Multi-user communication system and method

• US 9,015,155 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kakao Corp.
• Original Assignee: Path, Inc. (Kakao Corp.)
• Inventors: Levinson, Stuart J., Crane, Riley W., Johnson, Sean, Buschmann, Brian F., Byrum, James M., Balasubramanian, Santhosh, Zorn, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Arjomandi, Noosha
• Application Number:
  US13/611,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20130066987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 707/728
• US Class Current: 707/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling communication between a user and at least one entity by a communication service are disclosed. In one example, the method comprises acts of receiving a search for the at least one entity, analyzing the search, by a processor, to determine search results based on the search including the at least one entity, receiving a message from the user to the at least one entity, the message including inquiry information directed to the at least one entity, determining, by the processor, presence status associated with the at least one entity, establishing, by the processor, a communication channel between the user and the at least one entity based on the presence status, and transmitting a response to the message based on the inquiry information via the communication channel.

Claims

1. A method for enabling communication between a user and at least one entity by a communication service, the method comprising acts of:

receiving a search for the at least one entity;

analyzing the search, by a processor, to determine search results based on the search, the search results including the at least one entity;

receiving a message from the user to the at least one entity, the message including inquiry information directed to the at least one entity;

determining, by the processor, presence status associated with the at least one entity;

responsive to the presence status being indicative of the at least one entity being online, establishing, by the processor, a communication channel between the user and the at least one entity, and transmitting a response to the message based on the inquiry information via the communication channel;

receiving from the at least one entity an input defining at least two alternative communication channels, the at least two alternative communication channels including at least one of a telephone channel, an electronic mail channel, an SMS channel, a social networking service channel, and a microblogging service channel; and

responsive to the presence status being indicative of the at least one entity being offline, determining the at least two alternative communication channels defined by the at least one entity, transmitting the message to the at least one entity via at least one of the at least two alternative communication channels and receiving the response from the at least one entity via the at least one of the at least two alternative communication channels.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether presence status of the at least one entity is established as being online and wherein establishing the communication channel further comprises establishing a chat session between the user and the at least one entity.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting the message to at least one agent of the at least one entity via an entity interface;

receiving the response to the message from the at least one agent; and

transmitting the response to the message to the user via the chat session.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the response received from the at least one entity within the chat session, via a personal interface on a device associated with the user, on behalf of the at least one entity.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the message received from the user within the chat session, via an entity interface on a device associated with the at least one agent.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the at least one entity as offline;

transmitting the message to a call center; and

receiving the response from the call center on behalf of the entity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the at least one entity as offline;

generating the response based on information associated with the at least one entity; and

transmitting the generated response to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking the at least one entity in the search results based on presence status of the entity in a chat system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two alternative communication channels include one of electronic mail and a telephone.

10. A system for enabling communication between a user and at least one entity in a distributed communication network, the system comprising:

an interface configured to receive a search for the at least one entity and receive a message from the user to the at least one entity, the message including inquiry information directed to the at least one entity and configured to receive from the at least one entity an input defining at least two alternative communication channels and transmit the message to the at least one entity via at least one of the defined at least two alternative communication channels, the at least two alternative communication channels including at least one of a telephone channel, an e-mail channel, an SMS channel, a social networking service channel, and a microblogging service channel;

a processor configured to;

analyze the search to determine search results based on the search including at least one entity;

determine a presence status associated with the at least one entity included in the search results;

responsive to the presence status being indicative of the at least one entity being online, establish a communication channel between the user and the at least one entity and transmit a response to the message based on the inquiry information via the communication channel; and

responsive to the presence status being indicative of the at least one entity being offline, determine the at least two alternative communication channels defined by the at least one entity, transmit the message to the at least one entity via the at least one of the at least two alternative communication channels, and transmit the response from the at least one entity via the at least one of the at least two alternative communication channels.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether presence status of the at least one entity is established as online and establishing a chat session between the user and the at least one entity.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the interface is further configured to transmit the message to at least one agent of the at least one entity via an entity interface and receive the response to the message from the at least one agent.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the entity interface is configured to display the message and the response via the chat session.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to establish the at least one entity as offline and determine the at least one alternative communication channel defined by the at least one entity, and wherein the interface is further configured receive the response from the entity via the at least one alternative communication channel.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to establish the at least one entity as offline, wherein the interface is further configured to transmit the message to a call center and receive the response from the call center on behalf of the entity.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to establish the at least one entity as offline, and generate the response based on information associated with the at least one entity, and the interface is further configured to transmit the generated response to the user.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the response via a personal interface on a device associated with the user, on behalf of the at least one entity.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the personal interface is configured to display the message and the response to the user.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium for enabling communication between a user and at least one entity in a distributed communication network, having stored thereon sequences of instructions that are capable of causing at least one processor to:

receive a search for the at least one entity and receive a message from the user to the at least one entity, the message including inquiry information directed to the at least one entity;

analyze the search to determine search results based on the search including at least one entity;

determine a presence status associated with the at least one entity included in the search results;

responsive to the presence status being indicative of the at least one entity being online, establish a communication channel between the user and the at least one entity and transmit a response to the message based on the inquiry information via the communication channel;

receive from the at least one entity an input defining at least two alternative communication channels, the at least two alternative communication channels including at least one of a telephone channel, an e-mail channel, an SMS channel, a social networking service channel and a microblogging service channel; and

responsive to the presence status being indicative of the at least one entity being offline, determine the at least two alternative communication channels defined by the at least one entity, transmit the message to the at least one entity via the at least one of the at least two alternative communication channels, and transmit the response from the at least one entity via the at least one of the at least two alternative communication channels.