Information search system, information search method, call center system, server and information search apparatus

• US 20030004838A1
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Katsuyoshi, Kusuda, Rika
• Application Number:
  US10/180,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004838A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy

Abstract

A system in which re-presentation of a search inquiry from an user to a call center can be omitted when a request for agent help is made. It is realized in an information search system that includes a user terminal 3 connected to a network such as the Internet 2, a call center Web server 7 for receiving a search condition sent from the user terminal 3 via the network, and an agent terminal 6 connected to the call center Web server 7. The call center Web server 7 search includes a search history preserving unit for preserving search histories, and an output unit for outputting a search history preserved in the search history preserving means to the agent terminal 6 when a connection request from the user terminal 3 to the agent terminal 6 is made.

Claims

1. An information search system, comprising:

a user terminal connected to a network;

a server for receiving a search condition sent from said user terminal via said network,

and an agent terminal connected to said server;

wherein said server comprises;

a search history preserving unit for preserving the history of a search with said search condition; and

an output unit for outputting said search history preserved in said search history preserving unit to said agent terminal in response to a request from said user terminal for connecting to said agent terminal.

2. The information search system according to claim 1, wherein said search history includes a search keyword input from said user terminal.

3. The information search system according to claim 1, wherein said search history includes information referred to at said user terminal in the course of a search.

5. The information search method according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said request for a response by an agent comprises a request for a response to said user by telephone.

6. The information search method according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said request for a response by an agent comprises a request for a response to said user by e-mail.

4. An information search method, comprising the steps of:

performing a search using a database based on a search condition input from a user terminal via a network;

outputting a search result to said user terminal and preserving a search history;

receiving a request from said user for a response by an agent that is made based on said output search result; and

outputting said search history to an agent that responds to said request for a response by a user.

7. A call center system, comprising:

an information searching unit for performing a search based on a search condition input by a user via a network;

a preserving unit for preserving said search condition;

a receiving unit for receiving from said user a request for a response by telephone or by e-mail to said search;

an agent selecting unit for selecting an agent to respond to said request for a response by telephone or by e-mail; and

an output unit for outputting to an agent terminal used by said agent said search condition and a search result based on said condition.

8. The call center system according to claim 7, wherein said call center system comprises a first database open to said user and a second database not open to said user, said first database being used to perform a search for said user and said second database being used to perform a search based on said search condition in response to said request for a response.

9. The call center system according to claim 8, wherein said output unit outputs to said agent terminal the result of a search performed using said second database.

10. The call center system according to claim 9, wherein said output unit outputs the result of a search performed using said first database, the result of a search performed using said second database, and said search condition.

11. The call center system according to claim 8, comprising a reply storing unit for associating said search condition with a newly created reply for said search condition and storing said reply in case there is no hit either for the search performed using said first database or for the search performed using said second database.

13. The server according to claim 12, wherein said output unit outputs said search result to said agent terminal.

14. The server according to claim 13, wherein said search result includes a title of content extracted by the search, and said output unit outputs information about content referred to by said user appended to said title of content.

15. The server according to claim 13, wherein said search result includes a title of content extracted by the search, and said output unit outputs information about frequency with which said content is extracted by searches appended to said title of content.

17. The information search apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an agent terminal for responding to said predetermined process request, wherein the extracted result of said search with said second database and said search condition are displayed at said agent terminal.

12. A sever for receiving a request for a search made by a user via a network and outputting the result of the search to said user, comprising:

a search history preserving unit for preserving a history of said search requested by said user, said search being associated with identity information that identifies said search from other searches; and

an output unit for outputting said search history preserved in said search history preserving unit to a terminal used by an agent that responds to a predetermined process request, in response to said predetermined process request to said search result from said user.

16. An information search apparatus for receiving a request for a search from a user via a network and performing a search based on a search condition input by the user, comprising:

a first database for preserving data that is subject to a search requested by a user;

an output unit for outputting an extracted result by the search to said user;

and a receiving unit for receiving a predetermined process request to said extracted result from said user;

wherein, on condition that said receiving unit receives said predetermined process request, a search is performed with a second database different from said first database, and the extracted result of said search with said second database is displayed along with said search condition.

18. A medium for storing computer program instructions, which when loaded into a computer and executed performs an information search method comprising the steps of:

performing a search using a database based on a search condition input from a user terminal via a network;

outputting a search result to said user terminal and preserving asearchhistory;

receiving a request from said user for a response by an agent that is made based on said output search result; and

outputting said search history to an agent that responds to said request for a response by a user.