US 11240183

Summary of U.S. Patent 11,240,183

A concise summary of U.S. Patent 11,240,183 is provided below, based on a technical analysis of the patent documentation.

Title: Two-way real time communication system that allows asymmetric participation in conversations across multiple electronic platforms

Assignee: Disintermedation Services Inc.

Inventors:

• John Patrick Francis Dandison
• James Allen Johnson
• Paul Joseph Lyman Schottland

Filing Date: September 29, 2020

Issue Date: February 1, 2022

Abstract:
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for receiving a first communication as part of a conversation, from an unauthenticated user of a web browser. A conversation identifier is determined based on the first communication. A first responder, a communication protocol, and a communication address of the first responder is determined. The first communication is sent to the first responder and a first reply is received. The conversation identifier is determined based on the first reply and the first reply is mapped to the web browser. The first reply is sent to the web browser.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

Based on a review of the patent's claims, U.S. Patent 11,240,183 contains one independent claim.

Independent Claim 1:

This claim describes a system for managing a web-based conversation between a user and different "responders" (e.g., customer service agents, experts). The system is designed to seamlessly transition a conversation from an initial automated or first-line responder to a more specialized second responder without revealing the second responder's contact information to the user.

In simple terms, the system works as follows:

1. An anonymous user on a website is prompted with a question by an initial responder.
2. The user's answer is sent to this first responder, and a unique ID for the conversation is created.
3. The conversation with the first responder then ends.
4. Based on the user's initial answer, the system identifies a more appropriate second responder.
5. The system figures out how to contact this second responder (e.g., via text message or another communication protocol) and sends them the user's initial message.
6. When the second responder replies, the system uses the conversation ID to send that reply back to the user's web browser.
7. Crucially, the contact details of the second responder are kept private from the user throughout the interaction.

A search of the CAFC (Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit) dockets for 2026 did not yield any specific results for litigation involving U.S. Patent 11,240,183 as of the date of this analysis. However, it should be noted that court records can be subject to change and this information is based on the data available at the time of the search.