Granted Patent B2

US 8,971,506 · App. 14/105,010 · Granted Mar 3, 2015

Abstract

Claims (48)

1. A system for providing confirmation of a request for a target communicated using text messaging, the system comprising:

i) a server including a processing device, a network interface coupled to the processing device and adaptively coupled to a database, and a server software application operating on the processing device, wherein the server is adapted to connect to a first communication device over a first network and the server is adapted to communicate with a second communication device, wherein the second communication device is adapted to send and receive text messages and used by a target contact;

iv) the server software application adapted to:

(1) receive a request for a target from the first communication device over the network interface;

(2) select a telephone number from a list of telephone numbers;

(3) create a mapping between the request, the selected telephone number, the target, and the target contact;

(4) send to the second communication device using the selected telephone number, a text message indicating the request for the target over the network interface;

(5) receive a reply message from the second communication device using the selected telephone number over the network interface; and

(6) determine that the reply message comprises a reply to the request for the target by comparing the target contact and the selected telephone number for the reply message to the mapping.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the request for the target is a showing request for a real estate listing, and the target contact comprises a listing contact.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the request for the target is a buyer lead for a real estate listing, and the target contact comprises a buyer lead recipient.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the request for the target comprises an offer or a request for a different time for a showing of a real estate listing.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the server software application is further adapted to determine a type of the reply message based on content of the reply message.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the server software application is further adapted to determine that the type of the reply message is a confirmation of the request for the target.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the request for the target comprises an inquiry for a status of a showing of a real estate listing.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the server software application is further adapted to send at least one of an e-mail, a voice message, a telephone call, or a separate text message to the second communication device indicating that the request for the target is confirmed.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the reply message comprises a reply text message.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the reply message comprises a reply telephone call made to the selected telephone number.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the server software application is further adapted to direct the telephone call to a call center, wherein the call center determines that the reply message comprises the reply to the request for the target.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the list of telephone numbers comprises a prioritized list of telephone numbers; and the server software application selects by determining a highest priority available telephone number on the prioritized list of telephone numbers.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the prioritized list of telephone numbers comprises a numerically ordered list of telephone numbers.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the mapping comprises an end time, and the server software application is further adapted to expire the mapping after a fixed amount of time from the end time.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the mapping comprises an end time, and the server software application is further adapted to expire the mapping before the end time.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the server software application is further adapted to:

i) receive a subsequent request for the target from the first communication device over the network interface;

ii) determine that there is an absence of available telephone numbers in the list of telephone numbers to select a telephone number;

iii) determine that the mapping has an oldest request time, and select the telephone number of the mapping, wherein the mapping is expired before the end time and a new mapping is created between the subsequent request, the selected telephone number, the target, and the target contact; and

iv) send, to second communication device using the selected telephone number, a text message indicating the subsequent request for the target over the network interface.

17. The system of claim 1 further comprising a real estate showing appointment scheduling system wherein the real estate showing appointment scheduling system includes the server.

18. A confirmation system for providing confirmation of a request for a target communicated using text messaging, the confirmation system comprising:

i) a real estate showing appointment scheduling system including a server and a database, wherein the server includes a processing device, a network interface coupled to the processing device and adaptively coupled to the database, and a real estate showing appointment scheduling server software application operating on the processing device, wherein the server is adapted to connect to a first communication device over a first network and the server is adapted to communicate with a second communication device, wherein the second communication device is adapted to send and receive text messages;

iv) the server software application adapted to:

(1) receive a showing request for a real estate listing from the first communication device over the network interface;

(2) determine a listing contact for the real estate listing, wherein the second communication device is adapted to be used by the listing contact;

(3) select a text messaging number from a list of text messaging numbers;

(4) create a mapping between the showing request, the selected text messaging number, the real estate listing, and the listing contact;

(5) send to the second communication device using the selected text messaging number, a text message indicating the showing request over the network interface;

(6) receive a reply message from the second communication device using the selected text messaging number over the network interface; and

(7) compare the listing contact and the selected text messaging number for the reply message to the mapping to match the reply message to the showing request for the real estate listing.

19. The confirmation system of claim 18 wherein the reply message comprises one of a reply text message or a reply telephone call made to the selected text messaging number.

20. The confirmation system of claim 19 wherein the text messaging number comprises a telephone number.

21. The confirmation system of claim 18 wherein the server software application is further adapted to determine, based on content of the reply message, that the reply message comprises a confirmation of the showing request for the real estate listing.

22. The confirmation system of claim 21 wherein the server software application is further adapted to send at least one of an e-mail, a voice message, a telephone call, or a separate text message to the second communication device indicating the confirmation of the showing request for the real estate listing over the network interface.

23. The confirmation system of claim 18 wherein the server software application is further adapted to:

ix) determine that there is a lack of available text messaging numbers in the list of text messaging numbers;

x) determine a mapping having an oldest appointment time, the text messaging number is selected by selecting a text messaging number associated with the mapping having the oldest appointment time; and

xi) expire the mapping having the oldest appointment time prior to an end time.

24. The confirmation system of claim 18 wherein the list of text messaging numbers comprises a prioritized list of text messaging numbers, and the text messaging number is selected by determining a highest priority available text messaging number on the prioritized list of text messaging numbers.

Assignments (11)