# US 11,442,603 B2 · System and method for interactively delivering expert information to remote outlets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,603 B2 - Document ID: US11442603B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/078,616 - Filed: 2020-10-23 - Published: 2021-02-11 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2004-12-17 - Assignees: Clairvista LLC - Applicants: Clairvista LLC - Inventors: Christopher Sang; Donald Christopher Woods - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442603B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G06Q 30/0623: {by investigating goods or services} - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - G10L 13/00: Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems - G10L 15/1815: {Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning} - G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue - G10L 25/63: for estimating an emotional state - H04L 51/02: using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages - H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] - 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 - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A networked interactive expert system is disclosed for selectively providing relevant expertise when a user requires such assistance. System provides a set of networked facilities for determining an expertise needed by a customer based on a location. Such location can be either physical or logical. A physical “location” corresponds, for example, to a department within a retail outlet. Examples of logical “locations” are ones corresponding to a web-page, a product identification code of interest, a customer identification code, and/or explicit knowledge category selected by the customer. An expert studio, from a list of expert studios providing expertise corresponding to the identified location associated with the customer's request, is matched up with the request. Thereafter, a primary connection, supporting an interactive videoconference session, is established between a first networked node associated with the customer and a second networked node associated with the designated expert studio. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interactive expert server system configured to facilitate establishing an interactive network communications-based session between a customer node and one of a set of expert nodes, based upon a type of needed expertise indicated by an interactive expert session request issued from the customer node, the interactive expert server system comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate carrying out a method comprising: receiving a request, from the customer node, associated with a current location; applying the current location to a mapping information to identify an assistance type, wherein the assistance type is associated with one or more of the set of expert nodes; and pairing the interactive expert session request from the customer node with an available expert node of the set of expert nodes in accordance with the assistance type. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The interactive expert server system of claim 1 wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium includes executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate the interactive expert server system carrying out the method further comprising: maintaining a listing of currently available expert nodes and associated expertise. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The interactive expert server system of claim 2 wherein the listing of currently available expert nodes and associated expertise comprises a set of expert queues arranged, at least in part, based upon expertise of expert nodes placed within particular ones of the queues. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The interactive expert server system of claim 1 wherein the associated current location corresponds to a physical location. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The interactive expert server system of claim 1 wherein the associated current location corresponds to a logical location. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The interactive expert server system of claim 1 wherein the expert nodes are associated with a user interface that simulates a physical environment corresponding to a particular type of expertise. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The interactive expert server system of claim 1 wherein, during the pairing, a search for an available expert node is refined based upon additional properties provided for a particular customer that initiated the request from the customer node. ### Claim 8 A method for establishing an interactive network communications-based session between a customer node and one of a set of expert nodes, based upon a type of needed expertise indicated by an interactive expert session request issued from the customer node, the method comprising: receiving a request, from the customer node, associated with a current location; applying the current location to a mapping information to identify an assistance type, wherein the assistance type is associated with one or more of the set of expert nodes; and pairing the interactive expert session request from the customer node with an available expert node of the set of expert nodes in accordance with the assistance type. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises: maintaining a listing of currently available expert nodes and associated expertise. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the listing of currently available expert nodes and associated expertise comprises a set of expert queues arranged, at least in part, based upon expertise of expert nodes placed within particular ones of the queues. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the associated current location corresponds to a physical location. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the associated current location corresponds to a logical location. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the expert nodes are associated with a user interface that simulates a physical environment corresponding to a particular type of expertise. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein, during the pairing, a search for an available expert node is refined based upon additional properties provided for a particular customer that initiated the request from the customer node. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate carrying out a method for establishing an interactive network communications-based session between a customer node and one of a set of expert nodes, based upon a type of needed expertise indicated by an interactive expert session request issued from the customer node, the method comprising: receiving a request from the customer node, associated with a current location; applying the current location to a mapping information to identify an assistance type, wherein the assistance type is associated with one or more of the set of expert nodes; and pairing the interactive expert session request from the customer node with an available expert node of the set of expert nodes in accordance with the assistance type. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate the interactive expert server system carrying out the method further comprising: maintaining a listing of currently available expert nodes and associated expertise. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the listing of currently available expert nodes and associated expertise comprises a set of expert queues arranged, at least in part, based upon expertise of expert nodes placed within particular ones of the queues. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the associated current location corresponds to a physical location. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the associated current location corresponds to a logical location. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the expert nodes are associated with a user interface that simulates a physical environment corresponding to a particular type of expertise. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein, during the pairing, a search for an available expert node is refined based upon additional properties provided for a particular customer that initiated the request from the customer node.