Granted Patent B2

US 10,586,199 · App. 15/978,900 · Granted Mar 10, 2020

Inventors: Steven Paul Russell (Menlo Park, CA); Guy R. Vanbuskirk (Spicewood, TX); Andrew W. Kittler (Atherton, CA)

Assignee: Theatro Labs, Inc.

G06Q10/06398G06Q10/10G10L15/26G10L17/22H04B7/14H04L67/2804H04M3/02H04W4/021H04W4/029H04W4/33H04L67/327H04W4/08

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A method of observing users of communication devices, comprising:

recognizing, by a central computer system, a first user associated with a first communication device and a second user associated with a second communication device;

observing, by said central computer system, a communication between said first communication device and said second communication device, wherein at least a portion of said communication is an audible communication;

relaying, by said central computer system, said communication between said first communication device and said second communication device;

identifying, by said central computer system, features of said communication; and

making said features available for decision making purposes.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein a first characteristic of said communication corresponds to an audible source and a second characteristic of said communication corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said features are selected from the group of features consisting of: availability of a user, current location of a user, prior location of a user, communication history of a user, context of said communication, performance metrics related to a user, a classification of a user, and a classification of said communication.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said first user and said second user are selected from the group of users consisting of: an employee, a manager, and a customer.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said first user and said second user are selected from the group of users consisting of: a manager and at least one non-manager.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said recognizing said first user and said second user is based on a unique signature associated with transmissions of said first communication device and said second communication device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said recognizing said first user and said second user comprises said first user and said second user identifying themselves to said central computer system.

8. A non-transitory computer-usable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method of observing users of communication devices, said method comprising:

receiving, by a central computer system, a communication from a first communication device associated with a first user to a second communication device associated with a second user;

relaying, by said central computer system, said communication to said second communication device;

observing, by said central computer system, said communication, wherein at least a portion of said communication is an audible communication;

identifying, by said central computer system, features of said communication; and

making said features available for decision making purposes.

9. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium as recited in claim 8 wherein a first characteristic of said communication corresponds to an audible source and a second characteristic of said communication corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device.

10. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium as recited in claim 8 wherein said features are selected from the group of features consisting of: availability of a user, current location of a user, prior location of a user, communication history of a user, context of said communication, performance metrics related to a user, a classification of a user, and a classification of said communication.

11. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium as recited in claim 8 wherein said first user and said second user are selected from the group of users consisting of: an employee, a manager, and a customer.

12. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium as recited in claim 8 wherein said first user and said second user are selected from the group of users consisting of: a manager and at least one non-manager.

13. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium as recited in claim 8 , wherein said method further comprises:

recognizing, by said central computer system, said first user and said second user based on a unique signature associated with transmissions of said first communication device and said second communication device.

14. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium as recited in claim 8 , wherein said method further comprises:

recognizing, by said central computer system, said first user in response to said first user identifying themselves to said central computer system; and

recognizing, by said central computer system, said second user in response to said second user identifying themselves to said central computer system.

15. A structured communications platform, said platform comprising:

a first communication device associated with a first user and configured to send a signal, wherein a first characteristic of said signal corresponds to an audible source;

a second communication device associated with a second user and configured to receive said signal; and

a central computer system associated with said second communication device, said central computer system configured to:

derive context information from said signal;

observe said signal between said first communication device and said second communication device at said central computer system, wherein at least a portion of said signal is an audible communication;

identify features of said signal, at said central computer system; and

make said features available for decision making purposes.

16. The platform as recited in claim 15 wherein said signal is first received by said central computer system and then relayed to said second communication device based on context information derived from said signal.

17. The platform as recited in claim 15 wherein said central computer system is further configured to:

recognize said first user based on a unique signature associated with transmissions of said first communication device; and

recognize said second user based on a unique signature associated with transmissions of said second communication device.

18. The platform as recited in claim 15 wherein said computer system is further configured to:

recognize said first user in response to said first user identifying themselves to said central computer system.

19. The platform as recited in claim 15 wherein said features are selected from the group of features consisting of: availability of a user, current location of a user, prior location of a user, communication history of a user, context of said communication, performance metrics related to a user, a classification of a user, and a classification of said communication.

20. The platform as recited in claim 15 wherein said first user and said second user are selected from the group of users consisting of: an employee, a manager, and a customer.

Assignments (10)

Continuity (6)