Method and system for providing personalized network based dialogues

• US 9,515,979 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Open Text Sa Ulc (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Reistad, Brian, Snapper, William D., Payne, Andrew C., Campbell, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US14/329,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20140325388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

Systems and methods for personalizing dialogs are disclosed. A dialog system can provide a user interface to allow a first user to specify a second user to participate in an automated dialog, a specific response option, and a maximum time period for responding. The dialog system can send a message to the second user with the specific response option. The dialog system can branch the dialog based on the occurrence of an event or combination of events occurring in conjunction the second user. In a first branch, the dialog system is configured to send a second communication to the second user using a second communications channel, the second communication containing the specific response option. In a second branch, the dialog system is further configured to execute a third instruction associated with the dialog.

Claims

1. A system for providing a personalized network based dialogue, comprising:

a data store;

a dialog system coupled to the data store and a network, the dialog system comprising a dialog computer comprising a processor and a memory storing computer program code, the dialog computer configured to;

provide a user interface to allow a first user to specify a second user to participate in an automated dialog, specific response option, and a maximum time period for responding;

access the data store to determine an address for the second user;

execute a first instruction associated with the dialog to send a first communication to the second user from a server via a first communications channel, the first communication containing the specific response option;

determine if a first event has occurred in conjunction with the second user, wherein the first event comprises a response by the second user according to the specific response option within the maximum time period for responding;

assign a value to a variable associated with the first event based on the determination;

branch the dialog based on the value of the variable associated with the first event, wherein;

in a first branch, the dialog system is configured to execute a second instruction associated with the dialog to send a second communication to the second user using a second communications channel, the second communication containing the specific response option;

in a second branch, the dialog system is further configured to execute a third instruction associated with the dialog.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second instruction is determined based on a permission associated with the second user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one branch comprises a loop.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the dialog system is further configured to branch the dialog based on a specified combination of events.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication comprises an email.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second communication comprises a communication through a web channel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface presents a set of function shapes corresponding to functions of the dialog and allows the first user to interconnect the function shapes to define a flow of the dialog.

8. A method for personalized network dialogs comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to allow a first user to specify to a dialog system a second user to participate in an automated dialog, specific response option, and a maximum time period for responding;

accessing a data store to determine an address for the second user;

executing a first instruction associated with the dialog at the dialog system to send a first communication to the second user from a server via a first communications channel, the first communication containing the specific response option;

determining at the dialog system if a first event has occurred in conjunction with the second user, wherein the first event comprises a response by the second user according to the specific response option within the maximum time period for responding;

assigning a value to a variable associated with the first event based on the determination;

branching the dialog based on the value of the variable associated with the first event, wherein;

in a first branch, executing at the dialog system a second instruction associated with the dialog to send a second communication to the second user using a second communications channel;

in a second branch, executing at the dialog system a third instruction associated with the dialog.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second instruction is determined based on a permission associated with the second user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one branch comprises a loop.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the dialog system is further configured to branch the dialog based on a specified combination of events.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first communication comprises an email.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second communication comprises a communication through a web channel.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface presents a set of function shapes corresponding to functions of the dialog and allows the first user to interconnect the function shapes to define a flow of the dialog.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable code, the computer executable code executable to:

provide a graphical user interface to allow a first user to specify a second user to participate in an automated dialog, specific response option, and a maximum time period for responding;

access a data store to determine an address for the second user;

configure a dialog engine to;

execute a first instruction associated with the dialog to send a first communication to the second user from a server via a first communications channel, the first communication containing the specific response option;

determine if a first event has occurred in conjunction with the second user, wherein the first event comprises a response by the second user according to the specific response option within the maximum time period for responding;

assign a value to a variable associated with the first event based on the determination;

branch the dialog based on the value of the variable associated with the first event, wherein;

in a first branch, the dialog engine is configured to execute a second instruction associated with the dialog to send a second communication to the second user using a second communications channel;

in a second branch, the dialog engine is configured to execute a third instruction associated with the dialog.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the second instruction is determined based on a permission associated with the second user.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein at least one branch comprises a loop.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the dialog engine is further configured to branch the dialog based on a specified combination of events.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first communication comprises an email.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the second communication comprises a communication through a web channel.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user interface presents a set of function shapes corresponding to functions of the dialog and allows the first user to interconnect the function shapes to define a flow of the dialog.