Systems and methods for performing live chat functionality via a mobile device
View Patent ↗Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for extending chat capabilities of traditional computer-to-computer chat systems to mobile devices. As will be generally understood, chat sessions typically allow users and chat agents to type and send/receive messages through a chat system. According to one aspect, such a mobile consumer messaging system (MCMS) utilizes existing mobile communication channels to interface with existing traditional chat systems. Specifically, in various embodiments of the MCMS, chat agents using existing, traditional chat systems are able to participate in chat sessions with end users through the users' mobile devices without specific modifications to the existing chat system. Further, according to one embodiment, chat agents utilize a single chat platform to participate in chat sessions with end users through the end users' mobile devices as well as with various other users utilizing a traditional chat system on a computer.
1. In a mobile consumer messaging system (MCMS), in which the MCMS is in electronic communications with a plurality of mobile device users via one or more mobile carrier networks and is in electronic communications with one or more chat agents utilizing one or more chat platforms, a method for facilitating messages between the plurality of mobile devices users and the one or more chat agents, comprising the steps of:
receiving a particular chat message at the MCMS from a specific mobile device user via a respective mobile carrier network, wherein the particular chat message includes message content and message identifying information;
extracting via the MCMS the message content and message identifying information from the particular chat message and storing the message content and message identifying information in an MCMS database;
generating via the MCMS a new message in a format acceptable to a respective chat platform, wherein the new message includes the message content and is based on the message identifying information; and
transmitting the new message from the MCMS to a respective chat agent associated with the respective chat platform.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating a particular chat session associated with the particular chat message, wherein the particular chat session includes session identifying information stored in the MCMS database and used to identify the particular chat session.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving a responsive message at the MCMS from the respective chat agent utilizing the respective chat platform, wherein the responsive message includes responsive message content and responsive message identifying information, and wherein the responsive message is in the format acceptable to the respective chat platform;
parsing the responsive message via the MCMS to extract a particular chat session identifier from the responsive message identifying information;
using the particular chat session identifier, retrieving information associated with the particular chat session;
retrieving a unique identifier of the specific mobile device user to which the responsive message is directed from the particular chat session information;
associating the responsive message with the unique identifier of the specific mobile device user via the MCMS;
generating via the MCMS a responsive mobile chat message in a format acceptable to a specific mobile device of the specific mobile device user, wherein the responsive mobile chat message includes the responsive message content and is based on the responsive message identifying information; and
transmitting the responsive mobile chat message from the MCMS to the specific mobile device user via the respective mobile carrier network.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the unique identifier of the specific mobile device user comprises the specific mobile device user's phone number.
5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:
identifying the respective mobile carrier network associated with the specific mobile device user;
identifying an optimal carrier-specific route for message delivery based on predetermined optimizing criteria; and
routing the responsive mobile chat message to the specific mobile device user via the optimal carrier-specific route.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a mobile device used by the specific mobile device user is selected from the group comprising: smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, mobile-web enabled devices.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of parsing message content to identify a unique chat agent to which the particular chat message should be directed.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of parsing message content to identify a unique chat agent to which the particular chat message should be directed further comprises the steps of:
extracting one or more keywords from the message content;
comparing the extracted keywords to a predefined list of keywords, wherein each keyword in the predefined list of keywords is associated with one or more unique chat agents; and
if a match exists between the extracted one or more keywords and a specific keyword in the predefined list of keywords, transmitting the particular chat message to the specific chat agent associated with the specific keyword.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of parsing message content to identify a specific chat agent with a particular set of profile information or skills to which the particular chat message should be directed.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message content includes user-entered text.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message identifying information is selected from the group comprising: mobile device number, mobile device identifier, mobile device user name, carrier network identifier, internet protocol (IP) address of mobile device, date information, time information.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MCMS includes a management computer system for performing functions of the MCMS.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of if one or more predefined commands are identified in message content, determining and performing a specific predetermined action based on the one or more predefined commands.
14. In a mobile consumer messaging system (MCMS), in which the MCMS is in electronic communications with a plurality of mobile device users via one or more mobile carrier networks and is in electronic communications with one or more chat agents utilizing one or more chat platforms, a method for facilitating messages between the plurality of mobile devices users and the one or more chat agents, comprising the steps of:
receiving a particular chat message at the MCMS from a specific mobile device user via a respective mobile carrier network, wherein the particular chat message includes message content and message identifying information;
extracting via the MCMS the message content and message identifying information from the particular chat message and storing the message content and message identifying information in an MCMS database;
comparing the message identifying information to stored message identifying information in the MCMS database, wherein the stored message identifying information is associated with one or more ongoing chat sessions between mobile device users and chat agents;
if match exists between the message identifying information and the stored message identifying information, retrieving a specific chat session associated with the stored message identifying information and associating the particular chat message with the specific chat session;
generating via the MCMS a new message in a format acceptable to a respective chat platform, wherein the new message includes the message content and is based on the stored message identifying information associated with the specific chat session; and
transmitting the new message from the MCMS to a respective chat agent associated with the specific chat session and utilizing a respective chat platform.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving a responsive message at the MCMS from the respective chat agent utilizing the respective chat platform, wherein the responsive message includes responsive message content and responsive message identifying information, and wherein the responsive message is in the format acceptable to the respective chat platform;
parsing the responsive message via the MCMS to extract a particular chat session identifier from the responsive message identifying information;
using the particular chat session identifier, retrieving information associated with the specific chat session;
retrieving a unique identifier of the specific mobile device user to which the responsive message is directed from the specific chat session information;
associating the responsive message with the unique identifier of the specific mobile device user via the MCMS;
generating via the MCMS a responsive mobile chat message in a format acceptable to a specific mobile device of the specific mobile device user, wherein the responsive mobile chat message includes the responsive message content and is based on the specific chat session information; and
transmitting the responsive mobile chat message from the MCMS to the specific mobile device user via the respective mobile carrier network.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the unique identifier of the specific mobile device user comprises the specific mobile device user's phone number.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
identifying the respective mobile carrier network associated with the specific mobile device user;
identifying an optimal carrier-specific route for message delivery based on predetermined optimizing criteria; and
routing the responsive mobile chat message to the specific mobile device user via the optimal carrier-specific route.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein a mobile device used by the specific mobile device user is selected from the group comprising: smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, mobile-web enabled devices.
19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of parsing message content to identify a unique chat agent to which the particular chat message should be directed.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of parsing message content to identify a specialized chat agent to which the particular chat message should be directed further comprises the steps of:
extracting one or more keywords from the message content;
comparing the extracted keywords to a predefined list of keywords, wherein each keyword in the predefined list of keywords is associated with one or more unique chat agents; and
if a match exists between the extracted one or more keywords and a specific keyword in the predefined list of keywords, transmitting the particular chat message to the specific chat agent associated with the specific keyword.
21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of parsing message content to identify a specific chat agent with a particular set of profile information or skills to which the particular chat message should be directed.
22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the message content includes user-entered text.
23. The method of claim 14 , wherein the message identifying information is selected from the group comprising: mobile device number, mobile device identifier, mobile device user name, carrier network identifier, internet protocol (IP) address of mobile device, date information, time information.
24. The method of claim 14 , wherein the MCMS includes a management computer system for performing functions of the MCMS.
25. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of if one or more predefined commands are identified in message content, determining and performing a specific predetermined action based on the one or more predefined commands.