Systems and methods to avoid collisions in establishing real-time communication connections
Inventors
Dopiro, Olena • Stefan, Iulia • Skow, Geoffrey Wagner
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10509797-B2
Publication Date
2019-12-17
Expiration Date
Abstract
A computing apparatus configured in the communication system to store data about advisers, including availability status of the advisers for real time communications with customers, ratings of the advisers by prior customers, compensate rates of the advisers, probability of being connected within a period of time for real time communication with customers, etc. The computing apparatus customizes the selection of lists of advisers for presentation to customers and/or the sequences of the lists to reduce collisions in concurrent requests for connections to same advisers for real time communication connections. The customization may include randomizing top portions of the lists, selecting and/or ranking the advisers in real time based on probability of advisers being connected within a period of time for real time communication with customers, etc.
Core Innovation
The invention addresses real time communication matching between customers and advisers through a connection server in a communication system. Multiple concurrent users may attempt to connect to the same adviser, and the system identifies these situations as collisions.
To reduce collisions, the system customizes the presentation order of advisers by ranking and randomizing the top portion of an adviser list before presenting it in a user interface. The system also uses adviser availability signaling together with an inventory/workflow concept so that advisers are treated as unavailable for a period after being presented or targeted, based on availability data adjusted by adviser sign-in and sign-out and updated in response to active connections and disconnections.
The system further dynamically ranks advisers using stored probability data for being connected within a time window, and it predicts conflicts and resolves them via a bidding and selection process among competing users. The described architecture includes a web server, data store, and connection server, with user interface listing fields such as ratings, availability, compensation, and topics, and with real time telephonic connections and bridging between adviser phones and user phones.
Claims Coverage
The partial content provides three independent claims: method, computing apparatus, and non-transitory computer storage medium. Across these independent claims, the coverage centers on storing adviser data and availability, identifying and presenting an adviser list based on availability and received user input with randomized top portion, and establishing real time communication connections to an adviser selected from the list, with further claim content covering conflict handling via bidding in multi-user scenarios.
Storing adviser data and availability for real time communications
Storing, in a computing apparatus configured in the communication system, data identifying a plurality of advisers and availability of the advisers for real time communications over the communication system.
Identifying adviser list based on availability and user input
Identifying the list of advisers based at least in part on the availability of the advisers and received user input.
Randomizing a top portion of the adviser list
Randomizing a top portion of the list.
Presenting randomized top portion in a user interface
Presenting, via the computing apparatus, the list with the top portion randomized in a user interface.
Providing real time communication connection to selected adviser
Providing, by the computing apparatus, a real time communication connection between a user of the user interface and an adviser selected from the list.
Computing apparatus configured to establish randomized adviser matching and connections
A computing apparatus configured in a communication system, the computing apparatus comprising at least one network interface, at least one microprocessor, and memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one microprocessor to store data identifying a plurality of advisers and availability of the advisers for real time communications over the communication system; identify a list of advisers based at least in part on the availability of the advisers, and received user input; randomize a top portion of the list; present, via the at least one network interface, the list with the top portion randomized in a user interface; and establish, via the at least one network interface, a real time communication connection between a user of the user interface and an adviser selected from the list.
Non-transitory storage medium instructions for real time adviser matching
A non-transitory computer storage medium storing instructions configured to instruct a computing apparatus configured on a communication system to perform a method comprising storing, in a computing apparatus configured in the communication system, data identifying a plurality of advisers and availability of the advisers for real time communications over the communication system; identifying, by the computing apparatus, lists of advisers for the users respectively based at least in part on the availability of the advisers, and received user input; randomizing a top portion of the list; presenting the list in a user interface, with the top portion randomized; and providing, by the computing apparatus, real time communication connection between the users and the advisers selected by the users from the lists.
Overall, the independent claims consistently require storing adviser identity data and adviser availability for real time communications, identifying an adviser list using availability and received user input, randomizing the top portion for presentation in a user interface, and establishing a real time communication connection to an adviser selected from that list.
Stated Advantages
Reduces collisions when multiple concurrent users attempt to connect to the same adviser.
Reduces likelihood that different users select the same adviser by customizing the presentation order of adviser listings through ranking and randomizing a top portion.
Helps prevent connecting to advisers during periods treated as unavailable using availability signaling and an inventory/workflow concept.
Resolves predicted conflicts among competing users by predicting collisions and using a bidding/selection process to select a winning user for connection.
Documented Applications
Real-time communication matching between customers (“users”) and advisers, including collision avoidance and conflict resolution when multiple users attempt to connect to the same adviser.
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