System and method for interactively delivering expert information to remote outlets

• US 8,650,147 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClairVista LLC
• Original Assignee: ClairVista LLC
• Inventors: Sang, Christopher, Woods, Donald Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Michael B
• Application Number:
  US13/034,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 706/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1815 Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/63 for estimating an emotional state
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A networked interactive expert system is disclosed for selectively providing relevant expertise when a user requires such assistance. System provides a set of networked facilities for determining an expertise needed by a customer based on a location. Such location can be either physical or logical. A physical “location” corresponds, for example, to a department within a retail outlet. Examples of logical “locations” are ones corresponding to a web-page, a product identification code of interest, a customer identification code, and/or explicit knowledge category selected by the customer. An expert studio, from a list of expert studios providing expertise corresponding to the identified location associated with the customer'"'"'s request, is matched up with the request. Thereafter, a primary connection, supporting an interactive videoconference session, is established between a first networked node associated with the customer and a second networked node associated with the designated expert studio.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented interactive expert system for facilitating interactive sessions, within a network, between customers and experts based upon particular expertise designations assigned to particular ones of the experts, the system comprising:

a set of interactive expert stations coupled to the network, each interactive expert station being associated with a location;

a set of expert studios providing expertise to users of the set of interactive expert stations, each expert studio being associated with an expertise, wherein the expert studios include information about products or services for which expertise is provided; and

an expert server, operating on a node communicatively coupled to the set of interactive expert stations via the network, for maintaining information indicative of availability of expert studios and expertise with which each available expert studio is associated, and for matching requests from the interactive expert stations to ones of the set of expert studios based upon a type of needed expertise, the expert server comprising;

mapping information associating a current interactive expert station location with a type of expertise provided by one or more of the set of expert studios;

a matching component for pairing a query from a requesting expert station of the set of interactive expert stations to an available expert studio of the set of expert studios based, at least in-part, upon the type of expertise associated with a current location of the requesting expert station, and thereafter initiating establishing a connection between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio, wherein the expert studios are used to provide guidance to expert station users; and

wherein the expert server further comprises a listing of currently available expert studios and associated expertise, and

wherein the listing of currently available expert studios and associated expertise comprises a set of expert queues arranged, at least in part, based upon expertise of expert studios placed within particular ones of the queues.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the associated current location corresponds to a physical location.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the associated current location corresponds to a logical location.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the matching component further refines a search for the available expert studio based upon additional properties provided for a particular customer that initiated the query from the requesting expert station.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the requesting expert station and the available expert studio include videoconference equipment.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the matching component further refines a search for the available expert studio based upon additional properties provided for a particular customer that initiated the query from the requesting expert station.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the matching component, upon identifying a match between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio, initiates transmitting a notification to the requesting expert station, the notification being used by the requesting expert station to initiate establishing the primary connection.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein availability status is maintained by the expert server on an individual basis for each one of the set of expert studios.

4. A computer-implemented interactive expert system for facilitating interactive sessions, within a network, between customers and experts based upon particular expertise designations assigned to particular ones of the experts, the system comprising:

a set of interactive expert stations coupled to the network, each interactive expert station being associated with a location;

a set of expert studios providing expertise to users of the set of interactive expert stations, each expert studio being associated with an expertise, wherein the expert studios include information about products or services for which expertise is provided; and

an expert server, operating on a node communicatively coupled to the set of interactive expert stations via the network, for maintaining information indicative of availability of expert studios and expertise with which each available expert studio is associated, and for matching requests from the interactive expert stations to ones of the set of expert studios based upon a type of needed expertise, the expert server comprising;

mapping information associating a current interactive expert station location with a type of expertise provided by one or more of the set of expert studios;

a matching component for pairing a query from a requesting expert station of the set of interactive expert stations to an available expert studio of the set of expert studios based, at least in-part, upon the type of expertise associated with a current location of the requesting expert station, and thereafter initiating establishing a connection between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio, wherein the expert studios are used to provide guidance to expert station users; and

wherein the information about products or services provide a simulated environment corresponding to products or services associated with a location for which an expert station is being provided.

7. A computer-implemented interactive expert system for facilitating interactive sessions, within a network, between customers and experts based upon particular expertise designations assigned to particular ones of the experts, the system comprising:

a set of interactive expert stations coupled to the network, each interactive expert station being associated with a location;

a set of expert studios providing expertise to users of the set of interactive expert stations, each expert studio being associated with an expertise, wherein the expert studios include information about products or services for which expertise is provided; and

an expert server, operating on a node communicatively coupled to the set of interactive expert stations via the network, for maintaining information indicative of availability of expert studios and expertise with which each available expert studio is associated, and for matching requests from the interactive expert stations to ones of the set of expert studios based upon a type of needed expertise, the expert server comprising;

mapping information associating a current interactive expert station location with a type of expertise provided by one or more of the set of expert studios;

a matching component for pairing a query from a requesting expert station of the set of interactive expert stations to an available expert studio of the set of expert studios based, at least in-part, upon the type of expertise associated with a current location of the requesting expert station, and thereafter initiating establishing a connection between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio, wherein the expert studios are used to provide guidance to expert station users; and

the interactive expert system further comprising a content store, and wherein the requesting expert station comprises a network interface supporting a secondary connection, distinct from the primary connection, for downloading shared content from the content store during an interactive expert session supported by the primary connection.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the requesting expert station includes a local content cache for storing shared content downloaded via the secondary connection, and wherein the local cache persists the downloaded shared content across multiple sessions.

9. A computer-implemented method for establishing and supporting interactive sessions within a network between customers and experts in an interactive expert system comprising a set of interactive expert stations coupled to the network, a set of expert studios providing expertise to users of the set of interactive expert stations, and an expert server, operating on a node communicatively coupled to the set of interactive expert stations via the network, for maintaining information indicative of availability of expert studios and expertise with which each available expert studio is associated, and for assigning requests from the interactive expert stations to available ones of the set of expert studios based upon particular expertise designations of particular ones of the expert studios, the method comprising the steps:

associating each interactive expert station with a location;

associating each expert studio with an expertise;

associating a current interactive expert station location and a type of expertise provided by one or more of the set of expert studios, wherein the expert studios include information about products or services for which expertise is provided;

receiving, by the expert server, a query for expertise from a requesting expert station of the set of interactive expert stations, and in response performing the further steps of;

pairing the query to an available expert studio of the set of expert studios based, at least in-part, upon the type of expertise associated with a current location of the requesting expert station, and

initiating establishing a connection between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio, wherein the expert studios are used to provide guidance to expert station users; and

maintaining, by the expert server, a listing of currently available expert studios and associated expertise,

wherein the listing of currently available expert studios and associated expertise comprises a set of expert queues arranged, at least in part, based upon expertise of expert studios placed within particular ones of the queues.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the requesting expert station and the available expert studio include videoconference equipment and wherein the primary connection supports a videoconference session between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio.

10. A computer-implemented method for establishing and supporting interactive sessions within a network between customers and experts in an interactive expert system comprising a set of interactive expert stations coupled to the network, a set of expert studios providing expertise to users of the set of interactive expert stations, and an expert server, operating on a node communicatively coupled to the set of interactive expert stations via the network, for maintaining information indicative of availability of expert studios and expertise with which each available expert studio is associated, and for assigning requests from the interactive expert stations to available ones of the set of expert studios based upon particular expertise designations of particular ones of the expert studios, the method comprising the steps:

associating each interactive expert station with a location;

associating each expert studio with an expertise;

associating a current interactive expert station location and a type of expertise provided by one or more of the set of expert studios, wherein the expert studios include information about products or services for which expertise is provided;

receiving, by the expert server, a query for expertise from a requesting expert station of the set of interactive expert stations, and in response performing the further steps of;

pairing the query to an available expert studio of the set of expert studios based, at least in-part, upon the type of expertise associated with a current location of the requesting expert station, and

initiating establishing a connection between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio, wherein the expert studios are used to provide guidance to expert station users; and

wherein the information about products or services simulate an environment corresponding to products or services associated with a location for which an expert station is being provided.

13. A computer-implemented method for establishing and supporting interactive sessions within a network between customers and experts in an interactive expert system comprising a set of interactive expert stations coupled to the network, a set of expert studios providing expertise to users of the set of interactive expert stations, and an expert server, operating on a node communicatively coupled to the set of interactive expert stations via the network, for maintaining information indicative of availability of expert studios and expertise with which each available expert studio is associated, and for assigning requests from the interactive expert stations to available ones of the set of expert studios based upon particular expertise designations of particular ones of the expert studios, the method comprising the steps:

associating each interactive expert station with a location;

associating each expert studio with an expertise;

associating a current interactive expert station location and a type of expertise provided by one or more of the set of expert studios, wherein the expert studios include information about products or services for which expertise is provided;

receiving, by the expert server, a query for expertise from a requesting expert station of the set of interactive expert stations, and in response performing the further steps of;

pairing the query to an available expert studio of the set of expert studios based, at least in-part, upon the type of expertise associated with a current location of the requesting expert station, and

initiating establishing a connection between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio, wherein the expert studios are used to provide guidance to expert station users; and

the method further comprising;

maintaining a content store; and

establishing a secondary connection, via a network interface on the requesting expert station, distinct from the primary connection, for downloading shared content from the content store during an interactive expert session supported by the primary connection.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the requesting expert station includes a local content cache, further comprising:

storing, within the local content cache, shared content downloaded via the secondary connection; and

persisting the downloaded shared content, within the local content cache, across multiple sessions.

15. A computer-implemented interactive expert system for facilitating interactive sessions between customers and experts supporting on-demand downloading of shared content via a network, the system comprising:

an interactive expert station coupled to the network;

an expert studio, coupled to the network, for providing live interactive expertise to the interactive expert station via a primary connection supporting a videoconference session between the interactive expert station and the expert studio, wherein the expert studio includes information about products or services for which expertise is provided;

a content store including shared content available for download to the interactive expert station via a secondary connection, distinct from the primary connection, in accordance with a direction issued from the interactive expert station to the expert studio during the videoconference session, wherein the expert studio is used to provide guidance to expert station users.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the interactive expert station includes a local content cache for storing shared content downloaded via the secondary connection, and wherein the local cache persists the downloaded shared content across multiple sessions.

19. A computer-implemented interactive expert system for facilitating interactive sessions, within a network, between customers and experts based upon particular expertise designations assigned to particular ones of the experts, the system comprising:

a set of interactive expert stations coupled to the network, each interactive expert station being associated with a location;

a set of expert studios providing expertise to users of the set of interactive expert stations, each expert studio being associated with an expertise, wherein the expert studios include information about products or services for which expertise is provided; and

an expert server, operating on a node communicatively coupled to the set of interactive expert stations via the network, for maintaining information indicative of availability of expert studios and expertise with which each available expert studio is associated, and for matching requests from the interactive expert stations to ones of the set of expert studios based upon a type of needed expertise, the expert server comprising;

mapping information associating a current interactive expert station location with a type of expertise provided by one or more of the set of expert studios;

a matching component for pairing a query from a requesting expert station of the set of interactive expert stations to an available expert studio of the set of expert studios based, at least in-part, upon the type of expertise associated with a current location of the requesting expert station, and thereafter initiating establishing a connection between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio, wherein the expert studios are used to provide guidance to expert station users; and

wherein the interactive expert system is adapted to support acceptance, by the expert studios, of a customer order, and

wherein the expert studios are adapted to receive, via the network, information provided by a customer at an expert station to complete the customer order.

20. The interactive expert system of claim 19 wherein a network connection between one of the set of interactive expert stations and one of the set of expert studios supports the customer using the expert station and an agent using the expert studio to share and complete a same form for creating and accepting the customer order.

21. A computer-implemented interactive expert system for facilitating interactive sessions, within a network, between customers and experts based upon particular expertise designations assigned to particular ones of the experts, the system comprising:

a set of interactive expert stations coupled to the network, each interactive expert station being associated with a location;

a set of expert studios providing expertise to users of the set of interactive expert stations, each expert studio being associated with an expertise, wherein the expert studios include information about products or services for which expertise is provided; and

an expert server, operating on a node communicatively coupled to the set of interactive expert stations via the network, for maintaining information indicative of availability of expert studios and expertise with which each available expert studio is associated, and for matching requests from the interactive expert stations to ones of the set of expert studios based upon a type of needed expertise, the expert server comprising;

mapping information associating a current interactive expert station location with a type of expertise provided by one or more of the set of expert studios;

a matching component for pairing a query from a requesting expert station of the set of interactive expert stations to an available expert studio of the set of expert studios based, at least in-part, upon the type of expertise associated with a current location of the requesting expert station, and thereafter initiating establishing a connection between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio, wherein the expert studios are used to provide guidance to expert station users; and

wherein the information about products or services provide a mirrored environment corresponding to products or services associated with a location for which an expert station is being provided.

22. A computer-implemented method for establishing and supporting interactive sessions within a network between customers and experts in an interactive expert system comprising a set of interactive expert stations coupled to the network, a set of expert studios providing expertise to users of the set of interactive expert stations, and an expert server, operating on a node communicatively coupled to the set of interactive expert stations via the network, for maintaining information indicative of availability of expert studios and expertise with which each available expert studio is associated, and for assigning requests from the interactive expert stations to available ones of the set of expert studios based upon particular expertise designations of particular ones of the expert studios, the method comprising the steps:

associating each interactive expert station with a location;

associating each expert studio with an expertise;

associating a current interactive expert station location and a type of expertise provided by one or more of the set of expert studios, wherein the expert studios include information about products or services for which expertise is provided;

receiving, by the expert server, a query for expertise from a requesting expert station of the set of interactive expert stations, and in response performing the further steps of;

pairing the query to an available expert studio of the set of expert studios based, at least in-part, upon the type of expertise associated with a current location of the requesting expert station, and

initiating establishing a connection between the requesting expert station and the available expert studio, wherein the expert studios are used to provide guidance to expert station users; and

wherein the information about products or services mirror an environment corresponding to products or services associated with a location for which an expert station is being provided.