Interaction with electronic chat interfaces

Abstract

A method includes, for each of a plurality of web resources, receiving, at a communications server, data indicating characteristics of a respective web resource, detecting, based on the received data, that the respective web resource provides functionality for live assistance by a third party content provider through a chat user interface on the respective web resource, and storing, in a database, an entry that indicates that the respective web resource has the functionality. The method includes receiving, from a user, a request to access a particular web resource hosted by a particular third party content provider, determining, based on a stored entry in the database representing the particular web resource, that the web resource provides functionality for live assistance by the particular third party content provider through a particular chat user interface on the web resource, and initiating a chat session between the user and the third party content provider.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a communications server and from a user, spoken input that was submitted through a microphone of a personal digital assistant;   obtaining, by the communications server, search results using the spoken input;   determining, by the communications server, that a content provider corresponding to one of the search results provides live interactive assistance by way of a chat function;   providing, to the user through the personal digital assistant, an option to initiate a chat session using the chat function when the search results are delivered to the user;   receiving, through the personal digital assistant, an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session; and   initiating, by the communications server, a chat session between the user and an agent of the content provider.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 providing an option to initiate a chat session comprises providing, through the personal digital assistant, an audible inquiry asking whether the user would like to connect to, or chat with, an agent that can provide the user with more information from the content provider; and   receiving an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session comprises receiving, through the personal digital assistant, a vocal response to the audible inquiry.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the personal digital assistant is implemented across two or more different devices including a first device that does not include a display and a second device that does include a display;   providing an option to initiate a chat session comprises providing, through the first device, an audible inquiry asking whether the user would like to connect to, or chat with, an agent that can provide the user with more information from the content provider; and   receiving an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session comprises receiving, through the second device, a vocal response to the audible inquiry.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the personal digital assistant is implemented across two or more different devices including a first device that does not include a display and a second device that does include a display;   providing an option to initiate a chat session comprises providing, through the first device, an audible inquiry asking whether the user would like to connect to, or chat with, an agent that can provide the user with more information from the content provider; and   receiving an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session comprises receiving, through the second device, interaction with a chat widget presented on the display of the second device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein initiating the chat session comprises initiating an Internet Protocol voice telephone call with the agent. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising:
 maintain a state of the chat session, including logging communications between the user and the agent during the chat session;   determining that the chat session ended prior to completion of interaction between the agent and the user;   initiating a subsequent chat session with a subsequent agent of the content provider; and   providing, to the subsequent agent, the state of the chat session, including at least a portion of the logged communications between the user and the agent.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein determining that the chat session ended prior to completion of interaction between the agent and the user comprises determining a lack of activity through the chat function for at least a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         9 . A system, comprising:
 a data store storing interaction data corresponding to client-side input to a chat session;   a communications server in communication with a client device, wherein the communications server facilitates a chat session between the client device and a content provider, and performs operations including:
 receiving, from a user of the client device, spoken input that was submitted through a microphone of a personal digital assistant; 
 obtaining search results using the spoken input; 
 determining that a content provider corresponding to one of the search results provides live interactive assistance by way of a chat function; 
 providing, to the user through the personal digital assistant, an option to initiate a chat session using the chat function when the search results are delivered to the user; 
 receiving, through the personal digital assistant, an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session; and 
 initiating, by the communications server, a chat session between the user and an agent of the content provider. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 providing an option to initiate a chat session comprises providing, through the personal digital assistant, an audible inquiry asking whether the user would like to connect to, or chat with, an agent that can provide the user with more information from the content provider; and   receiving an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session comprises receiving, through the personal digital assistant, a vocal response to the audible inquiry.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the personal digital assistant is implemented across two or more different devices including a first device that does not include a display and a second device that does include a display;   providing an option to initiate a chat session comprises providing, through the first device, an audible inquiry asking whether the user would like to connect to, or chat with, an agent that can provide the user with more information from the content provider; and   receiving an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session comprises receiving, through the second device, a vocal response to the audible inquiry.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the personal digital assistant is implemented across two or more different devices including a first device that does not include a display and a second device that does include a display;   providing an option to initiate a chat session comprises providing, through the first device, an audible inquiry asking whether the user would like to connect to, or chat with, an agent that can provide the user with more information from the content provider; and   receiving an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session comprises receiving, through the second device, interaction with a chat widget presented on the display of the second device.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein initiating the chat session comprises initiating an Internet Protocol voice telephone call with the agent. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations comprising:
 maintain a state of the chat session, including logging communications between the user and the agent during the chat session;   determining that the chat session ended prior to completion of interaction between the agent and the user;   initiating a subsequent chat session with a subsequent agent of the content provider; and   providing, to the subsequent agent, the state of the chat session, including at least a portion of the logged communications between the user and the agent.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein determining that the chat session ended prior to completion of interaction between the agent and the user comprises determining a lack of activity through the chat function for at least a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a user, spoken input that was submitted through a microphone of a personal digital assistant;   obtaining search results using the spoken input;   determining that a content provider corresponding to one of the search results provides live interactive assistance by way of a chat function;   providing, to the user through the personal digital assistant, an option to initiate a chat session using the chat function when the search results are delivered to the user;   receiving, through the personal digital assistant, an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session; and   initiating a chat session between the user and an agent of the content provider.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein:
 providing an option to initiate a chat session comprises providing, through the personal digital assistant, an audible inquiry asking whether the user would like to connect to, or chat with, an agent that can provide the user with more information from the content provider; and   receiving an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session comprises receiving, through the personal digital assistant, a vocal response to the audible inquiry.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the personal digital assistant is implemented across two or more different devices including a first device that does not include a display and a second device that does include a display;   providing an option to initiate a chat session comprises providing, through the first device, an audible inquiry asking whether the user would like to connect to, or chat with, an agent that can provide the user with more information from the content provider; and   receiving an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session comprises receiving, through the second device, a vocal response to the audible inquiry.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the personal digital assistant is implemented across two or more different devices including a first device that does not include a display and a second device that does include a display;   providing an option to initiate a chat session comprises providing, through the first device, an audible inquiry asking whether the user would like to connect to, or chat with, an agent that can provide the user with more information from the content provider; and   receiving an affirmation that the user has requested the initiation of the chat session comprises receiving, through the second device, interaction with a chat widget presented on the display of the second device.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein initiating the chat session comprises initiating an Internet Protocol voice telephone call with the agent. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , the operations comprising:
 maintain a state of the chat session, including logging communications between the user and the agent during the chat session;   determining that the chat session ended prior to completion of interaction between the agent and the user;   initiating a subsequent chat session with a subsequent agent of the content provider; and   providing, to the subsequent agent, the state of the chat session, including at least a portion of the logged communications between the user and the agent.