System and method for information provider communication with information requester

• US 8,156,008 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: eBay Korea Co., Ltd. (E-Mart, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Korea Co., Ltd. (E-Mart, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bae, Ku Young, Seong, Kim Moo
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Assistant Examiner(s): GEORGALAS, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US11/275,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,260 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 709/205, 709/225, 703/6, 707/6, 379/198, 370/401
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and a method for an information provider communicating with an information requester. The system includes a messenger server for managing instant messaging, identifying whether the information provider registers a timing available for communication, priority sequence of communication channel and communication means, searching communication means available for communication promptly connecting the communication means of the information provider from a higher priority to a lower priority sequentially; a proxy server, coupled to the messenger server, receiving a signal from the messenger server and deciding a communication channel to process this signal and transmitting a call; a redirect server administrating the position of the information requester and the information provider logged in the messenger server, based on Internet Protocol; and a VOIP gateway providing the internet telephone network services to which a personal computer terminal or a phone is connected.

Claims

1. A system for an information provider communicating with an information requester comprising:

a messenger server which manages instant messaging, identifies, in a dealer database, a timing of availability of the information provider which indicates a time when the information provider is available for communication, a plurality of types of communication means available to the information provider and a predetermined priority order of communication means which indicates an order of switching between the plurality of types of communication means available to the information provider for making a connection to the information requester from a higher priority to a lower priority until the connection is made, wherein the timing of availability of the information provider, the plurality of types of communication means available to the information provider and the predetermined priority order of communication means are registered in the dealer database by the information provider prior to receiving a communication request by the information requester, and, upon receiving the communication request from the information requester, the messenger server sequentially searches the plurality of types of communication means available to the information provider registered in the dealer database from those of the higher priority to those of the lower priority for a corresponding communication means that matches a communication means of the information requester to make a connection between the information provider and the information requester;

a proxy server, coupled to the messenger server, which determines a communication channel for connecting the information provider to the information requester based on the corresponding communication means of the information provider, and connects the information provider and the information requester using the determined communication channel;

a redirect server, coupled to the messenger server, which administers information of a location of the information requester and the information provider recorded in the messenger server, based on Internet Protocol addresses, wherein the information of the location of the information requester and the information provider are used by the proxy server for determining the communication channel; and

a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) gateway server, coupled to the messenger server, which provides internet telephone network services to which a personal computer terminal or a phone of the information requester is connected to the information provider,

wherein the proxy server manages a connection blocking list and a connection period restriction list according to evaluation of the information requester and the information provider,

wherein if the information requester or the information provider is registered in the connection blocking list, the proxy server immediately blocks communication between the information provider and the information requester, and

if the information provider or the information requester is registered in the connection period restriction list, the proxy server will allow communication between the information provider and the information requester for only a permitted period of time, wherein the permitted period of time begins when the information provider is connected to the information requester by the proxy server, and the proxy server disconnects the information provider from the information requester when the permitted period of time expires during the communication between the information provider and the information requester.

2. A system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a web server administrating general purchasing procedures of registration, search, order, refund, and delivery confirmation for goods, and sending a message showing information on goods/customer/order to the messenger server.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of types of communication means is any one of an internet protocol phone, a telephone, a mobile phone, or a satellite telephone.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein the proxy server routes the communication request after detecting whether each of a plurality of phones is available or not and displays a status of each of the plurality of phones on a web page through the web server or on a messenger view through the messenger server.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein each of the messenger server, the proxy server and the redirect server comprise hardware.

6. A method for an information provider communicating with an information requester comprising steps of:

registering, by the information provider, in a dealer database information on a timing of availability of the information provider which indicates a time when the information provider is available for communication, a plurality of types of communication means available to the information provider, and a predetermined priority order of communication means which indicates an order of switching between the plurality of types of communication means available to the information provider for making a connection to the information requester from a higher priority to a lower priority until a match between the communication means of the information requester and a communication means of the information provider is made, wherein the information on a timing of availability of the information provider, the plurality of types of communication means available to the information provider and the predetermined priority order of communication means are registered in the dealer database by the information provider prior to receiving a communication request by the information requester;

upon the information requester requesting communication with the information provider, searching, by a messenger server, the plurality of types of communication means available to the information provider registered in the dealer database from those of the higher priority to those of the lower priority for a corresponding communication means that matches a communication means of the information requester to make a connection between the information provider and the information requester, wherein the searching comprises switching the communication means of the information provider from those of the higher priority to those of the lower priority, sequentially, until a corresponding communication means that matches a communication means of the information requester is made for making a connection between the information provider and the information requester;

communicating with the information requester, if the information provider responds to the communication request;

transmitting, by a web server, an automated message to the information requester notifying the information requester that the information provider is unable to respond to the communication request, if the information provider is unable to respond to the communication request; and

managing, by a proxy server, a connection blocking list and a connection period restriction list according to evaluation of the information requester and the information provider;

wherein if the information requester or the information provider is registered in the connection blocking list, the proxy server immediately blocks communication between the information provider and the information requester and transmits an automated message to the information requester notifying the information requester that the information provider is unable to respond to the communication request, and,

if the information provider or the information requester is registered in the connection period restriction list, the proxy server allows communication between the information provider and the information requester for only a permitted period of time, wherein the permitted period of time begins when the information provider is connected to the information requester by the proxy server, and the proxy server disconnects the information provider from the information requester when the permitted period of time expires during the communication between the information provider and the information requester.

7. A method according to claim 6 further comprising step of:

storing, by the messenger server, the at least one type of communication means, the priority sequence and the timing of availability of the information provider for communication with another information provider in the database.

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein the communication means is any one of an internet protocol phone, a telephone, a mobile phone, or a satellite telephone.

9. A method according to claim 6 wherein the communication request is routed after detecting whether each of the phones is available or not and the status of the phones is displayed on a web page or a messenger view.

10. A method according to claim 6 wherein the plurality of types of communication means is any one of an internet protocol phone, a telephone, a mobile phone, or a satellite telephone.

11. A method according to claim 6 wherein the communication means is a messenger program which switches between communication types including message, voice and image to a call center.

12. A method according to claim 6 wherein the information requester is any one of a customer who searches and finds out the information for goods, a purchaser who wishes to buy or bought goods, a dealer in Business to Business.

13. A method according to claim 6 wherein the information provider is a dealer or reviewer of goods or services.