Method and apparatus for automatic processing of service requests on an electronic device

• US 10,146,560 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiaoyun Wu
• Original Assignee: Xiaoyun Wu
• Inventors: Wu, Xiaoyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Mudrick, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US15/721,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20180095772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 717121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provides methods and apparatus capable of recording operation/display events on a mobile device used to fulfill a service request entered via a user interface of the mobile device. A recorded sequence of operation/display events is used to build a script file, which is associated with the service request. When the same or similar service request is received again, the script file associated with the service request is retrieved for execution by the mobile device to automatically brings up a series of operation/display events so that a user of the mobile device does not need to manually navigate through the sequence of operation/display events again in order to fulfill the service request.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computer system in communication with mobile devices via a packet-based network, the computer system including or having access to a data store, the method comprising:

receiving from the packet-based network one or more first data packets including information in a first user input received by a first mobile device in a first context and information about the first context;

determining if the one or more first data packets include a first service request based on the information in a first user input and the information about the first context;

in response to the one or more first data packets including the first service request, searching the data store for a first script file including a first sequence of operation/display events for execution by the first mobile device to fulfill the first service request;

in response to the first scrip file not being found in the data store;

transmitting a signal to the first mobile device via the packet-based network to notify the first mobile device that the first script file is not found;

receiving from the first mobile device via the packet-based network one or more second data packets including the information in the first user input, the information about the first context, and a second sequence of operation/display events performed on the first mobile device to fulfill the first service request;

extracting a request template from the information in the first service request and the information about the first context;

building a first script file associated with the request template using the second sequence of operation/display events and the information about the first context; and

storing the first script file and the associated request template in the data store;

receiving from the packet-based network one or more third data packets including a second service request;

in response to the second service request being related to the request template, extracting variable information from the second service request and retrieving the first script file associated with the request template from the data store; and

transmitting one or more fourth data packets to the packet-based network, the one or more fourth data packets including the first script file together with the request template and the variable information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of operation/display events represents a series of inputs received by the mobile devices and a series of displays provided by the mobile device in response to respective ones of the series of inputs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the displays includes a user interface for receiving at least one input including a search query.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the displays includes a user interface including an input touch panel for receiving one or more touches or one or more swipes on the input touch panel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first service request is represented at least in part by a text string, and wherein extracting a request template comprises parsing the text string into a general portion and a specific portion and replacing the specific portion with a variable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first service request is represented at least in part by a text string, and wherein extracting a request template comprises associating the service request with a category of service requests that covers similar service requests expressed with different text strings.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a similarity analysis of the second service request with a variety of request templates to determine a target request template having a similarity to the second service request with a similarity value greater than a preset threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable information is input information for the script file, and wherein extracting the variable information from the second service request comprises parsing the second service request into a general portion and a specific portion and using the specific portion as the variable information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more fourth data packets include additional information relevant to the second service request, the additional information including a banner for displaying on the second mobile device or a hyperlink to a corresponding web page or application page.

10. A method performed by a mobile device in communication with a packet-based network, the method comprising:

receiving a first input in a first context;

obtaining from an operating system of the mobile device information about the first context;

transmitting one or more first data packet to a server in the packet-based network, the one or more first data packets including information in the first input and the information about the first context;

receiving one or more second data packets from the packet-based network;

in response to the one or more second data packets including information related to the first input and a script file, executing the script file to bring about a first sequence of operation/display events on the mobile device, wherein executing the script file comprises causing the operating system to generate a series of simulated user inputs on the mobile device in accordance with the script file;

in response to the one or more second data packets indicating that no script file associated with the information in the first input is found, prompting for user permission to enter a recording mode; and

in response to receiving a second input with user permission to enter the recording mode, providing a transparent user interface that overlays a display screen of the mobile device;

capturing one or more additional inputs on the display screen using the transparent user interface and one or more displays under the transparent user interface corresponding to respective ones of the additional inputs;

for each additional input of the one or more additional inputs, generating an interpretation of the each additional input based on a corresponding display under the transparent user interface at the time the each user input is made and causing the operating system to generate a simulated user input to an application program running on the mobile device and providing the corresponding display;

forming a second sequence of operation/display events using the one or more additional inputs and one or more additional displays, and transmitting one or more third data packets to the packet-based network, the one or more third data packets including the information in the first input, the information about the first context, and the second sequence of operation/display events.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first input includes a text string and being one of a text input, a voice input and a selection of an icon or a link.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the information about the first context includes a state of user interaction with the mobile device or one or more service applications running on the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the state of user interaction with the mobile device includes one or more of:

a specified personal preference, one or more most frequent contacts, one or more favorite applications, previous purchase history, one or more previous service requests, a physical state of the mobile device, and a geographical location of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first sequence of operation/display events represents a series of inputs for receiving by the mobile devices and a series of displays provided by the mobile device in response to respective ones of the series of inputs.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first sequence of operation/display events include a series of inputs and displays on the mobile device, wherein the series of inputs include one or more touches and one or more swipes on a input touch panel of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device when executing the script file is configured to automatically simulate the series of inputs without actual user making the one or more touches or one or more swipes.

16. A system operable in a packet-based network, comprising:

one or more processors;

a data store; and

memory storing instructions, the instructions configured to be executed by the one or more processors and cause the one or more processors to;

receive from the packet-based network one or more first data packets including information in a first user input received by a first mobile device in a first context and information about the first context;

determine if the one or more first data packets include a first service request based on the information in a first user input and the information about the first context;

in response to the one or more first data packets including the first service request, search the data store for a first script file including a first sequence of operation/display events for execution by the first mobile device to fulfill the first service request;

in response to the first scrip file not being found in the data store;

transmit a signal to the first mobile device via the packet-based network to notify the first mobile device that the first script file is not found;

receive from the first mobile device via the packet-based network one or more second data packets including the information in the first user input, the information about the first context, and a second sequence of operation/display events performed on the first mobile device to fulfill the first service request;

extract a request template from the information in the first service request and the information about the first context;

build a first script file associated with the request template using the second sequence of operation/display events and the information about the first context; and

store the first script file and the associated request template in the data store;

receive from the packet-based network one or more third data packets including a second service request;

in response to the second service request being related to the request template, extract variable information from the second service request and retrieving the first script file associated with the request template from the data store; and

transmit one or more fourth data packets to the packet-based network, the one or more fourth data packets including the first script file together with the request template and the variable information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first sequence of operation/display events represents a series of inputs for simulating by the mobile devices and a series of displays provided by the mobile device in response to respective ones of the series of inputs.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first service request is represented at least in part by a text string, and wherein the instructions is further configured to cause the one or more processors to extract a request template by parsing the text string into a general portion and a specific portion and replacing the specific portion with a variable.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first service request is represented at least in part by a text string, and wherein the instructions is further configured to cause the one or more processors to extract a request template by associating the first service request with a category of service requests that covers similar service requests expressed with different text strings.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions is further configured to cause the one or more processors to perform a similarity analysis of the second service request with a variety of request templates to determine a target request template having a similarity to the second service request with a similarity value greater than a preset threshold.