising accessing customer data, the customer data corresponding to at least one of a customer profile, customer behavior, customer history, customer demographics, and customer contact information, wherein said generating is based on said accessing, and wherein said accessing is performed by the live agent.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the data is operable to substantially control a customer input device, wherein the customer input device corresponds at least in part to a customer pointer rendered on a customer active display, whereby the customer views the customer page, and wherein the control corresponds at least in part to movement of the customer pointer.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the information further relates to substantial control by the customer of an agent input device, wherein the agent input device corresponds at least in part to an agent pointer rendered on an agent active display, whereby the live agent views the page, and wherein the control corresponds at least in part to movement of the agent pointer.

22. A computer medium that executes a computer program, wherein the computer program implements a page of a web-based design tool that implements the method of claim 14.

23. A method of providing live agent assistance for an internet based system designer, the method comprising:

providing a configurator tool to a user permitting the user to assemble a configuration of selections via a first design program, wherein the configuration includes at least two selections and a relationship correlating the selection;

establishing a common reference frame between the user and a live agent that is using a second design program, wherein the user and the live agent simultaneously view at least one common page using the first and second design programs, respectively,

wherein the live agent assists the user;

providing a first collaboration applet that receives data from the common page viewed by the user via the first design program; and

providing a second collaboration applet that receives the data from the first collaboration applet and sends the data to the second design program used by the live assistance to update the common page viewed by the live agent assistance.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the configurator tool comprises an expert system and the live agent assists the user by helping the user to perform at least one of navigation of the expert system and use of the expert system.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of establishing mutual communication between the user and the live agent.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the user and the live agent simultaneously view the common page while maintaining mutual communication.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the mutual communication occurs by at least one of telephone, digital video link, digital audio link, online instant messaging system, and internet chat technology.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the selections are preselected for configuration.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the relationship involves at least in part at least one algorithmic function.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the live agent assists the user in modification of at least one of a selection, a relationship, the configuration, the configurator tool, the mutual communication, the common reference frame, and the common page.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the modification of the configuration includes at least one of expansion, limitation, and redefinition of a scope of the configuration.

32. The system designer of claim 31, wherein the expansion of a scope of the configuration includes live agent assistance with multiple configurator tools.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the common reference frame permits the live agent to view a user interface that looks the same as the user interface of the user.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein the live agent is chosen by an agent selection method comprising:

determining at least one desirable skill required of a live agent;

determining an appropriate level of skill required of a live agent;

evaluating the cost of labor for at least one live agent; and

selecting a live agent based at least in part on the cost of labor for a live agent with the appropriate level of skill regarding the desirable skill.

35. A network based computer implemented system for designing products, the system comprising:

a network server that manages interaction between the system and external computers;

a product design module that communicates with the network server and that generates product designs via first and second design programs;

a live agent support system that communicates with the network server and that provides live assistance to a client, wherein the client views the first design program, and an agent of the live agent support system views the second design program; and

a collaboration tool that provides a first collaboration program that receives data from the first design program, and a second collaboration program that receives the data from the first collaboration program and sends the data to the live agent support system to update the second design program.

36. The network based computer implemented system of claim 35, wherein the first and second design programs and the first and second collaboration programs each include applets.

37. The network based computer implemented system of claim 36, wherein the first and second design programs provide a same portion of information.

38. The network based computer implemented system of claim 36, wherein the first and second design programs communicate with network applications.