Interactive Query Tool

• US 20110161431A1
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Poruri, Ravibabu, Jagannathan, Srivatsan
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A chat room system interfaces with an automated processing system. When an interactive query message from a user is addressed to the automated processing system, the interactive query message is passed to the automated processing system. The automated processing system extracts one or more keywords from the interactive query message and obtains response information from a data structure based on the one or more keywords. The automated processing system then returns an interactive response to the user through instant messaging. When the interactive query message is not addressed to the automated processing system, the interactive query message is forwarded to a support group through a chat room system. When the interactive response exceeds a predetermined size, part of the interactive response may be sent through instant messaging and the remainder through e-mail.

Claims

1. A computer-assisted method comprising:

receiving a query message from a user device;

when the query message is addressed to an automated processing system,

passing the query message to the automated processing system;

extracting, by the automated processing system, at least one keyword from the query message;

obtaining response information from a data structure based on the at least one keyword; and

returning a response to the user device; and

when the query message is not addressed to the automated processing system,

forwarding the query message to a support group through a chat room system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the response information is not available from the data structure, forwarding the query message to the support group through the chat room system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the response exceeds a predetermined size, sending a first portion of the response to the user device through instant messaging and a second portion of the response to the user device through e-mail.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the response exceeds a predetermined size, sending at least a portion of the response to the user device through e-mail.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the automated processing system, whether the user device has user permission to receive the response information;

when the user device has the user permission, including the response information in the response.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when the user device does not have the user permission, not including the response information in the response.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the automated system, whether the query message is consistent with an expected format; and

sending an indicator in the response, wherein the indicator is indicative that the query message is inconsistent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes user statistics.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes trade statistics for a client.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes user permissions for the user device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes user group and account information.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a query message from a user device through a chat channel;

when the query message is addressed to an automated processing system,

forwarding the query message to the automated processing system;

extracting a command type from the query message;

obtaining response information from a data structure based on the command type; and

returning a response to the user device through instant messaging; and

when the query message is not addressed to the automated processing system,

forwarding the query message to a support group through a chat room system.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, said method further comprising:

when the response information is not available from the data structure, forwarding the query message to the support group through the chat room system.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, said method further comprising:

when the response exceeds a predetermined size, sending a first portion of the response to the user device through the instant messaging and a second portion of the response to the user device through e-mail.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, said method further comprising:

determining, by the automated processing system, whether the user device has user permission to receive the response information;

when the user device has the user permission, including the response information in the response.

16. An apparatus comprising:

an electronic chat room system configured to perform steps of;

receiving a query message from a user device;

when the query message is addressed to an automated processing system, passing the query message to the automated processing system; and

when the query message is not addressed to the automated processing system, forwarding the query message to a support group through a chat session; and

the automated processing system configured to perform steps of;

extracting at least one keyword from the query message;

obtaining response information from a data structure based on the at least one keyword; and

returning a response with the response information to the user device through instant messaging.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the automated processing system forwarding the query message to the support group through the chat room system when the response information is not available from the data structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, the automated processing system sending a first portion of the response to the user device via the instant messaging and a second portion of the response to the user device via e-mail when the response exceeds a predetermined size.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, the automated processing system sending at least a portion of the response to the user device via e-mail when the response exceeds a predetermined size.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, the automated processing system determining whether the user device has user permission to receive the response information and including the response information in the response when the user device has the user permission.