Systems and methods for providing customer support

• US 8,902,882 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioba Processing, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: MUSE Green Investments LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Tran, Bao Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/679,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 370/356, 379/265.01, 379/93.14, 382/104, 382/253, 455/3.06, 455/414.1, 705/14.1, 705/14.64, 705/304, 705/26.61, 705/27, 705/26.81, 709/223, 725/105, 348/207.99, 375/298, 701/211, 701/29.4, 701/421, 702/183, 710/1, 710/29.4, 235/454, 707/693
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing sales or customer support using a telephone having a camera to capture at least a partial image of a product or service; wherein the at least partial image is used to select a database updated by one or more knowledgeable persons on the product or service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data decoded from an image of a graphical code associated with a product or service from a portable device having a camera configured to capture the image of the graphical code, wherein the portable device is configured to communicate the data decoded from the image of the graphical code; and

based on the data decoded from the image of the graphical code, selecting and initiating a connection to a data center comprising information relating to the product or service with which the graphical code is associated, wherein the data center is selected from a plurality of available data centers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical code comprises a bar code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises a cellular telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises a handheld wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an offer to the portable device as the portable device passes a merchant'"'"'s point of offer.

6. A system comprising:

a data center implemented in one or more server computers, the data center configured to provide support for a product or service in response to receipt of data decoded from an image of a graphical code associated with the product or service from a portable device having a camera configured to capture the image of the graphical code, wherein the portable device is configured to communicate the data decoded from the image of the graphical code, and wherein the data decoded from the image of the graphical code is used to select a database comprising data relating to the product or service with which the graphical code is associated from a plurality of available databases.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the graphical code comprises a bar code.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the portable device comprises a cellular telephone.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the portable device comprises a handheld wireless device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the data center is further configured to distribute coupons or advertisements.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the data center is further configured to redeem coupons or transmit coupons to the portable device.

12. A portable device comprising a camera and a storage medium, the storage medium comprising instructions configured to cause the portable device to:

capture an image of a graphical code associated with a product or service;

send data decoded from the image of the graphical code to a remote data center; and

establish a support connection with the remote data center based on the data decoded from the image of the graphical code, wherein the support connection relates to the product or service with which the graphical code is associated, and wherein the remote data center is selected from a plurality of available remote data centers based on the data decoded from the image of the graphical code.

13. The portable device of claim 12, wherein the support connection comprises a connection to a pre-selected person knowledgeable about the product or service.

14. The portable device of claim 12, wherein the graphical code comprises a bar code.