System and method of event triggered voice call origination

• US 20070050304A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unwired Asset Management LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gnumber Incorporated
• Inventors: Tooley, Chris, Smith, Charles, Butcher, James, Zuniga, Roy, Walker, Lanny
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231

Abstract

A method of selective call initiation is disclosed and includes receiving data from a computer based auction site. Further, the method includes detecting a notification event by evaluating the data with respect to notification criteria associated with a user account. Also, the method includes initiating a voice based call over a voice network to a communication device identified in connection with the user account. A system is also disclosed and includes a first processing element that is coupled to a network interface to receive data from a computer based auction site. Also, the system includes a second processing element to detect a notification event by evaluating the data with respect to notification criteria associated with a user account. Moreover, the system includes a third processing element to initiate an outgoing voice based call over a voice network to a communication device identified in connection with the user account.

Claims

1. A method of selective call initiation, the method comprising:

receiving data from a computer based auction site;

detecting a notification event by evaluating the data with respect to notification criteria associated with a user account;

initiating a voice based call over a voice network to a communication device identified in connection with the user account; and

receiving compensation from the computer based auction site for facilitating at least one completed transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a transaction associated with the notification event is complete.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing account information associated with the user account to the computer based auction site.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the account information includes user identification data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice network includes a wireless network and wherein the communication device is a wireless phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice network includes a voice over internet (VoIP) component.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice network provides a communication path that supports a voice notification and wherein the voice notification is provided by an interactive voice response module.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the voice notification further includes a non-voice audio signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the voice notification indicates an auction event associated with an auction item in which a user had previously placed a bid.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the auction event indicates that a party other than the user has outbid the user with respect to the auction item.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the auction event indicates a time remaining for the auction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the time remaining is less than ten minutes.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the time remaining is less than six minutes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the time remaining is about three minutes.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification criteria includes a set of rules associated with the user account.

16. A system comprising:

a first processing element coupled to a network interface to receive data from a computer based auction site;

a second processing element to detect a notification event by evaluating the data with respect to notification criteria associated with a user account; and

a third processing element to initiate an outgoing voice based call over a voice network to a communication device identified in connection with the user account, wherein the third processing element communicates with a caller authentication module and wherein the caller authentication module authenticates the at least one user associated with the at least one notification event.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the authentication is performed based on a personal identification number received from the at least one user.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the authentication is performed based on a biometric input received from the at least one user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the biometric input includes at least one of the following:

a voice input, a fingerprint scan, a palm scan, an iris scan, a retinal scan, facial mapping, and infrared pattern matching.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the authentication is performed using a physical token device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the physical token device is a passkey or a universal serial bus dongle.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the caller authentication module is part of a third party identification verification system.

23. The system of claim 16, further comprising a caller rules database that includes data associated with contacting the at least one user.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the network interface is coupled to a distributed computer network and wherein the call processing element is coupled to the voice network via the distributed computer network.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the voice network includes a voice over internet protocol component and a wireless component.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the voice over internet protocol component is accessible via the distributed computer network.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the distributed computer network is the Internet.

28. A system comprising:

a first processing element coupled to a network interface to receive data from a computer based auction site, the data corresponding to a plurality of different auctions associated with a corresponding plurality of auction items;

a second processing element to detect notification events by evaluating the data with respect to notification criteria associated with user auction rules associated with a plurality of user accounts; and

a third processing element responsive to the notification processing element to initiate outgoing voice based calls over a voice network to communication devices identified in connection with specific user accounts, the outgoing voice based calls initiated in response to detected notification events, wherein the third processing element communicates with a caller authentication module to authenticate the at least one user associated with the at least one notification event.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the first processing element comprises:

a processor;

a computer readable medium accessible to the processor; and

an account registration module embedded within the computer readable medium, wherein the account registration module is accessible to establish the plurality of user accounts.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the first processing element further comprises an account management module embedded within the computer readable medium, wherein the account management module is accessible to manage the plurality of user accounts.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the second processing element further comprises:

a processor;

a computer readable medium accessible to the processor; and

a dialing event management module embedded within the computer readable medium, wherein the dialing event management module establishes at least one telephone call with at least one user associated with at least one notification event.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the second processing element further comprises a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) event recognition module embedded within the computer readable medium, wherein the DTMF event recognition module decodes one or more DTMF inputs received at the call processing element from a user telephone associated with the at least one notification event.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the third processing element comprises:

a processor;

a computer readable medium accessible to the processor; and

a notification event handling module embedded within the computer readable medium.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the third processing element further comprises a storage module embedded within the computer readable medium, wherein the storage module stores a plurality of audio notifications associated with the plurality of user accounts.

35. The system of claim 28, further comprising a database in communication with at least one of the first processing element, the second processing element, and the third processing element, wherein the database includes at least one of the following:

user registration data, watch list data, site specific credentials data, transaction history data, historical price data, historical availability data, event trigger data, contact rules data, and caller rules data.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising a data miner in communication with the user account database, the user history database, and the caller rules database, wherein the data miner comprises:

a processor;

a computer readable medium accessible to the processor; and

a historical price analysis module embedded within the computer readable medium, wherein the historical price analysis module selectively analyzes price history to determine one or more price trends.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the data miner further comprises a historical availability analysis module, wherein the historical availability analysis module selectively analyzes item availability history to determine one or more availability trends.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the data miner further comprises an event trigger analysis module, wherein the event trigger analysis module selectively analyzes event triggers to determine at least one of the following:

one or more most received event triggers, one or more least received event triggers, one or more most successful event triggers, and one or more least successful event triggers.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the data miner further comprises a user transaction history analysis module, wherein the user transaction history analysis module selectively analyzes at least one transaction history for at least one of the plurality of user accounts in order to determine at least one of the following:

a number of completed transactions, a number of failed transactions, a number of pending transactions, and a number of billed transactions.

40. The system of 36, wherein the data minor interacts with the computer based auction site to update at least one of the user account database, the user history database, and the caller rules database.

41. A method of selective call initiation in response to product availability data from an electronic commerce site, the method comprising:

receiving data including the product availability data from the electronic commerce site;

detecting a notification event by evaluating the product availability data with respect to notification criteria associated with a user account;

upon detecting the notification event, initiating an outgoing voice based call over a voice network to a communication device identified in connection with the user account; and

authenticating a user associated with the user account.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising indicating to the user associated with the user account via the voiced based call that a product associated with the product availability data is available for purchase.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising transmitting a current price of the product via the voiced based call.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the product is a limited quantity product.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising prompting the user to purchase the product.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising transmitting payment information to the electronic commerce website.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising receiving compensation from the electronic commerce website after the user purchases the product.

48. A system comprising:

a first processing element coupled to a network interface to receive data including product availability data from an electronic commerce site;

a second processing element to detect a notification event by evaluating the data with respect to notification criteria associated with a user account; and

a third processing element to initiate an outgoing call over a voice network to a communication device identified in connection with the user account, wherein the electronic commerce site pays compensation in connection with a user action made during one or more calls established by the third processing element.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the electronic commerce site pays compensation using an affiliate payment plan.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein a percentage of total calls established by the third processing element are compensated calls where the at least one electronic commerce site pays compensation.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the percentage of compensated calls compared to total calls established by the third processing element is greater than a targeted percentage.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the targeted percentage is selected from the group comprising:

ten percent, twenty percent, and fifty percent.

53. A method of establishing a user account with a website monitoring system, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to establish a user account at the website monitoring system;

receiving at least one vender website uniform resource locator (URL);

receiving user account information associated with the vender website;

receiving at least one trigger event associated with the vender website;

receiving at least one telephone number from the user; and

prompting the user to provide input to authenticate a communication from the website monitoring system.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the at least one telephone number includes at least one of the following:

a public switched telephone number, a cellular telephone number, a mobile telephone number, and a voice over Internet protocol telephone number.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the trigger event is related to an item at an auction website.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein the trigger event is a release of a product for sale at an e-commerce website.

57. The method of claim 53, further comprising transmitting a pre-notification message to the user prior to contacting the user via the voice channel, wherein the pre-notification message includes a time that the user is to be contacted via the voice channel.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the pre-notification message is transmitted using a text based notification mechanism.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the text based notification mechanism is at least one of the following a short messaging system, an email system, or an alphanumeric paging system.

60. A method of contacting a user regarding an auction website, the method comprising:

contacting a user via a voice channel over a voice carrier network;

transmitting an audio greeting via the voice channel;

receiving a personal identification number (PIN);

authenticating the PIN;

transmitting an audio auction announcement via the voice channel;

transmitting a current price via the voice channel; and

indicating whether or not the user is a high bidder.

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising transmitting a time remaining indicator via the voice channel.

62. The method of claim 61, further comprising prompting the user to increase a bid when the user is not the high bidder.

63. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

retrieving a bid increment from the auction website when the user indicates to increase the bid; and

transmitting the bid increment to the user.

64. The method of claim 63, further comprising communicating the bid increment to the auction website.

65. The method of claim 64, further comprising receiving a response from the auction website based on the increased bid.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprising indicating whether the bid is successful and whether the user is outbid.

67. The method of claim 61, wherein the voice carrier network includes at least one of the following:

a cellular telephone network, a mobile telephone network, a public switched telephone network, and a voice over internet protocol telephone network.

68. The method of claim 61, wherein the audio auction announcement includes at least one of the following:

an auction number, a category, a sub-category, and an item name.

69. A method of contacting a user with information related to an available product at an e-commerce website, the method comprising:

contacting a user via a voice channel over a telephone network;

transmitting an audio greeting to the user via the voice channel;

receiving an authentication input from the user;

authenticating the user based on the authentication input;

transmitting an audio announcement associated with an available product via the voice channel; and

transmitting a current price of the available product via the voice channel.

70. The method of claim 69, further comprising prompting the user to determine whether the user wants to purchase the available product.

71. The method of claim 70, further comprising transmitting payment information to the e-commerce website when the user indicates to purchase the available product.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein payment is made using an existing user-defined payment option at the e-commerce website.

73. The method of claim 71, wherein the existing user-defined payment option is a one click payment option.

74. The method of claim 71, further comprising indicating to the user that the available product is purchased.

75. The method of claim 74, further comprising billing the e-commerce website for completing the transaction.

76. The method of claim 74, further comprising receiving credit from the e-commerce website through an affiliate billing program.

77. The method of claim 74, further comprising receiving compensation for completing the transaction.

78. The method of claim 69, wherein the telephone network includes at least one of the following:

a cellular telephone network, a mobile telephone network, a public switched telephone network, and a voice over internet protocol telephone network.