System, method, and apparatus for providing help

• US 10,674,014 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2019
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PGG Investments LLC
• Original Assignee: Ways Investments, LLC
• Inventors: Gray, Mark Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US16/656,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20200053218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A system for providing help includes at least one digital assistant, a wireless data interface for connecting the digital assistants to a server, and battery backup. A plurality of agent computers is connected to the server by a data network. Each of the at least one digital assistants is preprogrammed and centrally managed with at least one skill for recognizing a preprogrammed specific utterance and each of the at least one digital assistants is pre-configured to connect with the wireless data interface. After the preprogrammed specific utterance is detected by one of the digital assistants, that digital assistant initiates a request for help to the server and upon receiving the request for the help, the server assigns one of the agent computers and forwards the request for help to the one of the agent computers.

Claims

1. A system for providing help, the system comprising:

a digital assistant;

a wireless data interface for connecting the at least one digital assistant to a server, the wireless data interface housed together with one or more batteries, the one or more batteries providing power to the digital assistant;

a plurality of agent computers, each of the plurality of agent computers connected to the server by a data network;

whereas the digital assistant is preprogrammed with at least one skill, the at least one skill including the skill for recognizing a preprogrammed specific utterance and the digital assistant is pre-configured to connect with the wireless data interface;

whereas after the preprogrammed specific utterance is detected by the digital assistant, the digital assistant initiates a request for help to the server through the wireless data interface;

whereas after receiving the request for the help, the server assigns one of the agent computers and forwards the request for the help to the one of the agent computers;

wherein the digital assistant automatically connects to the server through the wireless data interface; and

wherein the server periodically confirms that the digital assistant remains connected to the server and if the digital assistant is found not to be connected to the server, the server initiates an escalation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless data interface is a mobile hotspot.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the digital assistant is pre-configured to automatically connect to the mobile hotspot.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a unique email address is generated and assigned to the digital assistant, identifying an account associated with the digital assistant.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a user account is created with a provider of the digital assistant using the unique user email address.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein if the digital assistant is found to be connected to the server, the server initiates a vocal request to the digital assistant and if the digital assistants does not receive a verbal answer to the vocal request within a predetermined time period, the server initiates the escalation.

7. A method of providing help, the method comprising:

generating a unique email address;

creating a user account and assigning the unique user email address to the user account;

providing at least one digital assistant preprogrammed to the user account, each digital assistant(s) connected to a battery backup;

creating a provider account with a provider of the digital assistant(s) using the unique user email;

preprogramming a skill into the digital assistant(s), the skill recognizing a preprogrammed specific utterance;

providing a connectivity between the digital assistant(s) and a server;

listening for the preprogrammed specific utterance by the digital assistant(s) and, upon recognizing the preprogrammed specific utterance by the digital assistant(s), the digital assistant(s) sending a request for help to the server;

upon receiving the request for the help, the server forwarding the request for help to an agent computer;

upon initialization, the digital assistant(s) connects to the server; and

periodically determining if any of the digital assistant(s) is connected to the server and if any of the digital assistant(s) is disconnected from the server, initiating an escalation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the connectivity between each of the digital assistant and the server includes a mobile hotspot, the mobile hotspot and the battery backup housed together and the battery backup providing power to the mobile hotspot and to the digital assistant.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile hotspot and the digital assistant(s) are preprogrammed to connect to each other.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

if at least one of the digital assistant(s) is connected to the server, sending a vocal request to at least one of digital assistant(s) and waiting for a predetermined time period for a vocal answer;

if the vocal answer is not detected within the predetermined time period, initiating the escalation.

11. A pre-programmed system for providing help, the system comprising:

a digital assistant;

the digital assistant is preprogrammed with at least one skill, the at least one skill including recognizing a preprogrammed specific utterance and the digital assistant is pre-configured to connect with a mobile hotspot;

an enclosure including the mobile hotspot and a battery backup power supply, the mobile hotspot is preprogrammed for connecting to a server and the battery backup power supply provides power to the digital assistant and the mobile hotspot;

a unique user phone number generated for a user of the pre-programmed system for providing help for protecting privacy of the user;

a provider account created using the unique user phone number to protect the privacy of the user;

an account in the pre-programmed system for providing help for the user, the account having information regarding the user and the account having the unique user phone number;

whereas after the preprogrammed specific utterance is detected by the digital assistants, the one of the digital assistants initiates a request for help and a call is made to the server having a caller-id of the unique user phone number; and

upon reception of the request for help, the server recognizes the unique user phone number and assigns an agent computer and forwards the request for help to the agent computer.

12. The pre-programmed system of claim 11, wherein the digital assistant automatically connects to the server through the mobile hotspot.

13. The pre-programmed system of claim 12, wherein the server periodically confirms that the digital assistant remains connected to the server and if the digital assistant is found not to be connected to the server, the server initiates an escalation.

14. The pre-programmed system of claim 13, wherein if the digital assistant is found to be connected to the server, the server initiates a vocal request to at least one of the digital assistants and if the digital assistants does not receive a verbal answer to the vocal request within a predetermined time period, the server initiates the escalation.

15. The pre-programmed system of claim 11, wherein the account in the pre-programmed system for providing help for the user is indexed by the unique user phone number and the account includes an address of the user, health of the user, medications prescribed for the user, and contacts for local help related to the user.

16. The pre-programmed system of claim 11, wherein the contacts for local help related to the user comprise a one or more contacts selected from the group consisting of a contact for a relative, a contact for local emergency medical services, a contact for local police, a contact of a relative, a contact of a clergy, a contact of a local fire department, and a contact of staff assigned to the user.