Systems and methods for facilitating participation
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- determining, by the agent device, availability as an agent for topic data stored in a system, wherein agents are active or inactive and are relevant or irrelevant to the topic data, and wherein agents are relevant when a topic included in one or more profiles of one or more relevant agents matches the topic data;
transmitting availability as an active relevant agent for the topic data, wherein one or more real-time interaction options are associated with active relevant agents, wherein status data is generated and remotely stored according to the availability of active relevant agents associated with real-time interaction options, wherein the status data is transmitted by an agent search server to a search engine server operating remotely from the agent search server and in communication with the agent search server over a network, wherein an agent search request is generated using the topic data and includes the topic data, and wherein the agent search request is used to determine relevant agents associated with the topic data;
detecting data corresponding to a selection of an interactive element associated with search results generated by the search engine server, wherein the search results are generated in response to a search request including the topic data, wherein the search request does not include a request for an agent, wherein the search request is separate from the agent search request, wherein interactive elements are associated with the search results according to remotely received status data, wherein the interactive elements are separate from the search results, wherein an interactive element is displayed concurrently with a search result, and wherein the selection of an interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices; and
participating in a real-time interaction option as an active relevant agent associated with the topic data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, comprising the steps of, or structure for, storing a plurality of expert profiles in a database, each of the plurality of expert profiles comprising information associated with a person having knowledge in a particular category, subject or topic; receiving search criteria over a network from a query source; selecting at least one of the plurality of expert profiles comprising information that satisfy the search criteria; and transmitting expert profile data for each of the selected expert profiles to the remote search engine, the expert profile data comprising data that defines a displayable representation of a corresponding expert profile, the expert profile data further comprising data that facilitates a client-initiated, real-time communication session over the network with a person associated with the corresponding expert profile.
617 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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determining, by the agent device, availability as an agent for topic data stored in a system, wherein agents are active or inactive and are relevant or irrelevant to the topic data, and wherein agents are relevant when a topic included in one or more profiles of one or more relevant agents matches the topic data; transmitting availability as an active relevant agent for the topic data, wherein one or more real-time interaction options are associated with active relevant agents, wherein status data is generated and remotely stored according to the availability of active relevant agents associated with real-time interaction options, wherein the status data is transmitted by an agent search server to a search engine server operating remotely from the agent search server and in communication with the agent search server over a network, wherein an agent search request is generated using the topic data and includes the topic data, and wherein the agent search request is used to determine relevant agents associated with the topic data; detecting data corresponding to a selection of an interactive element associated with search results generated by the search engine server, wherein the search results are generated in response to a search request including the topic data, wherein the search request does not include a request for an agent, wherein the search request is separate from the agent search request, wherein interactive elements are associated with the search results according to remotely received status data, wherein the interactive elements are separate from the search results, wherein an interactive element is displayed concurrently with a search result, and wherein the selection of an interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices; and participating in a real-time interaction option as an active relevant agent associated with the topic data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system including an agent device, comprising:
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a processor; a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed on the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including; determining availability as an agent for topic data stored in a system, wherein agents are active or inactive and are relevant or irrelevant to the topic data, and wherein agents are relevant when a topic included in one or more profiles of one or more relevant agents matches the topic data; transmitting availability as an active relevant agent for the topic data, wherein one or more real-time interaction options are associated with active relevant agents, wherein status data is generated and remotely stored according to the availability of active relevant agents associated with real-time interaction options, wherein the status data is transmitted by an agent search server to a search engine server operating remotely from the agent search server and in communication with the agent search server over a network, wherein an agent search request is generated using the topic data and includes the topic data, and wherein the agent search request is used to determine relevant agents associated with the topic data; detecting data corresponding to a selection of an interactive element associated with search results generated by the search engine server, wherein the search results are generated in response to a search request including the topic data, wherein the search request does not include a request for an agent, wherein the search request is separate from the agent search request, wherein interactive elements are associated with the search results according to remotely received status data, wherein the interactive elements are separate from the search results, wherein an interactive element is displayed concurrently with a search result, and wherein the selection of an interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices; and participating in a real-time interaction option as an active relevant agent associated with the topic data. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of an agent device, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:
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determine availability as an agent for topic data stored in a system, wherein agents are active or inactive and are relevant or irrelevant to the topic data, and wherein agents are relevant when a topic included in one or more profiles of one or more relevant agents matches the topic data; transmit availability as an active relevant agent for the topic data, wherein one or more real-time interaction options are associated with active relevant agents, wherein status data is generated and remotely stored according to the availability of active relevant agents associated with real-time interaction options, wherein the status data is transmitted by an agent search server to a search engine server operating remotely from the agent search server and in communication with the agent search server over a network, wherein an agent search request is generated using the topic data and includes the topic data, and wherein the agent search request is used to determine relevant agents associated with the topic data; detect data corresponding to a selection of an interactive element associated with search results generated by the search engine server, wherein the search results are generated in response to a search request including the topic data, wherein the search request does not include a request for an agent, wherein the search request is separate from the agent search request, wherein interactive elements are associated with the search results according to remotely received status data, wherein the interactive elements are separate from the search results, wherein an interactive element is displayed concurrently with a search result, and wherein the selection of an interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices; and participate in a real-time interaction option as an active relevant agent associated with the topic data. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification