# US 10,320,717 B2 · System and method of using conversational agent to collect information and trigger actions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,717 B2 - Document ID: US10320717B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/019,128 - Filed: 2008-01-24 - Published: 2009-07-30 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2008-01-24 - Assignees: eBay Inc. - Applicants: Joerg Mitzlaff - Inventors: Joerg Mitzlaff - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320717B2 ## CPC - H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] - G06F 16/24573: {using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata} - G06F 16/3329: Natural language query formulation - G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping] - G06Q 30/0613: {using intermediate agents} - G06Q 30/08: Auctions - H04L 65/1066: Session management - G06Q 30/0617: {Representative agent} - G06Q 30/0619: {Neutral agent} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A system of using a conversational agent to collect information and trigger actions, in one example embodiment, comprises a user interface to selectively receive user credentials to obtain access to a computer-implemented marketplace, an information exchange module to establish an information exchange between the user and a conversational agent based on the user profile, where the conversational agent is a computer program designed to simulate an intelligent conversation. The system may further include a communication module to communicate with the user to receive information related to a marketplace offering; and a listing module to list the marketplace offering at the computer-implemented marketplace based on the information received. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, comprising: establishing, by a conversation agent processor, a communication session between a user and a computer implemented conversational agent, the conversational agent designed to simulate a conversation with the user to gather posting information; receiving, via the communication session by the conversation agent processor, conversational information from the user for use in generating a posting for the user, the received conversational information including the posting information; parsing, by one or more hardware processors of the conversation agent processor, the conversational information received by the conversational agent to obtain the posting information; receiving, via a Graphical User Interface (GUI), an upload of at least one image to be posted with the posting information parsed from the conversation information; generating the posting by combining the posting information parsed from the conversation information with information received from the user via the GUI including the at least one image; and automatically posting, by the conversation agent processor, the generated posting to a networked environment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving credential information associated with the user and authenticating the user before establishing the communication session. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the conversational information received from the user includes auditory information, textual information, and at least one image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: scanning the conversational information received from the user to identify one or more predetermined user keywords; and determining one or more predetermined conversational agent keywords corresponding to the one or more predetermined user keywords. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising using the one or more predetermined conversational agent keywords in the conversation simulated by the computer implemented conversation agent. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising training the conversational agent using one or more complex trained Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the communication session with the user includes displaying a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to receive information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the communication session between the user and the computer implemented conversational agent includes receiving, from the user via a Graphical User Interface (GUI), a selection of an avatar to represent the conversational agent. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the communication session between the user and the computer implemented conversational agent is via an Internet telephony system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the upload of the at least one image comprises receiving the upload via a drag and drop of the at least one image onto the GUI. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the posting information is at least one selection from a group consisting of an item title, an item category, an item description, item size dimensions, an item location, an item image, and a user email address. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising converting, using speech detection technology, auditory input of the conversational information into text. ### Claim 13 A computer-implemented system comprising: one or more hardware processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising: establishing, by a conversation agent processor, a communication session between a user and a computer implemented conversational agent, the conversational agent designed to simulate a conversation with the user to gather posting information; receiving, via the communication session by the conversation agent processor, conversational information from the user for use in generating a posting for the user, the received conversational information including the posting information; parsing, by the conversation agent processor, the conversational information received by the conversational agent to obtain the posting information; receiving, via a Graphical User Interface (GUI), an upload of at least one image to be posted with the posting information parsed from the conversation information; generating the posting by combining the posting information parsed from the conversation information with information received from the user via the GUI including the at least one image; and automatically posting, by the conversation agent processor, the posting information parsed from the conversational information to a networked environment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise receiving credential information associated with the user and to authenticate the user before establishing the communication session. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the conversational information received from the user includes auditory information, textual information, and at least one image. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise scanning the conversational information received from the user to identify one or more predetermined user keywords. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise determining one or more predetermined conversational agent keywords corresponding to the one or more predetermined user keywords. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise using the one or more predetermined conversational agent keywords in the conversation simulated by the computer implemented conversation agent. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The computer-implemented system of claim 13, wherein the establishing the communication session with the user includes displaying a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to receive information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The computer-implemented system of claim 13, wherein the establishing the communication session between the user and the computer implemented conversational agent is via an Internet telephony system. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The computer-implemented system of claim 13, wherein the receiving of the upload of the at least one image comprises receiving the upload via a drag and drop of the at least one image onto the GUI. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The computer-implemented system of claim 13, wherein the posting information is at least one selection from a group consisting of an item title, an item category, an item description, item size dimensions, an item location, an item image, and a user email address. ### Claim 23 A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when implemented by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising: establishing a communication session between a user and a computer implemented conversational agent, the conversational agent designed to simulate a conversation with the user to gather posting information; receiving conversational information for use in generating a posting for the user via the communication session, the received conversational information including the posting information; parsing the conversational information received by the conversational agent to obtain the posting information; receiving, via a Graphical User Interface (GUI), an upload of at least one image to be posted with the posting information parsed from the conversation information; generating the posting by combining the posting information parsed from the conversation information with information received from the user via the GUI including the at least one image; and automatically posting the posting information parsed from the conversational information to a networked environment.