System and method for facilitating interactions
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- detecting, by a search engine server, a request for a search for search results, wherein the request for the search includes topic data describing a search topic, and wherein the request does not include a request for an agent;
performing, by the search engine server, a search for information associated with the search topic;
determining, by the search engine server, a search result, wherein the search result includes the information associated with the search topic;
processing by the search engine server, status data stored remotely within an agent search server, wherein the search engine server operates remotely from the agent search server and communicates with the agent search server over a network, wherein the status data corresponds to one or more active relevant agents, wherein the one or more active relevant agents are associated with one or more real-time interaction options, wherein agents are active or inactive, and wherein agents are relevant or irrelevant to the search topic;
generating, by the search engine server, an agent search request using the topic data, wherein the agent search request is separate from the request for the search and includes the topic data describing the search topic, wherein the agent search request is used to determine the one or more active relevant agents associated with the search topic, and wherein agents are determined to be relevant by matching the search topic with a topic included in one or more profiles of the one or more active relevant agents;
using, by the search engine server, the status data to determine whether to associate a real-time interactive element with the search result;
associating, by the search engine server, a real-time interactive element with the search result, wherein the real-time interactive element is separate from the search result, and wherein the real-time interactive element is displayed concurrently with the search result; and
detecting, by the search engine server, data corresponding to a selection of the real-time interactive element associated with the search result, wherein the real-time interactive element is associated with one or more agents based on the status data, wherein the selection of the real-time interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices, and wherein at least one device is associated with an active relevant agent associated with the search topic.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
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.
-
Citations
42 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
-
detecting, by a search engine server, a request for a search for search results, wherein the request for the search includes topic data describing a search topic, and wherein the request does not include a request for an agent; performing, by the search engine server, a search for information associated with the search topic; determining, by the search engine server, a search result, wherein the search result includes the information associated with the search topic; processing by the search engine server, status data stored remotely within an agent search server, wherein the search engine server operates remotely from the agent search server and communicates with the agent search server over a network, wherein the status data corresponds to one or more active relevant agents, wherein the one or more active relevant agents are associated with one or more real-time interaction options, wherein agents are active or inactive, and wherein agents are relevant or irrelevant to the search topic; generating, by the search engine server, an agent search request using the topic data, wherein the agent search request is separate from the request for the search and includes the topic data describing the search topic, wherein the agent search request is used to determine the one or more active relevant agents associated with the search topic, and wherein agents are determined to be relevant by matching the search topic with a topic included in one or more profiles of the one or more active relevant agents; using, by the search engine server, the status data to determine whether to associate a real-time interactive element with the search result; associating, by the search engine server, a real-time interactive element with the search result, wherein the real-time interactive element is separate from the search result, and wherein the real-time interactive element is displayed concurrently with the search result; and detecting, by the search engine server, data corresponding to a selection of the real-time interactive element associated with the search result, wherein the real-time interactive element is associated with one or more agents based on the status data, wherein the selection of the real-time interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices, and wherein at least one device is associated with an active relevant agent associated with the search topic. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A system including a search engine server, comprising:
-
a processor; a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed on the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including; detecting a request for a search for search results, wherein the request for the search includes topic data describing a search topic, and wherein the request does not include a request for an agent; performing a search for information associated with the search topic; determining a search result, wherein the search result includes the information associated with the search topic; processing status data stored remotely within an agent search server, wherein the search engine server operates remotely from the agent search server and communicates with the agent search server over a network, wherein the status data corresponds to one or more active relevant agents, wherein the one or more active relevant agents are associated with one or more real-time interaction options, wherein agents are active or inactive, and wherein agents are relevant or irrelevant to the search topic; generating an agent search request using the topic data, wherein the agent search request is separate from the request for the search and includes the topic data describing the search topic, wherein the agent search request is used to determine the one or more active relevant agents associated with the search topic, and wherein agents are determined to be relevant by matching the search topic with a topic included in one or more profiles of the one or more active relevant agents; using the status data to determine whether to associate a real-time interactive element with the search result; associating a real-time interactive element with the search result, wherein the real-time interactive element is separate from the search result, and wherein the real-time interactive element is displayed concurrently with the search result; and detecting data corresponding to a selection of the real-time interactive element associated with the search result, wherein the real-time interactive element is associated with one or more agents based on the status data, wherein the selection of the real-time interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices, and wherein at least one device is associated with an active relevant agent associated with the search topic. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of a search engine server, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:
-
detect a request for a search for search results, wherein the request for the search includes topic data describing a search topic, and wherein the request does not include a request for an agent; perform a search for information associated with the search topic; determine a search result, wherein the search result includes the information associated with the search topic; process, by the search engine server, status data stored remotely within an agent search server, wherein the search engine server operates remotely from the agent search server and communicates with the agent search server over a network, wherein the status data corresponds to one or more active relevant agents, wherein the one or more active relevant agents are associated with one or more real-time interaction options, wherein agents are active or inactive, and wherein agents are relevant or irrelevant to the search topic; generate an agent search request using the topic data, wherein the agent search request is separate from the request for the search and includes the topic data describing the search topic, wherein the agent search request is used to determine the one or more active relevant agents associated with the search topic, and wherein agents are determined to be relevant by matching the search topic with a topic included in one or more profiles of the one or more active relevant agents; use the status data to determine whether to associate a real-time interactive element with the search result; associate a real-time interactive element with the search result, wherein the real-time interactive element is separate from the search result, and wherein the real-time interactive element is displayed concurrently with the search result; and detect data corresponding to a selection of the real-time interactive element associated with the search result, wherein the real-time interactive element is associated with one or more agents based on the status data, wherein the selection of the real-time interactive element facilitates a real-time interaction option among two or more devices, and wherein at least one device is associated with an active relevant agent associated with the search topic. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
Specification