IP Library Granted Patent US 9,232,373
Granted Patent B1
US 9,232,373 · App. 14/059,048 · Granted Jan 5, 2016

Providing data messaging support by intercepting and processing received short message service (SMS) messages at a customer support service

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,232,373
App. No.
14/059,048
Granted
Jan 5, 2016
Kind
B1
Abstract

A message receiving, intercepting and processing method and corresponding application and device may provide receiving a message at a message processing server, the message being intended for a phone number associated with a customer service provider, identifying a telephone number of the sender of the message, parsing at least one word from the message, retrieving user account information of the sender, and generating an automated response to the message that includes contextual information that is based on at least one of the user account information and the parsed at least one word from the message.

Claims (49)

1. A method comprising:

receiving a message at a message processing server, the message being intended for a phone number associated with a customer service provider;

identifying a telephone number of the sender of the message;

parsing at least one word from the message;

retrieving user account information of the sender;

generating an automated response to the message that includes contextual information that is based on at least one of the user account information and the parsed at least one word from the message;

processing the user account information of the sender to identify the current subscription status of the sender;

generating a response message to the sender that references at least one subscription option or promotion currently available to the sender;

transmitting the response message to the sender;

receiving another message from the sender responsive to the response message transmitted to the sender; and

generating additional response messages and transmitting the additional response messages to the sender which offer additional subscription options to the sender until the sender selects one of the options or requests live customer support.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message is a short message service (SMS) type.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying the message as being a text message and redirecting the message to a text interpretation module which parses each of the words from the text message; and

identifying at least one flagged word that is associated with at least one service provided by the customer service provider.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one flagged word invokes an automated response that is generated to include at least one instance of the at least one flagged word which comprises information of at least one of service upgrades, service support, and service offers.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a message intended for a phone number associated with a customer service provider; and

a processor configured to

identify a telephone number of the sender of the message,

parse at least one word from the message,

retrieve user account information of the sender,

generate an automated response to the message that includes contextual information that is based on at least one of the user account information and the parsed at least one word from the message,

process the user account information of the sender to identify the current subscription status of the sender,

generate a response message to the sender that references at least one subscription option or promotion currently available to the sender, and

transmit the response message to the sender,

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive another message from the sender responsive to the response message transmitted to the sender, and

wherein the processor is further configured to generate additional response messages and transmit the additional response messages to the sender which offer additional subscription options to the sender until the sender selects one of the options or requests live customer support.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the message is a short message service (SMS) type.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to

identify the message as being a text message and redirecting the message to a text interpretation module which parses each of the words from the text message; and

identify at least one flagged word that is associated with at least one service provided by the customer service provider.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one flagged word invokes an automated response that is generated to include at least one instance of the at least one flagged word which comprises information of at least one of service upgrades, service support, and service offers.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform:

receiving a message at a message processing server, the message being intended for a phone number associated with a customer service provider;

identifying a telephone number of the sender of the message;

parsing at least one word from the message;

retrieving user account information of the sender;

generating an automated response to the message that includes contextual information that is based on at least one of the user account information and the parsed at least one word from the message;

processing the user account information of the sender to identify the current subscription status of the sender;

generating a response message to the sender that references at least one subscription option promotion currently available to the sender;

transmitting the response message to the sender;

receiving another message from the sender responsive to the response message transmitted to the sender; and

generating additional response messages and transmitting the additional response messages to the sender which offer additional subscription options to the sender until the sender selects one of the options or requests live customer support.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the message is a short message service (SMS) type.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

identifying the message as being a text message and redirecting the message to a text interpretation module which parses each of the words from the text message; and

identifying at least one flagged word that is associated with at least one service provided by the customer service provider.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the at least one flagged word invokes an automated response that is generated to include at least one instance of the at least one flagged word which comprises information of at least one of service upgrades, service support, and service offers.

Assignments (10)
OMNIBUS ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Nov 25, 2024
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH (AS SUCCESSOR TO CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH IN ITS CAPACITY AS COLLATERAL AGENT)
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS THE SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069438/0775 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 3, 2023
From: WEST CORPORATION
To: INTRADO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063239/0900 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 3, 2023
From: INTRADO CORPORATION
To: WEST TECHNOLOGY GROUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 063239/0876 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST (SECOND LIEN) IN PATENTS Recorded Jan 31, 2023
From: CX360, INC.; WEST TECHNOLOGY GROUP, LLC (FKA INTRADO CORPORATION, FKA WEST CORPORATION); INTRADO INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION (FKA WEST INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION, FKA COBALT ACQUISITION COMPANY)
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062571/0018 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: WEST CORPORATION; WEST NOTIFICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062160/0371 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: WEST CORPORATION; WEST INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION; WEST SAFETY SERVICES, INC.; WEST UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, INC.; RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 046046/0547 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Oct 10, 2017
From: WEST CORPORATION
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044166/0901 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 20, 2016
From: WEST CORPORATION; WEST INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION; WEST SAFETY SERVICES, INC.; WEST UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, INC.; RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 039093/0944 →
SUPPLEMENTAL PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 20, 2014
From: WEST CORPORATION, AS GRANTOR; WEST NOTIFICATIONS, INC., AS GRANTOR
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 032483/0518 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 21, 2013
From: CALDWELL, ADAM; BOUTCHER, JAMES K.; CORDELL, JEFFREY WILLIAM
To: WEST CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 031446/0102 →