Systems and methods for virtual interaction

A method for conducting a virtual interaction session between an end-user and a person of interest, the method being performed by a virtual interaction system having a network interface for communication over a communications network between (i) the virtual interaction system and a device of the end-user, between (ii) the virtual interaction system and a device of the person of interest, and between (iii) the virtual interaction system and a remote data store, the method comprising:

• the virtual interaction system receiving an input from the device of the end-user over the communications network, the input including a text string representing one or more questions or statements directed to the person of interest;
• the virtual interaction system accessing an electronic directory storing one or more conversational interactions, each stored conversational interaction including a question or statement directed to the person of interest, and a corresponding link identifying an online content file stored at the remote data store and including content that features the person of interest and is responsive to the question or statement of the stored conversational interaction;
• a processor of the virtual interaction system automatically identifying at least one stored conversational interaction in the directory including a question or statement associated with at least one question or statement of the input;
• the processor accessing, from the remote data store, at least a portion of the online content file identified by the link of the identified stored conversational interaction;
• and
• the processor causing the accessed portion of the online content file to be displayed on a device of the end-user;
• in response to the received input, the processor generating a new conversational interaction, the new conversational interaction including at least one question or statement of the input, the new conversational interaction being stored in the memory;
• the processor receiving a second input from the device of the person of interest over the network interface, the second input providing a new link for the new conversational interaction, the new link identifying an online content file stored at a remote data store and including content featuring the person of interest and responsive to the question or statement in the new conversational interaction;
• and
• upon receipt second input from the device of the person of interest over the network interface, the processor adding the new conversational interaction to the directory of conversational interactions.

A method for building a virtual interaction database for conducting a virtual interaction session between an end-user of the system and a person of interest, the method comprising:

• receiving a text string from a device of the end-user to the virtual interaction database over a communications network, wherein the text string comprises one or more questions or statements directed from the end-user to the person of interest;
• storing the received text string in memory;
• transmitting a notification to a device of the person of interest indicating receipt of the text string from the device of the end-user;
• receiving a link from the device of the person of interest to the virtual interaction database over the communications network, the link corresponding to an online content file stored remotely from each of the device of the end-user, the device of the person of interest, and the virtual interaction database, the file containing content featuring the person of interest responding to a question or statement of the received text string;
• receiving from the device of the person of interest an indication of first and second time marks of the linked file, the first and second time marks indicating the beginning and subsequent ending of the conversational interaction featured in the content of the file;
• and
• storing the link and time marks in the memory, wherein the text string, link and time marks are stored in association with one another such that receiving an input from a second end-user associated with the text string results in playback of the linked file to the second end-user.