Mixed-mode interaction

• US 8,620,364 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aeritas LLC
• Original Assignee: Aeritas LLC
• Inventors: Mamdani, Malik, Johnson, Patrick, Bomar, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US13/290,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20120253820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 786 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/445, 455/410, 455/411, 455/456
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3272 using an audio code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/105 Financial transactions and auctions, e.g. bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 : wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 : with voice recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 : comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 : Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A user of a wireless device, such as a mobile phone, can make purchases or obtain information via a network, such as the Internet, using both voice and non-verbal methods. Users can submit voice queries and receive non-verbal replies, submit non-verbal queries and receive voice replies, or perform similar operations that many the voice and data capabilities of modern mobile communication devices. The user may provide notification criteria indicating under what conditions a notification should be sent to the user'"'"'s wireless device. When purchasing opportunities matching the selected notification criteria become available, the user is notified. The user can respond to the notification, and immediately take advantage of the purchasing opportunity if he so desires. Mixed-mode interactions can also be used by sellers to more advantageously control the marketing of distressed, time sensitive, or other merchandise/services.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

computer memory holding computer program instructions to execute a rules engine that correlates data identifying a location of a mobile communication device, consumer interest data, data associated with one or more inventory attributes, and notification criteria that defines when a notification is to be delivered to the mobile communications device and a type of such notification, and to generate a message for delivery to the mobile communication device if at least one matching rule in the rules engine is triggered and the notification criteria are met, the message identifying one or more suppliers in the location with inventory that a user of the mobile communication device has expressed an interest in as indicated by the consumer interest data; and

computer memory holding computer program instructions executed by the processor to selectively deliver the message to the mobile communications device according to the notification criteria.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the rules engine also correlates data associated with a dynamic attribute.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein the dynamic attribute is one of:

time and threshold.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the one or more inventory attributes include one of:

price, location and quantity.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the message is one of:

e-mail, SMS and URL.

6. The apparatus as described in claim 1 further including software executed by the processor to receive a response to the message that indicates the user'"'"'s interest in purchasing an item in inventory.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the inventory comprises goods or services that the user of the mobile communications device has expressed an interest in as indicated by the consumer interest data.

8. Apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

computer memory holding computer program instructions to execute a voice-operated search engine that correlates a search query concerning an item, data identifying a location of a mobile communication device, and data retrieved from an Internet search to generate a message for delivery to the mobile communication device, the message associating a characteristic of the item at the location of the mobile communication device with the characteristic of the item at one or more other locations; and

computer memory holding computer program instructions executed by the processor to selectively deliver the message to the mobile communications device according to notification criteria that defines when a notification is to be delivered to the mobile communications device and a type of such notification.

9. The apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein the message is one of:

e-mail, SMS and URL.

10. Apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

computer memory holding computer program instructions to execute a voice-operated search engine that correlates a search query concerning an item, and data identifying a location of a mobile communication device, to generate a message for delivery to the mobile communication device, the message indicating that the item is available for purchase at a particular store and including a link to a map identifying a location of the particular store; and

computer memory holding computer program instructions executed by the processor to selectively deliver the message to the mobile communications device according to notification criteria that defines when a notification is to be delivered to the mobile communications device and a type of such notification.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 10 further including software executed by the processor to receive a response to the message that indicates an interest in purchasing the item by the user of the mobile communication device.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 11 wherein the software is executed by the processor to forward the response to the particular store and to receive a reply message that indicates that the item is being held for pickup.

13. The apparatus as described in claim 12 wherein the software is executed to forward a new message to the user indicating that the item is available to be picked up.