Authentication of service requests initiated from a social networking site

• US 8,918,465 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LivePerson Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LivePerson Incorporated
• Inventors: Barak, Matan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABU ROUMI, MAHRAN Y
• Application Number:
  US12/967,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213, 709/206, 709/205, 726/26
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for authenticating user service requests from a social networking site. Data representing a selected message and an originator of the selected message is stored. Data representing a reply to the originator of the selected message is transmitted for posting at the social networking server, the reply including data that causes transmission of a service request to the server when actuated. Data representing the service request and a sender of the service request is received. Data representing a user profile of the sender of the service request is retrieved from the social networking server. One or more attributes of the user profile of the sender are compared against one or more attributes of the stored data representing the originator of the selected message in order to verify the one or more attributes of the user profile.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

accessing social network communications involving multiple social network accounts;

determining that the social network communications include a message that satisfies a response criteria;

storing information that represents a social network account from which the message originated;

transmitting data that causes a service request interface to be accessible through each of the social network accounts;

receiving multiple service requests originating from different social network accounts, wherein each of the service requests results from activation of the service request interface and includes origination information;

identifying a particular one of the service requests as originating from a same social network account as the message, wherein identifying includes;

using the origination information included in the particular service request in accessing a social network profile; and

determining that the accessed social network profile includes information that matches with the stored information, wherein determining that the accessed profile includes information that matches with the stored information includes;

determining a person attribute in the origination information included in the particular service request; and

determining that a person attribute in the accessed profile is the same as the person attribute in the origination information; and

providing content accessible on a device associated with the particular service request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the social network communications include a message that satisfies a response criteria includes determining that the message includes content that refers to a business.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing content includes facilitating communications, through a chat communications channel, with an agent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data that causes a service request interface to be accessible further causes a request for authorization to access a profile of the social network to be displayed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying further includes:

receiving information represent authorization to access the profile generated using the social network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the content is done in response to identifying a particular one of the service requests as originating from a same social network account as the message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the social network prevents direct responses from being provided to a social network profile under certain conditions.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to perform operations including;

accessing social network communications involving multiple social network accounts;

determining that the social network communications include a message that satisfies a response criteria;

storing information that represents a social network account from which the message originated;

transmitting data that causes a service request interface to be accessible through each of the social network accounts;

receiving multiple service requests originating from different social network accounts, wherein each of the service requests results from activation of the service request interface and includes origination information;

identifying a particular one of the service requests as originating from a same social network account as the message, wherein identifying includes;

using the origination information included in the particular service request in accessing a social network profile; and

determining that the accessed social network profile includes information that matches with the stored information, wherein determining that the accessed social network profile includes information that matches with the stored information includes;

determining a person attribute in the origination information included in the particular service request; and

determining that a person attribute in the accessed profile is the same as the person attribute in the origination information; and

providing content accessible on a device associated with the particular service request.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining that the social network communications include a message that satisfies a response criteria includes determining that the message includes content that refers to a business.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein providing content includes facilitating communications, through a chat communications channel, with an agent.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the data that causes a service request interface to be accessible further causes a request for authorization to access a profile of the social network to be displayed.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein identifying further includes:

receiving information represent authorization to access the profile generated using the social network.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein providing the content is done in response to identifying a particular one of the service requests as originating from a same social network account as the message.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the social network prevents direct responses from being provided to a social network profile under certain conditions.

15. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, the storage medium comprising instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations including:

accessing social network communications involving multiple social network accounts;

determining that the social network communications include a message that satisfies a response criteria;

storing information that represents a social network account from which the message originated;

transmitting data that causes a service request interface to be accessible through each of the social network accounts;

receiving multiple service requests originating from different social network accounts, wherein each of the service requests results from activation of the service request interface and includes origination information;

identifying a particular one of the service requests as originating from a same social network account as the message, wherein identifying includes;

using the origination information included in the particular service request in accessing a social network profile; and

determining that the accessed social network profile includes information that matches with the stored information, wherein determining that the accessed social network profile includes information that matches with the stored information includes;

determining a person attribute in the origination information included in the particular service request; and

determining that a person attribute in the accessed profile is the same as the person attribute in the origination information; and

providing content accessible on a device associated with the particular service request.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein determining that the social network communications include a message that satisfies a response criteria includes determining that the message includes content that refers to a business.

17. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein providing content includes facilitating communications, through a chat communications channel, with an agent.

18. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the data that causes a service request interface to be accessible further causes a request for authorization to access a profile of the social network to be displayed.

19. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein identifying further includes:

receiving information represent authorization to access the profile generated using the social network.

20. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein providing the content is done in response to identifying a particular one of the service requests as originating from a same social network account as the message.

21. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the social network prevents direct responses from being provided to a social network profile under certain conditions.