System and method for a cognitive system plug-in answering subject matter expert questions

• US 10,104,232 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Marrelli, Carl M., Matteo, Jeffrey T., Narayanan, Ram S., Oberhofer, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Kharye
• Application Number:
  US15/208,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20180020094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 704275, 704 9, 704257, 704E1504, 704240, 704251, 704231, 704235, 704E15001, 704E15005, 704E15044, 37921801, 379 8801, 37921802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/043 Distributed expert systems; Blackboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/401 Performance feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

Embodiments provide a system and method for integrating a cognitive system into a call center. The system and method include ingesting, through an instant messaging application, one or more original questions from one or more call center agents; ingesting, through the instant messaging application, one or more answers associated with the one or more original questions; receiving, through the instant messaging system, one or more additional questions; determining one or more proposed answers to each additional question based on analysis of the one or more original questions and answers; determining a confidence score for each of the one or more proposed answers; if the confidence score of the proposed answer exceeds a confidence threshold, providing the proposed answer to the call center agent; receiving, through a feedback module, feedback on the proposed answer from one or more subject matter experts or call center managers; and incorporating the feedback on the proposed answer into the analysis of the one or more original questions.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory comprising instructions which are executed by the processor to cause the processor to implement a call center question and answer system, the method comprising:

ingesting, through an instant messaging application, one or more original questions from one or more call center agents;

ingesting, through the instant messaging application, one or more answers from the one or more call center agents, the one or more answers associated with the one or more original questions;

analyzing, through a cognitive system, each of the one or more answers associated with the one or more original questions;

incorporating the analysis of the one or more answers into the analysis of the one or more answers and the one or more original questions;

receiving, by one of the one or more call center agents, one or more additional questions from a customer to which the call center agent cannot answer;

receiving, through the instant messaging system, the one or more additional questions;

determining, in real-time, one or more proposed answers to each additional question based on analysis of the one or more original questions and answers;

determining, in real-time, a confidence score for each of the one or more proposed answers;

if the confidence score of the proposed answer exceeds a confidence threshold, providing, in real-time, the proposed answer to the call center agent;

receiving, in real-time, through a feedback module, feedback on the proposed answer from one or more subject matter experts or call center managers; and

incorporating, in real-time, the feedback on the proposed answer into the analysis of the one or more original questions and the one or more additional questions.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing a plug-in module to moderate the interactions between the cognitive system and the instant messaging application.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the plug-in module utilizes one or more registration commands to identify the one or more questions and answers sent between the instant messaging application and the cognitive system.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

ingesting, in real-time, through the instant messaging application, one or more answers provided by the one or more subject matter experts.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

providing, in real-time, the proposed answer to the call center agent through the instant messaging application.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

using the cognitive system, in real-time, to determine the confidence threshold needed to provide a proposed answer.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

flagging, in real-time, through the feedback module, one or more answers as unsuitable for display.

8. A computer program product for question and answer generation, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

ingest, through an instant messaging application, one or more original questions from one or more call center agents;

ingest, through the instant messaging application, one or more answers from the one or more call center agents, the one or more answers associated with the one or more original questions;

analyze, through a cognitive system, the one or more answers associated with the one or more original questions;

incorporate the analysis of the one or more answers into the analysis of the one or more answers and the one or more original questions;

receive, by one of the one or more call center agents, one or more additional questions from a customer to which the call center agent cannot answer;

receive, through the instant messaging system, the one or more additional questions;

determine, in real-time, one or more proposed answers to each additional question based on analysis of the one or more original questions and answers;

determine, in real-time, a confidence score for each of the one or more proposed answers;

if the confidence score of the proposed answer exceeds a confidence threshold, provide, in real-time, the proposed answer to the call center agent;

receive, in real-time, through a feedback module, feedback on the proposed answer from one or more subject matter experts or call center managers; and

incorporate, in real-time, the feedback into the analysis of the one or more original questions and the one or more additional questions.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the processor utilizes a plug-in module to moderate the interactions between the cognitive system and the instant messaging application.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, wherein the plug-in module utilizes one or more registration commands to identify the one or more questions and answers sent between the instant messaging application and the cognitive system.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the processor ingests, in real-time, through the instant messaging application, one or more answers provided by the one or more subject matter experts.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the processor provides, in real-time, the proposed answer to the call center agent through the instant messaging application.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the processor uses the cognitive system to determine, in real-time, the confidence threshold needed to provide a proposed answer.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, wherein the processor flags, in real-time, through the feedback module, one or more answers as unsuitable for display.

15. A method for cognitive system integration into a call center using an instant messaging application, the method comprising:

ingesting one or more original questions entered into the instant messaging application by one or more call center agents;

ingesting one or more answers associated with the one or more original questions entered into the instant messaging application, the one or more answers being entered into the instant messaging application by the one or more call center agents;

analyzing, through a cognitive system, each of the one or more answers associated with the one or more original questions;

incorporating the analysis of the one or more answers into the analysis of the one or more answers and the one or more original questions;

receiving, by one of the one or more call center agents, one or more additional questions from a customer to which the call center agent cannot answer through the instant messaging system;

determining, in real-time, one or more proposed answers to each additional question based on analysis of the one or more original questions and answers by a cognitive system;

determining, in real-time, a confidence score for each of the one or more proposed answers;

if the confidence score of the proposed answer exceeds a confidence threshold, providing, in real-time, the proposed answer to the call center agent;

receiving, in real-time, feedback on the proposed answer from one or more subject matter experts or call center managers through a feedback module; and

incorporating, in real-time, the feedback on the proposed answer into the analysis of the one or more original questions and the one or more additional questions.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

utilizing a plug-in module to moderate the interactions between the cognitive system and the instant messaging application.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the plug-in module utilizes one or more registration commands to identify the one or more questions and answers sent between the instant messaging application and the cognitive system.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

ingesting, in real-time, one or more answers provided by the one or more subject matter experts through the instant messaging application.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

providing, in real-time, the proposed answer to the call center agent through the instant messaging application.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

using the cognitive system to determine, in real-time, the confidence threshold needed to provide a proposed answer.