SYNCHRONIZATION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS IN A COLLABORATIVE MESSAGING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090119371A1
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Angela Richards, Nesbitt, Pamela A., Chang, Belinda Y., Gandhi, Shruti
• Granted Patent: US 9,686,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to question and answer management in a collaborative environment, and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and apparatus for synchronizing questions and answers in an instant messaging session. In one embodiment of the invention, a method of synchronizing questions and answers in an instant messaging session can be provided. The method can include maintaining an instant messaging session between first and second participants, identifying questions and answers in the instant messaging text, matching each of the answers to a corresponding one of the questions, and displaying the matched questions and answers supplementally to the displaying of the chat transcript, ensuring that a participant does not overlook a question where response on their part is required.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing questions and answers in an instant messaging session, the method comprising:

displaying an initial chat transcript of instant messaging content between first and second participants to the instant messaging session;

identifying questions in the instant messaging content; and

,

displaying the questions supplementally to the displaying of the chat transcript.

2. A method for synchronizing questions and answers in an instant messaging session, the method comprising:

displaying an initial chat transcript of instant messaging content between first and second participants to the instant messaging session;

identifying questions and answers in the instant messaging content;

matching each of the answers to a corresponding one of the questions; and

,

displaying the matched questions and answers supplementally to the displaying of the chat transcript.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first participant is a customer service representative and the second participant is a customer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the matched questions and answers supplementally to the displaying of the chat transcript, comprises displaying the matched questions and answers in a window that is separate from a window displaying of the chat transcript.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein matching each of the answers to a corresponding one of the questions, comprises for each of the questions and the answers, identifying a threshold number of common words in a question and answer in order to determine a match.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising color-coordinating each matched question and answer in the supplemental display.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising assigning a corresponding numerical label for each matched question and answer in the supplemental display.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising removing a matched one of the questions and answers from the supplemental display responsive to a selection of the matched one of the questions and answers.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the matched questions and answers supplementally to the displaying of the chat transcript, comprises displaying the matched questions and answers based on chronological order of when the question was first asked.

10. A collaborative computing data processing system comprising:

an instant messenger configured to maintain an instant messaging session between first and second participants;

an agent coupled to the instant messenger; and

,

instant messenger question and answer synchronization logic comprising program code enabled to display an initial chat transcript of instant messaging content between first and second participants to the instant messaging session, identify questions and answers in the instant messaging content, match each of the answers to a corresponding one of the questions, and, display the matched questions and answers supplementally to the displaying of the chat transcript.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instant messenger question and answer synchronization logic comprising program code to display the matched questions and answers supplementally to the displaying of the chat transcript, comprises displaying the matched questions and answers in a window that is separate from a window displaying of the chat transcript.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium embodying computer usable program code for question and answer synchronization in an instant messaging session, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for displaying an initial chat transcript of instant messaging content between first and second participants to the instant messaging session;

computer usable program code for identifying questions and answers in the instant messaging content;

computer usable program code for matching each of the answers to a corresponding one of the questions; and

,

computer usable program code for displaying the matched questions and answers supplementally to the displaying of the chat transcript.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable program code for displaying the matched questions and answers supplementally to the displaying of the chat transcript, comprises displaying the matched questions and answers in a window that is separate from a window displaying of the chat transcript.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable program code for matching each of the answers to a corresponding one of the questions, comprises for each of the questions and the answers, identifying a threshold number of common words in a question and answer in order to determine a match.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer usable program code for removing a matched one of the questions and answers from the supplemental display responsive to a selection of the matched one of the questions and answers.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable program code for displaying the matched questions and answers supplementally to the displaying of the chat transcript, comprises displaying the matched questions and answers based on chronological order of when the question was first asked.