# US 10,455,091 B1 · User input driven short message service (SMS) applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,455,091 B1 - Document ID: US10455091B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/871,555 - Filed: 2018-01-15 - Granted: 2019-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2013-08-22 - Assignees: West Corporation - Applicants: West Corporation - Inventors: Kellan Stec; Geetha Gopalakrishnan; James K. Boutcher - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455091B1 ## CPC - H04M 3/5183: {Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements} - G06F 40/205: Parsing - G06F 40/30: Semantic analysis - H04M 3/5141: {Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner (unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56)} - H04M 3/5166: {in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends} - H04M 3/5233: {Operator skill based call distribution} - H04M 3/5235: {Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]} - H04M 3/527: Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention - H04W 4/14: Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD] - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract At least one inquiry message is received from a user device in the form or a text message, email or other communication message format. The message may be received and processed to identify the content of the inquiry message to determine whether the inquiry message should be transferred to a live agent queue or whether the inquiry message should be responded to with an automated response stored in a database. In the case of the automated message failing to address the user's inquiry or if the automated responses do not appear to be relevant based on the comparison of the message content to automated response content then transmitting the inquiry message to the live agent queue. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: identifying an inquiry message cannot be satisfied by an automated response by determining the inquiry message cannot be paired with any words associated with the automated response; and transmitting the inquiry message to a live agent queue when the automated response does not satisfy the inquiry message. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one inquiry message is a short message service (SMS) message comprising a plurality of words. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising parsing the least one word from the inquiry message to determine whether an automated response should be transmitted to a user device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: matching the at least one word from the inquiry message to at least one keyword; generating a response message to the inquiry message including the at least one keyword; and transmitting the response message to the user device to satisfy the inquiry message. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting the inquiry message to the live agent queue further comprises identifying the live agent queue with at least one live agent that possesses the appropriate skill set that matches a skillset identified as being associated with the at least one parsed keyword. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating an automated response message; transmitting the automated response message to a user device; receiving another inquiry message; and automatically transferring the another inquiry message to the live agent queue having at least one agent with a skillset associated with a purpose of the another inquiry message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the SMS message is transmitted to a shortcode associated with a customer service provider. ### Claim 8 An apparatus, comprising: a processor configured to: identify an inquiry message cannot be satisfied by an automated response by a determination that the inquiry message cannot be paired with any words associated with the automated response; and transmit the inquiry message to a live agent queue when the automated response does not satisfy the inquiry message. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one inquiry message is a short message service (SMS) message comprising a plurality of words. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the least one word is parsed from the inquiry message to determine whether an automated response should be transmitted to a user device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to match the at least one word from the inquiry message to at least one keyword, generate a response message to the inquiry message which includes the at least one keyword, and transmit the response message to the user device to satisfy the inquiry message. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the inquiry message transmitted to the live agent queue further comprises the processor identifies the live agent queue with at least one live agent that possesses the appropriate skill set that matches a skillset identified as being associated with the at least one parsed keyword. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to generate an automated response message, the transmitter is further configured to transmit the automated response message to a user device, and a receiver is further configured to receive another inquiry message, and the processor is further configured to identify a purpose of the another inquiry message, and automatically transfer the another inquiry message to the live agent queue that has at least one agent with a skillset associated with the purpose of the another inquiry message. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the SMS message is transmitted to a shortcode associated with a customer service provider. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform: identifying an inquiry message cannot be satisfied by an automated response by determining the inquiry message cannot be paired with any words associated with the automated response; and transmitting the inquiry message to a live agent queue when the automated response does not satisfy the inquiry message. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one inquiry message is a short message service (SMS) message comprising a plurality of words. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising parsing the least one word from the inquiry message to determine whether an automated response should be transmitted to a user device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: matching the at least one word from the inquiry message to at least one keyword; generating a response message to the inquiry message including the at least one keyword; and transmitting the response message to the user device to satisfy the inquiry message. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein transmitting the inquiry message to the live agent queue further comprises identifying the live agent queue with at least one live agent that possesses the appropriate skill set that matches a skillset identified as being associated with the at least one parsed keyword. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: generating an automated response message; transmitting the automated response message to a user device; receiving another inquiry message; and automatically transferring the another inquiry message to the live agent queue having at least one agent with a skillset associated with a purpose of the another inquiry message.