Customer service messaging, such as on mobile devices

• US 8,140,096 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cunningham, Ivy, Pache, Stacia Lynn, White, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US12/057,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20080214159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/466, 455/406, 455/411, 455/456.1, 455/404.1, 455/414.1, 455/567, 455/418, 709/205, 709/228, 705/26, 379/114.2, 379/144
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/56 including a user help function

Abstract

A mobile device and corresponding service provider are configured to provide a user of the mobile device with access to one or more instant messaging help entities, from the mobile device. The one or more instant messaging help entities may be associated with the corresponding service provider or with a service that is external to the corresponding service provider. In some cases, some of the one or more instant messaging help entities may be embedded as part of the mobile device or service, so that access to the one or more help entities may not be permanently terminated by the user. In some cases, the user may control access to some of the one or more instant messaging help entities, such as by adding or removing the access to the instant messaging help entities from a list of instant messaging entities.

Claims

1. A system for providing help to users of mobile phones within a wireless network, the system comprising:

at least one mobile phone associated with a user, wherein the mobile phone includes;

user input buttons,

a display device, and

a middleware application for providing messaging capabilities,

 

wherein the mobile phone is configured to display on the display device at least two messaging help addresses associated with help services for providing help to the user by way of messaging transactions, and

 

wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is automatically or initially added to a list of messaging addresses displayed by the mobile phone and can not be removed by the user;

at least one help facility mapped to the at least two messaging help addresses, wherein the help facility is configured to;

 

detect an occurrence of a predetermined event, wherein the predetermined event is activation of a wireless account associated with the mobile phone,

 

responsive to detecting the activation of the wireless account associated with the mobile phone, provide a message to the mobile phone,

 

detect an occurrence of a second predetermined event, wherein the second predetermined event is a movement of the mobile phone out of a coverage area; and

 

provide a second message to the mobile phone, wherein the second message comprises information to alert the user to the movement of the mobile phone out of the coverage area; and

at least one telecommunications server coupled to the mobile phone and the help facility by way of the wireless network, wherein the telecommunications server includes a messaging facility for facilitating communication between the mobile phone and the help facility.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is associated with assistance in initial wireless service activation, and wherein the help facility includes an automated facility employing an expert system or artificial intelligence system configured to:

provide the message to the mobile phone, wherein the message comprises information to assist the user in activating the mobile phone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the help facility is further configured to:

automatically receive a user-initiated message help request, wherein the user-initiated message help request comprises a request for assistance in activating a wireless service account for the mobile phone;

automatically determine an appropriate response based on the received user-initiated message help request; and

automatically provide the appropriate response for display on the mobile phone to assist the user in activating the wireless service account.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is associated with assistance in wireless service account maintenance, and wherein the help facility includes an automated facility employing an expert system or artificial intelligence system configured to:

detect an occurrence of a third predetermined event, wherein the third predetermined event is a wireless service account status; and

provide a third message to the mobile phone, wherein the third message comprises information to assist the user to take an action to modify the wireless service account status.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the help facility is further configured to:

automatically receive a user-initiated message help request, wherein the user-initiated message help request comprises a request for assistance in modifying the wireless service account status;

automatically determine an appropriate response based on the received user-initiated message help request; and

automatically provide the appropriate response for display on the mobile phone, wherein the appropriate response comprises assistance in modifying the wireless service account status.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the automated facility is further configured to:

automatically receive a user-initiated response to the message; and

based on the user-initiated response, automatically reactivate at least one service on the mobile phone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is associated with assistance in wireless service account maintenance.

8. A method of providing help to users of mobile phones within a wireless network, the method comprising:

providing at least one help facility mapped to at least two messaging help addresses on at least one mobile phone,

wherein the help facility comprises an automated help facility and a live operator-assisted help facility,

wherein the mobile phone is associated with a user,

wherein the mobile phone comprises a display device and a middleware application for providing messaging capabilities,

wherein the mobile phone is configured to display on the display device the at least two messaging help addresses associated with help services for providing help to the user by way of messaging transactions, and

wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is automatically or initially added to a list of messaging addresses displayed by the mobile phone and which substantially can not be removed by the user, and

detecting, at the help facility, an occurrence of a predetermined event, wherein the predetermined event is activation of a wireless account associated with the mobile phone;

responsive to detecting the activation of the wireless account associated with the mobile phone, sending a message to the mobile phone to assist the user;

detecting, at the help facility, an occurrence of a second predetermined event, wherein the second predetermined event is a movement of the mobile phone out of a coverage area; and

providing a second message to the mobile phone, wherein the message comprises information to alert the user to the movement of the mobile phone out of the coverage area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is associated with assistance in initial wireless service activation, further comprising:

providing the message to the mobile phone, wherein the message comprises information to assist the user in activating the mobile phone.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

automatically receiving a user-initiated message help request, wherein the user-initiated message help request comprises a request for assistance in activating a wireless service account for the mobile phone;

automatically determining an appropriate response based on the received user-initiated message help request; and

automatically providing the appropriate response for display on the mobile phone to assist the user in activating the wireless service account.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is associated with assistance in wireless service account maintenance, further comprising:

detecting an occurrence of a third predetermined event, wherein the third predetermined event is a wireless service account status; and

providing a third message to the mobile phone, wherein the third message comprises information to assist the user in modifying the wireless service account status.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically receiving a user-initiated message help request, wherein the user-initiated message help request comprises a request for assistance in modifying the wireless service account status;

automatically determining an appropriate response based on the received user-initiated message help request; and

automatically providing the appropriate response for display on the mobile phone, wherein the appropriate response comprises assistance in modifying the wireless service account status.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically receiving a user-initiated response to the message; and

based on the user-initiated response, automatically reactivating at least one service on the mobile phone.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is associated with assistance in wireless service account maintenance.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions for providing help to users of mobile phones within a wireless network, the computer-readable instructions comprising instructions for:

providing at least one help facility mapped to at least two messaging help addresses on at least one mobile phone,

wherein the help facility comprises an automated help facility and a live operator-assisted help facility,

wherein the mobile phone is associated with a user,

wherein the mobile phone comprises a display device and a middleware application for providing the messaging capabilities,

wherein the mobile phone is configured to display on the display device at least two messaging help addresses associated with help services for providing help to the user by way of messaging transactions, and

wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is automatically or initially added to a list of messaging addresses displayed by the mobile phone and which substantially can not be removed by the user, and

detecting, at the help facility, an occurrence of a predetermined event, wherein the predetermined event is activation of a wireless account associated with the mobile phone;

responsive to detecting the activation of the wireless account associated with the mobile phone, sending a message to the mobile phone to assist the user;

detecting, at the help facility, an occurrence of a second predetermined event, wherein the second predetermined event is a movement of the mobile phone out of a coverage area; and

providing a second message to the mobile phone, wherein the second message comprises information to alert the user to the movement of the mobile phone out of the coverage area.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is associated with assistance in initial wireless service activation, further comprising instructions for:

providing the message to the mobile phone, wherein the message comprises information to assist the user in activating the mobile phone.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

automatically receiving a user-initiated message help request, wherein the user-initiated message help request comprises a request for assistance in activating a wireless service account for the mobile phone;

automatically determining an appropriate response based on the received user-initiated message help request; and

automatically providing the appropriate response for display on the mobile phone to assist the user in activating the wireless service account.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is associated with assistance in wireless service account maintenance, further comprising instructions for:

detecting an occurrence of a third predetermined event, wherein the third predetermined event is a wireless service account status; and

providing a third message to the mobile phone, wherein the third message comprises information to assist the user in modifying the wireless service account status.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions for:

automatically receiving a user-initiated message help request, wherein the user-initiated message help request comprises a request for assistance in modifying the wireless service account status;

automatically determining an appropriate response based on the received user-initiated message help request; and

automatically providing the appropriate response for display on the mobile phone, wherein the appropriate response comprises assistance in modifying the wireless service account status.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions for:

automatically receiving a user-initiated response to the message; and

based on the user-initiated response, automatically reactivating at least one service on the mobile phone.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of the messaging help addresses is associated with assistance in wireless service account maintenance.