Mixed-mode interaction

• US 8,055,285 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aeritas LLC
• Original Assignee: Aeritas LLC
• Inventors: Bomar, Kevin, Mamdani, Malik, Johnson, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; David Q
• Application Number:
  US11/928,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/456.6, 455/410, 455/411, 455/445, 455/456, 455/414, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3272 using an audio code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/105 Financial transactions and auctions, e.g. bidding auctioneering devices in packet switching networks H04L12/1804
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 : wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 : with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 : comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 : Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A user of a wireless device, such as a mobile phone, can make purchases or obtain information via a network, such as the Internet, using both voice and non-verbal methods. Users can submit voice queries and receive non-verbal replies, submit non-verbal queries and receive voice replies, or perform similar operations that marry the voice and data capabilities of modern mobile communication devices. The user may provide notification criteria indicating under what conditions a notification should be sent to the user'"'"'s wireless device. When purchasing opportunities matching the selected notification criteria become available, the user is notified. The user can respond to the notification, and immediately take advantage of the purchasing opportunity if he so desires. Mixed-mode interactions can also be used by sellers to more advantageously control the marketing of distressed, time sensitive, or other merchandise/services.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a first time, receiving and storing an input in a user profile in a database, the input comprising consumer interest data;

at a second time distinct from the first time, obtaining data identifying a current location of the mobile communication device;

based on the input stored in the user profile and the current location of the mobile communication device, initiating a search to locate information pertinent to the input;

receiving results derived from the search; and

in response to the input and the search, delivering, by a notification server, information to the mobile communications device.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the information delivered to the mobile communications device is information associated with a purchasing opportunity associated with the current location of the mobile communications device along a particular route.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the information delivered to the mobile communications device facilitates a purchase of a good or service.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the input is one of:

a non-verbal input, and a verbal input.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the search is a search of data available over the public Internet.

6. The method as described in claim 5 wherein the data available over the public Internet is retrieved from a web site.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the consumer interest data is received from the mobile communications device.

8. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the search is initiated to locate information pertinent to the input without requiring an additional input.

9. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the information is delivered to the mobile communications device by one of:

e-mail, SMS and URL.

10. The method as described in claim 9 further including receiving an indication that the information delivered to the mobile communications device has been acted upon.

11. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the consumer interest data includes a request to receive a notification.

12. The method as described in claim 11 wherein the notification is one of:

an offer, a discount, an alert, and a purchase opportunity.

13. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the information delivered by the notification server is one of:

an offer, a discount, an alert, and a purchase opportunity.

14. Apparatus, comprising:

a network-accessible server; and

a service executed in association with the network-accessible server to perform a method, the method comprising;

at a first time, receiving and storing an input in a user profile, the input comprising consumer interest data;

at a second time distinct from the first time, obtaining data identifying a current location of the mobile communication device;

based on the input stored in the user profile and the current location of the mobile communication device, initiating a search to locate information pertinent to the input;

receiving results derived from the search; and

in response to the input and the search, delivering information to the mobile communications device.