Charles H Erickson

US Patent:

6745172, Jun 1, 2004

Filed:

Jul 19, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/909240

Inventors:

Rod Mancisidor - Round Rock TX
Rob Norris - Austin TX
Charles R. Erickson - Cedar Park TX
Ahmed Gheith - Round Rock TX

Assignee:

Whisperwire, Inc. - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06F 1700

US Classification:

706 60

Abstract:

An expert system adapted data network guidance engine. The invention allows an agent to interact with a customer and to provide selection and recommendation of data network products and/or services for the customer. The invention allows for the use of agents of varying skill levels, including relatively low skill level, without suffering deleterious performance. The data network guidance engine is operable to perform generation and selection of configurations that are generated using various heuristics. If desired, numerous iterations are performed within each of the heuristic operations. The data network guidance engine is operable to select recommended configurations from among a number of potential options. In addition, compatible configurations may also be identified. The data network guidance engine is one of the underlying engines within the expert system that allows the agent to provide real time interaction with a customer and to provide a real time recommended solution to that customer.

US Patent:

7031951, Apr 18, 2006

Filed:

Jul 19, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/909241

Inventors:

Rod Mancisidor - Round Rock TX, US
Charles R. Erickson - Cedar Park TX, US
Gordon Gilpin - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

Convergys Information Management Group, Inc. - Cincinnati OH

International Classification:

G06F 17/00

US Classification:

706 60

Abstract:

An expert system adapted dedicated Internet access guidance engine. The invention allows an agent to interact with a customer and to provide selection and recommendation of data network products and/or services for the customer. The invention allows for the use of agents of varying skill levels, including relatively low skill level, without suffering deleterious performance. The dedicated Internet access guidance engine is operable to perform selection and rating of Internet access products and/or services to provide a solution that meets the needs of a customer. The dedicated Internet access guidance engine is operable to select recommended solutions from among a number of potential solutions that may include compatible solutions. The dedicated Internet access guidance engine is one of the underlying engines within the expert system that allows the agent to provide real time interaction with a customer and to provide a real time recommended solution to that customer.

US Patent:

7558773, Jul 7, 2009

Filed:

May 10, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/746767

Inventors:

Rod Mancisidor - Austin TX, US
Charles R. Erickson - Cedar Park TX, US
Ahmed Gheith - Round Rock TX, US
William W. Chan - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

Convergys CMG Utah, Inc. - Salt Lake City UT

International Classification:

G06N 5/00

US Classification:

706 52, 706 45

Abstract:

Expert System supported interactive product selection and recommendation. The invention assists an agent to interact with a customer and to provide selection and recommendation of available products and/or services that offer a workable solution for the customer. The invention allows for the use of agents of varying skill levels, including relatively low skill level, without suffering deleterious performance. From certain perspectives, an expert system employed using various aspects of the invention allows the agent to provide real time interaction with a customer and to provide a real time recommended solution to that customer. Many traditional approaches dealing in complex industries require that agent's have a high degree of skill and expertise. The invention allows even a novice agent to service a customer's needs without requiring a high skill level or up-front training that is often at the expense of the provider seeking to market its products and/or services.

US Patent:

7885820, Feb 8, 2011

Filed:

Jul 19, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/909250

Inventors:

Rod Mancisidor - Round Rock TX, US
Charles R. Erickson - Cedar Park TX, US
Ahmed Gheith - Round Rock TX, US
William W. Chan - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

Convergys CMG Utah, Inc. - Salt Lake City UT

International Classification:

G06Q 90/00

US Classification:

705 11

Abstract:

Expert system supported interactive product selection and recommendation. The invention assists an agent to interact with a customer and to provide selection and recommendation of available products and/or services that offer a workable solution for the customer. The invention allows for the use of agents of varying skill levels, including relatively low skill level, without suffering deleterious performance. From certain perspectives, an expert system employed using various aspects of the invention allows the agent to provide real time interaction with a customer and to provide a real time recommended solution to that customer. Many traditional approaches dealing in complex industries require that agent's have a high degree of skill and expertise. The invention allows even a novice agent to service a customer's needs without requiring a high skill level or up-front training that is often at the expense of the provider seeking to market its products and/or services.

US Patent:

7908304, Mar 15, 2011

Filed:

Mar 15, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/810514

Inventors:

David Chao - Austin TX, US
Brian Blount - Austin TX, US
Charles Erickson - Cedar Park TX, US
Cheng Zhou - Austin TX, US
Joshua Toub - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

Versata Development Group, Inc. - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707945, 235376, 705 7

Abstract:

An embodiment of the invention provides a system that enables financial services companies to manage and track information about a sales force. The system includes components for managing distributors information, for validating and tracking licenses and credentials, for creating customized contracts, and for maintaining compensation structures. The system allows for configuring compensations, providing financial services companies a toolkit for creating and modeling their complex commission schedules used to compensate their sales force. The system also provides modeling tools for agreements and contracts between a financial services company or provider and the distributors who sell products. The system has a multi-component architecture comprising multiple modules, multiple data processing engines, a backbone and multiple data sources. The processing modules carry out information processing using one or more data processing engines.

US Patent:

7925513, Apr 12, 2011

Filed:

Mar 15, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/809991

Inventors:

David Chao - Austin TX, US
Brian Blount - Austin TX, US
Joshua Toub - Austin TX, US
Charles Erickson - Cedar Park TX, US
Cheng Zhou - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

Versata Development Group, Inc. - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06Q 10/00

US Classification:

705 1, 705 26, 705 4

Abstract:

A framework that enables financial services companies to manage and track information about a sales force is provided. The framework includes object models for managing distributors information, for validating and tracking licenses and credentials, for creating customized contracts, and for maintaining compensation structures. The framework allows for configuring compensations, providing financial services companies a toolkit for creating and modeling their complex commission schedules used to compensate their sales force. The framework also provides modeling tools for agreements and contracts between a financial services company or provider and the distributors who sell their products. The framework has a multi-component architecture comprising multiple modules, multiple data processing engines, a backbone and multiple data sources. The processing modules carry out information processing using one or more data processing engines. The data processing provides the tools to fetch data from the databases and process it.

US Patent:

7958024, Jun 7, 2011

Filed:

Mar 15, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/810012

Inventors:

David Chao - Austin TX, US
Brian Blount - Austin TX, US
Joshua Toub - Austin TX, US
Cheng Zhou - Austin TX, US
Charles Erickson - Cedar Park TX, US

Assignee:

Versata Development Group, Inc. - Austin TX

International Classification:

G06Q 40/00

US Classification:

705 35, 705 40

Abstract:

A system provides a way to manage agreements that institutions such as financial services companies have with distributors who sell their products. Each distributor has a plurality of sales representatives that earn commissions for selling such products. The commissions earned and any other constraints imposed on the sales representatives may be defined within a selling agreement. The system can generate each selling agreement utilizing a set of components representative of the type of agreement formed between the institutions and the distributor. The components of each selling agreement contain an associated rule set that enables a configuration engine to generate an appropriate document. The system also contains a set of regulatory conditions for each sale made by the sales representatives. The system may be utilized to process sales transaction data to ensure that selling agreement terms are followed and that regulations for each sale are satisfied.

US Patent:

20030018481, Jan 23, 2003

Filed:

Mar 15, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/810515

Inventors:

Cheng Zhou - Austin TX, US
Charles Erickson - Cedar Park TX, US

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705/001000

Abstract:

In an embodiment of the invention the documents discussed herein are representative of a document or set of documents that are customized to fit a particular situation. Thus, the invention enables users to generate a document that represents a specific arrangement between parties. For instance embodiments of the invention may be utilized to generate contracts relating to the sale or distribution of a certain product. Each document that is generated by the system is comprised of a set of interrelated components. Each of the components is assembled into a document template that when processed by a configuration engine forms a configured document. Each document template may comprise one or more textual components and/or compensation components. [The textual components comprise subject specific text that can be integrated into the document during the assembly processes. Compensation components comprise information relating to a schema for paying individual commissions. Each compensation component may draw from a commission model and utilize the bonus and quota components thereof.] During processing of the document template, the configuration engine may use a set of rules as input. These rules define the interrelationship between the various components of the document.