Patent Issued for Virtual meeting integration with customer relationship management platform (USPTO 11824905): State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
2023 DEC 08 (NewsRx) -- By a
The patent’s assignee for patent number 11824905 is
News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Virtual meetings have become a useful and convenient alternative to telephone calls or in-person meetings. For example, when an agent of a business and a customer of the business are unable to meet in person due to scheduling issues, transportation issues, health concerns, or other reasons, the agent and the customer may meet via a virtual meeting conducted over the Internet.
“Businesses may also use customer relationship management (CRM) platforms to track information about customers, including current customers, past customers, and prospective customers. For example, a CRM platform may track customer account data, sales information associated with sales of products or services to customers, historical contact information indicating when the business has contacted customers in the past, and/or other information associated with customers.
“However, existing CRM platforms generally do not include virtual meeting features that enable agents to engage in virtual meetings with customers. Accordingly, if an agent is using a CRM platform to review information about a customer, the agent may need to use other software, separate from the CRM platform, to schedule and hold a virtual meeting with that customer. For instance, while the agent may primarily use the CRM platform throughout his or her workday, the agent may need to switch to another application, web browser tab, window, or other software element on a computing device to schedule and/or hold a virtual meeting with a customer. In some cases, the agent may need to register for a separate account with a virtual meeting platform, and accordingly may need to log into the virtual meeting platform using different login credentials than the agent uses to access the CRM platform. Overall, this process can be cumbersome and/or inconvenient for the agent. Scheduling and managing virtual meetings via separate applications, browser tabs, or other software elements, outside the CRM platform the agent is already using, can also lead to increased usage of memory, processing cycles, and/or other computing resources.
“Further, scheduling and managing virtual meetings outside the CRM platform may hinder the ability of the CRM platform to track when the agent communicated with a customer via a virtual meeting, and/or analyze whether the virtual meeting led to sales or other customer metrics tracked by the CRM platform. For example, if the CRM platform is configured to track historical data about communication between the agent and customers, the agent may forget to note in the CRM platform that a virtual meeting with a customer was held outside the CRM platform on a certain date. The CRM platform may therefore lack information about the virtual meeting, and thus be unable to determine that the virtual meeting may have contributed to a later sale to the customer.
“The example systems and methods described herein may be directed toward mitigating or overcoming one or more of the deficiencies described above.”
As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “Described herein are systems and methods for scheduling and managing virtual meetings via a CRM platform. The CRM platform may store a meeting object in memory that represents a virtual meeting, as well as one or more participant objects that represent one or more individual participants associated with the virtual meeting. The CRM platform may store data in the meeting object and the one or more participant objects based on user input provided about the virtual meeting and individual participants. The CRM platform may further interact with a separate virtual meeting platform to schedule a virtual meeting room for the virtual meeting, and may store meeting data returned by the virtual meeting platform in the meeting object and/or the one or more participant objects. The CRM platform may also automatically send meeting invitations to invited participants. The CRM platform may further have a user interface that allows users to view and/or edit information about scheduled virtual meetings, and that allows users to join a scheduled virtual meeting hosted by the separate virtual meeting platform directly from the CRM platform. Accordingly, the systems and methods described herein can streamline scheduling and management of virtual meetings by allowing users to schedule and manage virtual meetings via the CRM platform even though the virtual meetings may be hosted by a separate virtual meeting platform.
“According to a first aspect, a computer-implemented method can include receiving, by one or more processors associated with a CRM platform, meeting attributes of a virtual meeting, and participant attributes of a participant associated with the virtual meeting. The method can also include generating, by the one or more processors, a meeting object that stores the meeting attributes, wherein the meeting object is a first data object stored in memory associated with the CRM platform. The method can further include generating, by the one or more processors, a participant object that stores the participant attributes, wherein the participant object is a second data object stored in the memory and is associated with the meeting object by the CRM platform. The method can also include transmitting, by the one or more processors, at least one meeting request to a virtual meeting platform, wherein the at least one meeting request includes data from one or more of the meeting object and the participant object. The method can include receiving, by the one or more processors, meeting setup data from the virtual meeting platform in response to the at least one meeting request, and storing, by the one or more processors, elements of the meeting setup data in the meeting object and the participant object. The method can also include causing, by the one or more processors, display of a user interface of the CRM platform associated with the virtual meeting, wherein the user interface is configured to present the meeting attributes based on the meeting object and present the participant attributes based on the participant object. The method can additionally include causing, by the one or more processors, a host device to be redirected from the CRM platform to the virtual meeting platform based on a user instruction to join the virtual meeting received via the user interface.
“According to a second aspect, one or more computing devices, associated with a CRM platform, can include one or more processors and memory. The memory can store data objects associated with the CRM platform, including a meeting object configured to store meeting attributes of a virtual meeting, and a participant object configured to store participant attributes of a participant associated with the virtual meeting, wherein the participant object is associated with the meeting object in the CRM platform. The memory can further store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations. The operations can include transmitting a meeting request to a virtual meeting platform based on the meeting object and the participant object, and receiving meeting setup data from the virtual meeting platform in response to the meeting request. The meeting setup data can include a meeting identifier associated with a virtual meeting room, and a meeting URL associated with the virtual meeting room. The operations can also include storing the meeting identifier in the meeting object, and storing the meeting URL in the participant object. The operations can further include sending an electronic meeting invitation to an email address of the participant stored in the participant object, wherein the electronic meeting invitation includes the meeting attributes based on the meeting object, and the meeting URL based on the participant object. The operations can also include causing the CRM platform to display a user interface that presents the meeting attributes based on the meeting object and presents the participant attributes based on the participant object.
“According to a third aspect, one or more non-transitory computer-readable media can store computer-executable instructions associated with a CRM platform that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations can include receiving, via the CRM platform, meeting attributes of a virtual meeting and participant attributes of a participant associated with the virtual meeting. The operations can further include storing the meeting attributes, in memory of the CRM platform, in a meeting object, and storing the participant attributes, in the memory of the CRM platform, in a participant object, wherein the participant object is associated with the meeting object by the CRM platform. The operations can also include transmitting a meeting request from the CRM platform to a virtual meeting platform based on the meeting object and the participant object, and receiving meeting setup data from the virtual meeting platform in response to the meeting request. The meeting setup data can include a meeting identifier associated with a virtual meeting room, and a meeting URL associated with the virtual meeting room. The operations can also include storing the meeting identifier in the meeting object, and storing the meeting URL in the participant object. The operations can further include sending an electronic meeting invitation to an email address of the participant stored in the participant object, wherein the electronic meeting invitation includes the meeting attributes based on the meeting object, and the meeting URL based on the participant object. The operations can additionally include causing the CRM platform to display a user interface that presents the meeting attributes based on the meeting object and presents the participant attributes based on the participant object.”
The claims supplied by the inventors are:
“1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, by one or more processors associated with a customer relationship management (CRM) platform, input indicating: meeting attributes of a virtual meeting, and participant attributes of a participant associated with the virtual meeting; generating, by the one or more processors, a meeting object that stores the meeting attributes, wherein the meeting object is a first data object stored in memory associated with the CRM platform; generating, by the one or more processors, a participant object that stores the participant attributes, wherein the participant object: is a second data object, separate from the meeting object, stored in the memory, and is linked to the meeting object by the CRM platform; transmitting, by the one or more processors, at least one meeting request to a virtual meeting platform that is configured to host a virtual meeting room for the virtual meeting, wherein the at least one meeting request includes data from one or more of the meeting object and the participant object; receiving, by the one or more processors, and from the virtual meeting platform in response to the at least one meeting request, meeting setup data associated with hosting of the virtual meeting by the virtual meeting platform; storing, by the one or more processors, one or more elements of the meeting setup data in the meeting object and the participant object; causing, by the one or more processors, display of a user interface of the CRM platform associated with the virtual meeting, wherein the user interface is configured to present information associated with at least one of: the virtual meeting, based on the meeting object, and the participant, based on the participant object; and causing, by the one or more processors, a host device to be redirected from the CRM platform to the virtual meeting platform based on a user instruction to join the virtual meeting received via the user interface.
“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein: the meeting setup data includes a virtual meeting identifier assigned by the virtual meeting platform to the virtual meeting, and the one or more processors store the virtual meeting identifier, in the meeting object, in response to receiving the meeting setup data.
“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein: the meeting setup data includes a meeting Uniform Resource Locator (URL), provided by the virtual meeting platform, associated with the virtual meeting, and the one or more processors store the meeting URL, in the participant object, in response to receiving the meeting setup data.
“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the meeting URL is a unique URL that is specific to the participant.
“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising: automatically generating, by the one or more processors, an electronic meeting invitation that indicates: meeting information based on the meeting object, and the meeting URL based on the participant object; and sending, by the one or more processors, the electronic meeting invitation to an email address of the participant stored in the participant object.
“6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising: receiving, by the one or more processors, second input indicating edited meeting attributes of the virtual meeting; adjusting, by the one or more processors, the meeting object based on the edited meeting attributes; transmitting, by the one or more processors, a meeting update request to the virtual meeting platform, wherein the meeting update request includes the edited meeting attributes; receiving, by the one or more processors, second meeting setup data from the virtual meeting platform in response to the meeting update request; updating, by the one or more processors, the meeting object based on the second meeting setup data; updating, by the one or more processors, the user interface of the CRM platform associated with the virtual meeting to present updated information associated with the meeting based on the meeting object; and sending, by the one or more processors, a second electronic meeting invitation to the email address of the participant, wherein the second electronic meeting invitation is based on at least one of the edited meeting attributes or the second meeting setup data.
“7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: adding, by the one or more processors, a calendar entry associated with the virtual meeting to an electronic calendar of a host of the virtual meeting, wherein the calendar entry includes a link to the user interface of the CRM platform associated with the virtual meeting.
“8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the one or more processors, second input indicating second participant attributes of a second participant associated with the virtual meeting; generating, by the one or more processors, a second participant object that stores the second participant attributes, wherein: the second participant object is a third data object, separate from the meeting object and the participant object, stored in the memory, and is linked to the meeting object by the CRM platform; transmitting, by the one or more processors, a meeting update request to the virtual meeting platform, wherein the meeting update request includes data from the meeting object and the second participant object; receiving, by the one or more processors, second meeting setup data from the virtual meeting platform in response to the meeting update request; storing, by the one or more processors, one or more second elements of the second meeting setup data in the second participant object; and updating, by the one or more processors, the user interface of the CRM platform associated with the virtual meeting to further present second information associated with the second participant, based on the second participant object.
“9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising associating, by the one or more processors, at least one of the meeting object or the participant object with one or more other data objects stored by the CRM platform in association with the participant, wherein the one or more other data objects are separate from the meeting object and the participant object, and store additional data associated with at least one of: a customer account associated with the participant, a customer purchase history associated with the participant, a communication history associated with the participant, or a sales opportunity associated with the participant.
“10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, one or more key performance indicators based on associations between the one or more other data objects and the at least one of the meeting object or the participant object.
“11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing the host device to be redirected from the CRM platform to the virtual meeting platform comprises validating login credentials associated with a host of the virtual meeting stored by the CRM platform without user entry of the login credentials.
“12. One or more computing devices, associated with a customer relationship management (CRM) platform, comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing data objects associated with the CRM platform, the data objects comprising: a meeting object configured to store meeting attributes of a virtual meeting; a participant object configured to store participant attributes of a participant associated with the virtual meeting, wherein the participant object: is separate from the meeting object in the memory, and is linked to the meeting object by the CRM platform; and computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising: receiving, via the CRM platform, input indicating: the meeting attributes of the virtual meeting, and the participant attributes of the participant associated with the virtual meeting; generating the meeting object and the participant object in response to receiving the input; transmitting a meeting request to a virtual meeting platform, configured to host a virtual meeting room for the virtual meeting, based on the meeting object and the participant object; receiving meeting setup data, from the virtual meeting platform, in response to the meeting request, wherein the meeting setup data comprises: a meeting identifier associated with the virtual meeting room, and a meeting Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the virtual meeting room; storing the meeting identifier in the meeting object; storing the meeting URL in the participant object; sending an electronic meeting invitation to an email address of the participant stored in the participant object, wherein the electronic meeting invitation indicates: meeting information based on the meeting object, and the meeting URL based on the participant object; and causing the CRM platform to display a user interface that presents information associated with at least one of: the virtual meeting, based on the meeting object, and the participant, based on the participant object.
“13. The one or more computing devices of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise causing a host device to be redirected from the CRM platform to the virtual meeting room based on a user instruction to join the virtual meeting received via the user interface.
“14. The one or more computing devices of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise: adding a calendar entry associated with the virtual meeting to an electronic calendar of a host of the virtual meeting, wherein the calendar entry includes a link to the user interface in the CRM platform.”
There are additional claims. Please visit full patent to read further.
For additional information on this patent, see: Greer, Chad A. Virtual meeting integration with customer relationship management platform.
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