System and method for abstract communication

• US 9,159,053 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• 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., Moffitt, Jack, Balasubramanian, Santhosh
• Primary Examiner(s): SCOTT, RANDY A
• Application Number:
  US13/557,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 705/14.25, 705/14.23, 705/14.53, 705/14.58
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing communication between a user and at least one entity are disclosed. In one example, the method comprises receiving an entity selection input of the at least one entity, and a message from the user to the at least one entity, analyzing the selection input and the message to determine entity information and inquiry information associated with the message and the selection input, determining least one communication channel based on the entity information and the inquiry information, obtaining a response to the message via the at least one communication channel from the at least one entity, and transmitting the response to the user.

Claims

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

receiving a search criteria for the at least one entity from the user through a user interface of a computer system;

determining search results including one or more entities meeting the search criteria, the search results including the at least one entity;

ordering, the search results based on the responsiveness of the one or more entities to past queries by users;

transmitting the ordered search results to the user;

receiving, by the computer system, an entity selection input of the at least one entity, and a message from the user to the at least one entity;

analyzing, by the computer system, the entity selection input and the message to determine entity information and inquiry information associated with the message and the selection input;

determining least one communication channel based on the entity information and the inquiry information;

obtaining a response to the message via the at least one communication channel from the at least one entity; and

transmitting the response to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the response from the at least one entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the response to the message via the at least one communication channel comprises transmitting a request based on the inquiry information and the entity information to a call center agent.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving the response, obtained by the call center agent from the at least one entity based on the request and transmitting the response to the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the response to the message via the at least one communication channel further comprises generating the response by a message generator based on the entity information and the inquiry information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the response to the message via the at least one communication channel further comprises transmitting a request based on the inquiry information to at least one agent of the at least one entity and receiving a response from the at least one agent.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information defining entity contact information from the at least one entity;

forming a communication channel based on the entity contact information; and

transmitting the message to the at least one entity via the communication channel based on the entity contact information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving information defining entity contact information from the at least one entity further comprises at least one of an email address, and a phone number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the message from the user and receiving the response from the at least one entity further comprises receiving at least one of a SMS text message, an email message, and a chat message.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the responsiveness of the one or more entities based on response time associated with attempts to communicate with the one or more entities.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one entity is one of a business and an organization.

12. A system for enabling communication between a user and at least one entity, the system comprising:

an interface that receives a search criteria for the at least one entity from the user;

a processor, coupled to the interface, that determines search results including one or more entities meeting the search criteria, the search results including the at least one entity, and orders the search results based on the responsiveness of the one or more entities to past queries by users, the interface transmitting the ordered search results to the user and receiving an entity selection input of the at least one entity, and a message from the user to the at least one entity, the message including entity information and inquiry information, the processor analyzing the message and the entity selection input to determine the entity information and the inquiry information associated with the message and the selection input and determine least one communication channel based on the entity information and the inquiry information; and

a database, coupled to the processor and that stores the entity information, the inquiry information and the message, wherein the interface receives the response to the message from the at least, one entity via the at least one communication channel and transmits the response to the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the database stores the response from the at least one entity.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the least one communication channel comprises a call center communication channel, and wherein the interface transmits a request based on the inquiry infomation and the entity inforniation to a call center agent.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the interface receives the response, obtained by the call center agent from the at least one entity based on the request and transmits the response to the user.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one communication channel further comprises an auto-generation channel, wherein the processor generates the response based on the entity information and the inquiry information.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one communication channel further comprises a direct communication channel, wherein the inter ace transmits a request based on the inquiry information to at least one agent of the at least one entity and receives a response from the at least one agent.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the interface receives information defining entity contact information from the at least one entity, the processor forms a communication channel based on the entity contact information, and the interface transmits the message to the at least one via the communication channel based on the entity contact information.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the message from the user and the response from the at least one entity further comprises at least one of a SMS text message, an email message, and a chat message.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction for enabling communication between a user and at least one entity, including instructions that will cause at least one processor to:

receive a search criteria for the at least one entity from the user;

determine search results including one or more entities meeting the search criteria the search results including the at least one entity;

order the search results based on the responsiveness of the one or more entities tea past queries by users;

transmit the ordered search results to the user;

receive an entity selection input of the at least one entity, and a message from the user to the at least one entity;

analyze the selection put and the message to determine entity information and inquiry information associated with the message and the selection input;

determine at least one communication channel based on the entity information and the inquiry information;

obtain a response to the message via the at least one communication channel from the at least one entity; and

transmit the response to the user.