Patent Issued for Generating and sending automated support communications using location detection and keyword identification (USPTO 11765566): Allstate Insurance Company

2023 OCT 06 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, Illinois, United States) has been issued patent number 11765566, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx editors.

The patent’s inventors are Hunt, III, Wilton (Mooresville, NC, US), McDermitt, Bret M. (Charlotte, NC, US), Reifman, Anna (Arlington Heights, IL, US).

This patent was filed on August 9, 2021 and was published online on September 19, 2023.

From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: “The world is filled with people interacting with other people, places, and things. As people go about their daily lives, they encounter difficulties with which they need assistance. For example, a person driving a vehicle may experience a flat tire, run out of gas, or have mechanical issues. Different people also have different communication preferences. For example, some people prefer to talk via telephone, whereas others prefer to send text messages. Thus, there will always be a need for improved methods of communication with individuals, particularly individuals who have difficulties with which they need assistance.”

Supplementing the background information on this patent, NewsRx reporters also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The following summary is for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to limit or constrain the detailed description.

“Aspects of the disclosure provide effective, efficient, and convenient technical solutions that address and overcome the technical problems associated with automated support communications. In accordance with one or more embodiments, a system, computer-readable media, device, and/or apparatus may be configured to perform a method that includes receiving, from a user device and by a computing device comprising a processor, memory, and a natural language processing system, a text message comprising a request for roadside assistance; receiving, by the computing device, first location information comprising a location of the user device and second location information comprising a location of a vehicle associated with a user of the user device; initiating, by the computing device, roadside assistance for the user in response to the request for roadside assistance; send, by the computing device and to the user device, a first text message comprising status information regarding the roadside assistance for the user; determining, by the computing device, a threshold amount of time within which to send an updated status communication to the user device based on identifying one or more keywords included in the request for roadside assistance or in subsequent communications received from the user device; determining, by the computing device, that the threshold amount of time has passed since sending, to the user device, the first text message comprising status information regarding the roadside assistance for the user; and after determining that the threshold amount of time has passed since sending, to the user device, the first text message comprising status information regarding the roadside assistance for the user, sending, to the user device, a second text message comprising the status information regarding the roadside assistance for the user, the second text message phrased differently than the first text message.

“In one or more embodiments, adjusting the threshold amount of time within which to send the updated status communication to the user device based on identifying the one or more keywords included in the request for roadside assistance or in subsequent communications received from the user device may include adjusting the threshold amount of time to a first threshold amount of time based on a first keyword being included in the one or more keywords included in the request for roadside assistance or in subsequent communications received from the user device, and adjusting the threshold amount of time to a second threshold amount of time based on a second keyword being included in the one or more keywords included in the request for roadside assistance or in subsequent communications received from the user device.

“In one or more embodiments, the method may include determining a number of text messages sent to the user device; and determining, based on the number of text messages sent to the user device, a phrasing for a subsequent text message comprising the status information regarding the roadside assistance for the user.

“In one or more embodiments, the method may include identifying, by the computing device, a trigger keyword in a text message received from the user device; and responsive to identifying the trigger keyword in the text message received from the user device, initiating, by the computing device, a phone call to the user device from a customer-support device. In one or more embodiments, identifying the trigger keyword in the text message received from the user device may include identifying a trigger keyword that is associated with a dangerous or life-threatening situation. In one or more embodiments, identifying the trigger keyword in the text message received from the user device may include identifying a trigger keyword that is associated with a lack of understanding by the user. In one or more embodiments, the method may include sending, to an interface associated with the customer-support device, a transcript of a text message conversation between the computing device and the user device.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A method comprising: receiving, from a user device and by a computing device comprising a natural language processing system, a text message comprising a roadside assistance request for a vehicle; determining a trigger keyword and a linked action associated with the text message; initiating performance of the linked action; receiving, by the computing device, first location information comprising a location of the vehicle; selecting a service provider from a plurality of service providers based on the first location information and second location information associated with a second vehicle, the second vehicle associated with the service provider; initiating, by the computing device, roadside assistance provided by the service provider in response to the roadside assistance request; and sending a message to the user device, the message comprising status information regarding the roadside assistance.

“2. The method of claim 1, wherein the linked action comprises at least one of: sending a transcript of a communication with a user of the user device; adjusting a threshold amount of time before a status update is sent to the user device; or adjusting content for a communication sent to the user device.

“3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving one or more notifications from the service provider.

“4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending, in response to determining a change to the status information, a notification to the user device indicating the change.

“5. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the roadside assistance comprises sending a second message to a second user device associated with the service provider.

“6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a time threshold in which to send a status update to the user device based on one or more keywords in the text message.

“7. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information comprises at least one of the second location information, a name of the service provider, an estimated time of arrival of the service provider, or a departure time of the service provider.

“8. One or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process on a computing system, the computer process comprising: receiving a text message from a user device, the text message comprising a roadside assistance request; determining a trigger keyword and a linked action associated with the text message; initiating performance of the linked action; receiving first location information comprising a location corresponding to the roadside assistance request; selecting a service provider from a plurality of service providers based on the first location information and second location information associated with a second vehicle, the second vehicle associated with the service provider; initiating roadside assistance provided by the service provider in response to the roadside assistance request; and sending a message to the user device comprising status information regarding the roadside assistance for the user.

“9. The one or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the linked action comprises at least one of: sending a transcript of a communication with a user of the user device; adjusting a threshold amount of time before a status update is sent to the user device; or adjusting content for a communication sent to the user device.

“10. The one or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, the computer process further comprising: receiving one or more notifications from the service provider.

“11. The one or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, the computer process further comprising: sending, in response to determining a change to the status information, a notification to the user device indicating the change.

“12. The one or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein initiating the roadside assistance comprises sending a second message to a second user device associated with the service provider.

“13. The one or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, the computer process further comprising: determining a time threshold in which to send a status update to the user device based on one or more keywords in the text message.

“14. A system comprising: at least one processor; and memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to: receive a text message from a user device, the text message comprising a roadside assistance request for a vehicle; determining a trigger keyword and a linked action associated with the text message; initiating performance of the linked action; receiving, by the computing device, first location information comprising a location of the vehicle; selecting a service provider from a plurality of service providers based on the first location information and second location information associated with a second vehicle, the second vehicle associated with the service provider; initiating, by the computing device, roadside assistance using the service provider in response to the roadside assistance request; and sending a message to the user device, the message comprising status information regarding the roadside assistance.

“15. The system of claim 14, wherein the linked action comprises at least one of: sending a transcript of a communication with a user of the user device; adjusting a threshold amount of time before a status update is sent to the user device; or adjusting content for a communication sent to the user device.

“16. The system of claim 14, the memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to: receive one or more notifications from the service provider.

“17. The system of claim 14, the memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to: send, in response to determining a change to the status information, a notification to the user device indicating the change.

“18. The system of claim 14, wherein initiating the roadside assistance comprises sending a second message to a second user device associated with the service provider.

“19. The system of claim 14, the memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to: determine a time threshold in which to send a status update to the user device based on one or more keywords in the text message.

“20. The system of claim 14, wherein the status information comprises at least one of the second location information, a name of the service provider, an estimated time of arrival of the service provider, or a departure time of the service provider.”

For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Hunt, III, Wilton. Generating and sending automated support communications using location detection and keyword identification. U.S. Patent Number 11765566, filed August 9, 2021, and published online on September 19, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11765566)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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