Granted Patent B2

US 12,236,462 · App. 17/061,810 · Granted Feb 25, 2025

Inventors: Chloe Chen (San Carlos, CA); Simon Khalaf (San Francisco, CA); Jamie O'Shaughnessy (Surrey, GB)

Assignee: Twilio, Inc.

G06Q30/0611

Abstract

Claims (92)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first client device associated with a client system and by a message exchange system via a communication network, a first client request to update a first set of criteria identifying client preferences for text message delivery, the first client request identifying a first cost preference for a first text message type of a plurality of text message types and a second cost preference for a second text message type of the plurality of text message types, wherein a text message type corresponds to a classification of text messages based on content of a text message;

storing an identifier of the first set of criteria at a data store;

subsequent to receiving the first client request to update the first set of criteria, receiving, from a second client device associated with the client system and by the message exchange system, a second client request to transmit a first text message to a recipient device, the second client request associated with a first account; and

in response to the receiving of the second client request:

identifying, by the message exchange system, the first set of criteria identifying the client preferences for text message delivery and stored at the data store based on a unique identifier associated with the client system;

gathering, by the message exchange system, a first bid provided by a first routing provider and a second bid provided by a second routing provider, the first bid indicating a first cost value for the first routing provider to deliver the first text message to the recipient device, and the second bid indicating a second cost value for the second routing provider to deliver the first text message to the recipient device;

determining, by the message exchange system, a first quality score indicating a likelihood that the first text message delivered by the first routing provider will be successfully delivered to the recipient device, wherein the first quality score is determined using first feedback data describing an actual performance of the first routing provider in delivering first previous text messages, wherein the first feedback data identifies (i) whether the first previous text messages were successfully received by recipient devices, and (ii) whether the first previous text messages resulted in a specified action by recipients associated with the recipient devices;

determining, by the message exchange system, a second quality score indicating a likelihood that the first text message delivered by the second routing provider will be successfully delivered to the recipient device, wherein the second quality score is determined using second feedback data describing an actual performance of the second routing provider in delivering second previous text messages;

selecting, by the message exchange system, the first routing provider to deliver the first text message to the recipient device based on the first bid, the second bid, the first quality score, the second quality score, and one of the first cost preference for the first text message type or the second cost preference for the second text message type identified in the first set of criteria; and

causing, by the message exchange system, the first text message to be transmitted to the recipient device via the first routing provider.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the first routing provider to deliver the first text message comprises:

calculating a first ranking value for the first bid based on the first set of criteria, the first cost value, and the first quality score;

calculating a second ranking value for the second bid based on the first set of criteria, the second cost value, and the second quality score;

ranking the first bid and the second bid based on the first ranking value and the second ranking value; and

selecting the first routing provider based on the ranking.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein calculating the first ranking value comprises:

determining a first weight value based on the first set of criteria;

applying the first weight value to the first quality score, yielding a first weighted quality score; and

determining the first ranking value based on the first cost value and the first weighted quality score.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein calculating the second ranking value comprises:

applying the first weight value to the second quality score, yielding a second weighted quality score; and

determining the second ranking value based on the second cost value and the second weighted quality score.

5. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

receiving a third client request to transmit a second text message to a second recipient device, the third client request associated with a second account;

gathering a second set of criteria associated with the second account;

gathering the first bid provided by the first routing provider and the second bid provided by the second routing provider;

gathering a first updated quality score indicating an updated likelihood that the second text message delivered by the first routing provider will be successfully delivered to the second recipient device, and a second updated quality score indicating an updated likelihood that the second text message delivered by the second routing provider will be successfully delivered to the second recipient device;

selecting the second routing provider to deliver the second text message to the second recipient device based on the second set of criteria associated with the second account, the first bid, the second bid, the first updated quality score and the second updated quality score; and

causing the second text message to be transmitted to the second recipient device via the second routing provider.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of criteria identifies a maximum cost value.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the gathering of the first bid provided by the first routing provider and the gathering of the second bid provided by the second routing provider comprise:

determining that the first cost value and the second cost value do not exceed the maximum cost value identified by the first set of criteria.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the gathering the first bid provided by the first routing provider and the gathering of the second bid provided by the second routing provider further comprise:

based on determining that a third cost value associated with a third bid exceeds the maximum cost value identified by the first set of criteria, excluding the third bid from a set of bids gathered for potential selection to deliver the first text message, the set of bids gathered for potential selection to deliver the first text message including the first bid and the second bid.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of criteria identifies a minimum level of service.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the gathering of the first bid provided by the first routing provider and the gathering of the second bid provided by the second routing provider comprise:

determining that a first level of service associated with the first bid and a second level of service associated with the second bid meet or exceed the minimum level of service identified by the first set of criteria.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first feedback data further identifies (iii) whether the first routing provider transmitted the first previous text messages to the recipient devices.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing, to the first client device, a user interface for providing the first set of criteria identifying the client preferences for text message delivery; and

receiving, from the first client device via the user interface, an identifier of the first cost preference for the first text message type and the second cost preference for the second text message type.

13. A message exchange system comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

one or more computer-readable mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the message exchange system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a first client device associated with a client system and by a text message exchange system via a communication network, a first client request to update a first set of criteria identifying client preferences for text message delivery, the first client request identifying a first cost preference for a first text message type of a plurality of text message types and a second cost preference for a second text message type of the plurality of text message types, wherein a text message type corresponds to a classification of text messages based on content of a text message;

storing an identifier of the first set of criteria at a data store;

subsequent to receiving the first client request to update the first set of criteria, receiving, from a second client device associated with the client system and by the message exchange system, a second client request to transmit a first text message to a recipient device, the second client request associated with a first account; and

in response to the receiving of the second client request:

identifying the first set of criteria identifying the client preferences for text message delivery and that are stored at the data store based on a unique identifier associated with the client system;

gathering a first bid provided by a first routing provider and a second bid provided by a second routing provider, the first bid indicating a first cost value for the first routing provider to deliver the first text message to the recipient device, and the second bid indicating a second cost value for the second routing provider to deliver the first text message to the recipient device;

determining a first quality score indicating a likelihood that the first text message delivered by the first routing provider will be successfully delivered to the recipient device, wherein the first quality score is determined using first feedback data describing an actual performance of the first routing provider in delivering first previous text messages, wherein the first feedback data identifies (i) whether the first previous text messages were successfully received by recipient devices, and (ii) whether the first previous text messages resulted in a specified action by recipients associated with the recipient devices;

determining a second quality score indicating a likelihood that the first text message delivered by the second routing provider will be successfully delivered to the recipient device, and wherein the second quality score is determined using second feedback data describing an actual performance of the second routing provider in delivering second previous text messages;

selecting the first routing provider to deliver the first text message to the recipient device based on the first bid, the second bid, the first quality score, the second quality score, and one of the first cost preference for the first text message type or the second cost preference for the second text message type identified in the first set of criteria; and

causing the first text message to be transmitted to the recipient device via the first routing provider.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein selecting the first routing provider to deliver the first text message comprises:

calculating a first ranking value for the first bid based on the first set of criteria, the first cost value, and the first quality score;

calculating a second ranking value for the second bid based on the first set of criteria, the second cost value, and the second quality score;

ranking the first bid and the second bid based on the first ranking value and the second ranking value; and

selecting the first routing provider based on the ranking.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein calculating the first ranking value comprises:

determining a first weight value based on the first set of criteria;

applying the first weight value to the first quality score, yielding a first weighted quality score; and

determining the first ranking value based on the first cost value and the first weighted quality score.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein calculating the second ranking value comprises:

applying the first weight value to the second quality score, yielding a second weighted quality score; and

determining the second ranking value based on the second cost value and the second weighted quality score.

17. The system of claim 13 , the operations further comprising:

receiving a third client request to transmit a second text message to a second recipient device, the third client request associated with a second account;

gathering a second set of criteria associated with the second account;

gathering the first bid provided by the first routing provider and the second bid provided by the second routing provider;

gathering a first updated quality score indicating an updated likelihood that the second text message delivered by the first routing provider will be successfully delivered to the second recipient device, and a second updated quality score indicating an updated likelihood that the second text message delivered by the second routing provider will be successfully delivered to the second recipient device;

selecting the second routing provider to deliver the second text message to the second recipient device based on the second set of criteria associated with the second account, the first bid, the second bid, the first updated quality score and the second updated quality score; and

causing the second text message to be transmitted to the second recipient device via the second routing provider.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the gathering of the first bid provided by the first routing provider and the gathering of the second bid provided by the second routing provider comprise:

determining that a first level of service associated with the first bid and a second level of service associated with the second bid meet or exceed a minimum level of service identified by the first set of criteria.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first set of criteria identifies a maximum cost value.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the gathering the first bid provided by the first routing provider and the gathering of the second bid provided by the second routing provider comprise:

determining that the first cost value and the second cost value do not exceed the maximum cost value identified by the first set of criteria.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the gathering of the first bid provided by the first routing provider and the gathering of the second bid provided by the second routing provider further comprise:

based on determining that a third cost value associated with a third bid exceeds the maximum cost value identified by the first set of criteria, excluding the third bid from a set of bids gathered for potential selection to deliver the first text message, the set of bids gathered for potential selection to deliver the first text message including the first bid and the second bid.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors of one or more computing devices of a message exchange system, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a first client device associated with a client system and by the message exchange system via a communication network, a first client request to update a first set of criteria identifying client preferences for text message delivery, the first client request identifying a first cost preference for a first text message type of a plurality of text message types and a second cost preference for a second text message type of the plurality of text message types, wherein a text message type corresponds to a classification of text messages based on content of a text message;

storing an identifier of the first set of criteria at a data store;

subsequent to receiving the first client request to update the first set of criteria, receiving, from a second client device associated with the client system and by the message exchange system, a second client request to transmit a first text message to a recipient device, the second client request associated with a first account; and

in response to the receiving of the second client request;

identifying the first set of criteria identifying the client preferences for text message delivery and that are stored at the data store based on a unique identifier associated with the client system;

gathering a first bid provided by a first routing provider and a second bid provided by a second routing provider, the first bid indicating a first cost value for the first routing provider to deliver the first text message to the recipient device, and the second bid indicating a second cost value for the second routing provider to deliver the first text message to the recipient device;

determining a first quality score indicating a likelihood that the first text message delivered by the first routing provider will be successfully delivered to the recipient device, wherein the first quality score is determined using first feedback data describing an actual performance of the first routing provider in delivering first previous text messages, wherein the first feedback data identifies (i) whether the first previous text messages were successfully received by recipient devices, and (ii) whether the first previous text messages resulted in a specified action by recipients associated with the recipient devices;

determining a second quality score indicating a likelihood that the first text message delivered by the first routing provider will be successfully delivered to the recipient device, wherein the second quality score is determined using second feedback data describing an actual performance of the second routing provider in delivering second previous text messages;

selecting the first routing provider to deliver the first text message to the recipient device based on the first bid, the second bid, the first quality score, the second quality score and one of the first cost preference for the first text message type or the second cost preference for the second text message type identified in the first set of criteria; and

causing the first text message to be transmitted to the recipient device via the first routing provider.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (63)