System and method for analyzing messages and initiating communication sessions

• US 9,572,189 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contact At Once
• Original Assignee: Contact At Once
• Inventors: Hayes, Marc F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sharma, Gautam
• Application Number:
  US14/948,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for analyzing messages and other information provided in relation to a web communication, a mobile application communication session, a phone communication, or another type of communication. For example, a system and method are provided for initiating a text message communication session between an agent and a user. A two-way communication session may be facilitated between the user and the agent. A mobile telephone number disclosed by the user during the two-way communication session may be detected, and a text message communication session between the user and the agent may be initiated if a mobile telephone number was detected. Availability status associated with a provider of items or services may also be analyzed to determine an agent for communicating with the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying availability status data associated with one or more agents, wherein the availability status data indicates an availability status of the one or more agents to participate in a communication session, and wherein the one or more agents are associated with a plurality of providers;

determining that an agent of the one or more agents is available to participate in the communication session, wherein determining that the agent is available includes using the availability status data, wherein the agent determined to be available is associated with a device, and wherein the agent is associated with a provider of the plurality of providers;

facilitating a two-way communication session between the device associated with the agent and a computing device;

analyzing one or more messages exchanged during the two-way communication session, wherein analyzing is performed using pattern recognition;

detecting a telephone number from the one or more messages exchanged during the two-way communication session, wherein the telephone number is detected from the one or more messages using the pattern recognition;

transmitting a request for additional information associated with the telephone number, wherein the additional information identifies a phone type associated with the telephone number;

receiving the additional information associated with the telephone number;

determining whether the telephone number is a mobile telephone number, wherein determining includes using the phone type associated with the telephone number to determine whether the telephone number is a mobile telephone number, and wherein the mobile telephone number is associated with a mobile device; and

providing an alert when the telephone number is a mobile telephone number, wherein the alert includes an option to initiate a mobile text message communication session between the device associated with the agent and the mobile device associated with the mobile telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-way communication session comprises an instant messaging session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the availability status data includes at least one or more of a log-in status of the agent or a busy status of the agent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile telephone number is determined to be associated with the mobile device by transmitting the mobile telephone number to an information services provider, and receiving a response from the information services provider indicating whether the mobile telephone number is associated with the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an alert window with a transcript of the two-way communication session.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device and the mobile device are separate devices.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed on the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

identifying availability status data associated with one or more agents, wherein the availability status data indicates an availability status of the one or more agents to participate in a communication session, and wherein the one or more agents are associated with a plurality of providers;

determining that an agent of the one or more agents is available to participate in the communication session, wherein determining that the agent is available includes using the availability status data, wherein the agent determined to be available is associated with a device, and wherein the agent is associated with a provider of the plurality of providers;

facilitating a two-way communication session between the device associated with the agent and a computing device;

analyzing one or more messages exchanged during the two-way communication session, wherein analyzing is performed using pattern recognition;

detecting a telephone number from the one or more messages exchanged during the two-way communication session, wherein the telephone number is detected from the one or more messages using the pattern recognition;

transmitting a request for additional information associated with the telephone number, wherein the additional information identifies a phone type associated with the telephone number;

receiving the additional information associated with the telephone number;

determining whether the telephone number is a mobile telephone number, wherein determining includes using the phone type associated with the telephone number to determine whether the telephone number is a mobile telephone number, and wherein the mobile telephone number is associated with a mobile device; and

providing an alert when the telephone number is a mobile telephone number, wherein the alert includes an option to initiate a mobile text message communication session between the device associated with the agent and the mobile device associated with the mobile telephone number.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the two-way communication session comprises an instant messaging session.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the availability status data includes at least one or more of a log-in status of the agent or a busy status of the agent.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile telephone number is determined to be associated with the mobile device by transmitting the mobile telephone number to an information services provider, and receiving a response from the information services provider indicating whether the mobile telephone number is associated with the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions which when executed on the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

providing an alert window with a transcript of the two-way communication session.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing device is the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing device and the mobile device are separate devices.

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

identifying availability status data associated with one or more agents, wherein the availability status data indicates an availability status of the one or more agents to participate in a communication session, and wherein the one or more agents are associated with a plurality of providers;

determining that an agent of the one or more agents is available to participate in the communication session, wherein determining that the agent is available includes using the availability status data, wherein the agent determined to be available is associated with a device, and wherein the agent is associated with a provider of the plurality of providers;

facilitate a two-way communication session between the device associated with the agent and a computing device;

analyze one or more messages exchanged during the two-way communication session, wherein analyzing is performed using pattern recognition;

detect a telephone number from the one or more messages exchanged during the two-way communication session, wherein the telephone number is detected from the one or more messages using the pattern recognition;

transmitting a request for additional information associated with the telephone number, wherein the additional information identifies a phone type associated with the telephone number;

receiving the additional information associated with the telephone number;

determine whether the telephone number is a mobile telephone number, wherein determining includes using the phone type associated with the telephone number to determine whether the telephone number is a mobile telephone number, and wherein the mobile telephone number is associated with a mobile device; and

provide an alert when the telephone number is a mobile telephone number, wherein the alert includes an option to initiate a mobile text message communication session between the device associated with the agent and the mobile device associated with the mobile telephone number.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the two-way communication session comprises an instant messaging session.

17. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the availability status data includes at least one or more of a log-in status of the agent or a busy status of the agent.

18. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the mobile telephone number is determined to be associated with the mobile device by transmitting the mobile telephone number to an information services provider, and receiving a response from the information services provider indicating whether the mobile telephone number is associated with the mobile device.

19. The computer-program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

provide an alert window with a transcript of the two-way communication session.

20. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the computing device is the mobile device.