Web assistant

[0001] The field of the invention relates to communication systems and more particularly to web sites.

[0002] The use of websites for disseminating information is generally known. Typically an organization provides a server set up as a website and disseminates a universal resource locator (URL) of the website to the public either through the Internet or by mass media advertising.

[0003] Visitors may access the website by entering the URL of the website into a browser of their computer. The browser, in turn, composes and sends an information request packet addressed to the URL of the website.

[0004] The packet is received by the server and processed by a website application. The website application retrieves a webpage the corresponds to the URL and downloads the webpage to the visitor.

[0005] Each webpage downloaded to the browser of the visitor may contain softkeys (hyperlinks) that allow the visitor to travel to other related (or unrelated) webpages. The use of softkeys and related explanatory textual information on a webpage allows the visitor to navigate through a website to areas of interest.

[0006] While existing websites are often well planned and easy to navigate, they may not always meet the needs of all visitors. For example, some visitors to a website may not enter the website with the same level of knowledge as other visitors to the website. Accordingly, a need exists for a means of supplementing information presented through a webpage based upon the optional use of a human contact.

[0007] A method and apparatus for providing agent assistance to a client visiting a website of an organization. The method includes the steps of collecting contact information about the visit to the website by the client and connecting the client with an agent of the organization when the collected contact information exceeds a predetermined criterion.

[0010] FIG. 1 depicts an automatic agent help system 10 for visitors to a website, shown generally under an illustrated embodiment of the invention. Under the illustrated embodiment, data is collected from contacts by visitors to the website and the data is evaluated against certain criterion or criteria. As used herein, collecting contact information (i.e., data) about a visit to a website means collecting information about access activity such as detecting and storing an IP address of the website visitor and, possibly, identifiers of webpages visited, information entered through interactive windows displayed upon webpages, repetitive activity such as repeated visits to the same webpage or cookies retrieved from the browser of the visitor. If the contact information meets the criterion (or criteria) of the organization, the visitor is offered optional help from an agent.

[0011] If the visitor accepts the offer of help, then an agent qualified to help the visitor is connected with the visitor. If the visitor declines or does not respond to the offer, then no further attempt is made to help the visitor.

[0012] In general, FIG. 1 depicts an Internet-based information resource (e.g., a website 14 located within a server 12). The website 14 may be used by an organization (e.g., a merchant, a political or environmental organization, etc.) to disseminate information for purposes of advancing the agenda of the organization.

[0013] The organization using the website 14 may promulgate (by advertising or otherwise) a URL for reaching the website 14 of the organization. Alternatively, the organization may index the subject matter of the website 14 and promulgate the subject matter indexes to various search engines (e.g., Yahoo, Google, etc.). The server 12 may also monitor other websites (e.g., Netscape) and post ads to the browser of each visitor.

[0014] Contained within the website 14 of the organization may be an introductory webpage 26 and a number of other webpages 28, 30, 32. Depicted within the introductory webpage 26 or other webpages 28, 30, 32 may be descriptive information and hyperlinks (softkeys) to other webpages.

[0015] Other special function softkeys may be provided within the webpages 28, 30, 32 for webpage specific functions (e.g., indication of a desire to purchase a product from a merchant organization, indication of a desire to contribute to a charitable organization, etc.) Also included within one or more webpages (e.g., 32) may be an interactive window 34 for entering descriptive information (e.g., demographic information, credit card number, etc.) in association with the special function softkeys.

[0016] FIG. 2 depicts an example of a webpage 26, 28, 30, 32 (now labeled 100 in FIG. 2) that may be provided by the website 14. As shown, descriptive information (e.g., text, graphical information, etc.) may be provided in one or more text or graphics boxes 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110. Softkeys 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124 may be provided to obtain additional information or to make decisions regarding already available information displayed within the boxes 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110.

[0017] Using the URL of the website 14, a client (e.g., 16) of the organization may access the website 14. To access the website 14, the client 16 may enter the URL of the website 14 into a browser of a terminal of the client 16 and activate an ENTER key. In response, the browser of the client 16 may transmit a packet to a webpage processor 36 of the website 14.

[0018] Upon receipt of the packet, the webpage processor 36 may download the introductory webpage 26 to the client 16. The client 16 may review the information and may activate a softkey on the introductory webpage 26 to download another webpage 28, 30, 32.

[0019] In response, the browser of the client 16 may compose another packet including the URL associated with the softkey and transmit the packet to the webpage processor 36. In response, the webpage processor 36 may download the requested webpage 28, 30, 32.

[0020] The client 16 may continue to browse through webpages 28, 30, 32 and collect information. Alternatively, the client 16 may choose to make some request involving a special function softkey or enter information into the interactive window 34. The activation of the special function softkey and/or entry of information through the information window 34 may be processed according to the programming of the webpage processor 36.

[0021] In addition to servicing information requests based upon activation of softkeys and accepting the entry of information, the webpage processor 36 may also collect and transfer contact information about the client 16, 18 to a client records processor 46. For example, during any initial information (e.g., webpage) request, the client record processor 46 may open a contact record 38, 40 using at least the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the client 16, 18 (retrieved from the request packet) as a file identifier.

[0022] Once opened, the client record processor 46 may enter any other contact information (e.g., web pages visited, softkeys activated, information entered through an interactive window, etc.) to the file. The webpage processor 36 may also retrieve and transfer any cookies stored in the browser of the client 16, 18 as further information about previous visits by the client 16, 18 to the website 14.

[0023] Once opened, the content of the client records 38, 40 may be compared with a predetermined criterion or criteria for offering agent assistance. Where a client record 38, 40 meets at least one of the predetermined criteria, the client 16, 18 may be offered the assistance of an agent 22, 24 of the organization that owns or controls the website 14.

[0024] Stored within a memory 58 of the server 12 may be a set of files 50, 52 containing criteria for offering help to a client. The criteria files 50, 52 may contain one or more conditions for offering help to a client 16, 18. Each file 50, 52 may have an associated skill set 54, 56 that would be required of an agent 22, 24 to service a client 16, 18 under that criterion.

[0025] In order to determine whether a client 16, 18 should be offered assistance, the record 38, 40 of each client 16, 18 may be compared with the criteria 50, 52. In this regard, a client record processor 46 may retrieve each client record 38, 40 and the criteria 50, 52. A client record comparator 48 may compare each record 38, 40 with each criterion of the set of criteria 50, 52.

[0026] As used herein, meeting the criterion means that a client record 38, 40 contains one or more entries that matches or exceeds the contents of one of the files 50, 52. The set of criteria 50, 52 may be based upon any of a set of disparate conditions. For example, if the organization is a merchant, one criterion may be a threshold level of repeated visits to a particular webpage of products. In this case, the client records processor 46 may review client records 38, 40 and identify duplicate entries regarding the webpages visited during a current session and prior sessions. The webpages visited in prior sessions may be obtained from the cookies retrieved by the webpage processor 36 from the browser of a client 16, 18.

[0027] Another criterion may be related to the detection of the entry of credit card information into an interactive window 34 without sufficient information to determine the purpose of the entry. The criterion, in this case, may be a template of the minimal set of information needed to complete the transaction. For example, if the organization is a political or environmental organization soliciting donations, then the minimum information needed may be the credit card identifier and donation amount. In the case of a merchant, the minimum information may be a credit card identifier, a product selection and a shipping address.

[0028] Another criterion may be related to the identity of the client 16, 18. If the organization is a merchant, a list of important clients may be maintained in a set of customer files 60 along with indicia of the relative importance of each client and the products in which their importance lies. In this case, the criterion may, again, be a template including the IP address of the client 16, 18, webpages associated with the product of importance and, possible, a minimum purchase level over a prior time period.

[0029] where the content of the client record (e.g., 38) meets or exceeds the threshold value provided by a criterion (e.g., 50), the call record processor 46 may transfer the file 38 and associated criteria 50 to an agent selection processor 62. The agent selection processor 62, upon receiving an identifier of the criterion 50, retrieves the associated skill set 54 required to select an agent 22, 24. Upon retrieving the skill set 54, the agent selection processor 62 may determine which agents 22, 24 are available (i.e., idle) and retrieve a skill rating 64, 66 for each available agent 22, 24.

[0030] Upon retrieving agent skills 64, 66 for each available agent, the agent selection processor 62 may transfer the agent skills 64, 66 to a skill selection comparator 68 to determine whether any of the available agents exceeds the skill set 54 required to handle the contact. If an agent (e.g., 22) is found to exceed the requirements, then the agent selection processor 62 selects that agent 22 and instructs the webpage processor 36 to offer the services of the selected agent 22 to the client 16.

[0031] To offer the client 16 the option of receiving help, the webpage processor 36 may download an applet that presents a notification 126 (FIG. 2) to the client 16. Included within the notification 126 are softkeys 128 130 that allow the client 16 to accept or decline the offer.

[0032] If the client 16 activates the NO button 130, the refusal is transferred to the agent selection processor 62 and the process is terminated. The refusal may also be sent to the client record processor 46. The client record processor 46 may enter the refusal into the client record 38, 40. Once entered into the record 38, 40, no further offers are sent to the client 16, 18 during this session.

[0033] If the client should activate the YES button 128, the acceptance is sent to the agent selection processor 62. Upon receiving the acceptance, the agent selection processor 62 functions to set up a conversation between the client 16 and the selected agent 22.

[0034] The set-up of a communication link may be established under any of a number of different formats. Under a first format, the link may be set up under an instant messaging format. Under this format, the agent selection processor 62 may send the IP address of the client 16 to the selected agent 22 along with a current webpage viewed by the client 16, the contents of the client record 38 and the criterion met by the client 16. The client records 38 may be displayed on a terminal of the agent 22 along with the current webpages and criterion.

[0035] The notification box 126 on the client's terminal may be replaced by a chat box that is duplicated on the agent's terminal. The client 16 and agent 22 may then converse to resolve the concerns of the client 16.

[0036] During the conversation between the selected agent 22 and client 16, the agent 22 may answer questions and download additional information to the client 16. Optionally, the agent 22 may direct other webpages 28, 30, 32, 34 to the client 16 or request that the webpage processor 36 download those webpages directly to the client 16.

[0037] As an alternative to the use of instant messaging, the agent selection processor 62 may send the IP address of the client 16 to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application within the terminal of the agent 22, 24. If the agent selection processor 62 should receive an acceptance of help from the client 16, 18, the processor 62 sends instructions to the terminal of the agent activating the VoIP, thereby creating a voice link between the client 16, 18 and the agent 22, 24.

[0038] The automatic agent help utility 10 allows the organization to offer prompt help to visitors in a manner that is tailored to the environment of the organization. Further, by selecting an agent who is familiar with the information viewed by the visitor, the objectives of the organization are advanced in a manner that is cost-efficient and adaptable to the needs of the visitor.

[0039] A specific embodiment of a method and apparatus for helping a website visitor has been described for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention is made and used. It should be understood that the implementation of other variations and modifications of the invention and its various aspects will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and that the invention is not limited by the specific embodiments described. Therefore, it is contemplated to cover the present invention and any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed and claimed herein.