AUTOMATED ASSISTANCE FOR CUSTOMER CARE CHATS

• US 20120089683A1
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: [24]7.ai, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: GRIESMER, Stephen J., LEWIS, Steven H., BEATTIE, James Gordon Jr., COOKE, Charles Richard, HOSSAIN, Monowar, RUDMAN, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 9,083,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• 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 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

An apparatus provides automated assistance to an agent. The apparatus includes a receiver that receives a client communication from a client terminal via a network. A processor processes the client communication and determines a plurality of agent statements based on the client communication. The plurality of agent statements is displayed on a display. An input receives an agent communication from the agent. The agent communication is selected from a custom statement input by the agent and one of the plurality of agent statements selected by the agent. A transmitter transmits the agent communication to the client terminal via the network.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing automated assistance to an agent, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver that receives a client communication from a client terminal via a network;

a processor that processes the client communication and that determines a plurality of agent statements based on the client communication;

a display that displays the plurality of agent statements;

an input that receives an agent communication from the agent, the agent communication selected from a custom statement that is input by the agent and one of the plurality of agent statements that is selected by the agent; and

a transmitter that transmits the agent communication to the client terminal via the network.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor further processes a previous agent communication input by the agent and determines the plurality of agent statements based on the client communication and the previous agent communication.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor queries a backend system to determine the plurality of agent statements.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor processes the client communication based on natural language processing.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an automated agent that automatically selects one of the plurality of agent statements as the agent communication.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a communication dump that stores an automated assistance session in association with the client terminal, the automated assistance session comprising the client communication, the plurality of agent statements, and the agent communication; and

a restorer that restores the automated assistance session in response to the client terminal disconnecting from the network and reconnecting with the network.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the agent communication comprises the custom statement that is input by the agent and the one of the plurality of agent statements that is selected by the agent.

8. A method for providing automated assistance to an agent, the method comprising:

receiving a client communication from a client terminal via a network;

processing the client communication;

determining a plurality of agent statements based on the client communication;

displaying the plurality of agent statements on a display;

receiving an agent communication from the agent, the agent communication selected from a custom statement that is input by the agent and one of the plurality of agent statements that is selected by the agent; and

transmitting the agent communication to the client terminal via the network.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

processing a previous agent communication input by the agent; and

determining the plurality of agent statements based on the client communication and the previous agent communication.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

querying a backend system to determine the plurality of agent statements.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the client communication is processed based on natural language processing.

12. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

automatically selecting one of the plurality of agent statements as the agent communication.

13. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

storing an automated assistance session in association with the client terminal, the automated assistance session comprising the client communication, the plurality of agent statements, and the agent communication; and

restoring the automated assistance session in response to the client terminal disconnecting from the network and reconnecting with the network.

14. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the agent communication comprises the custom statement that is input by the agent and the one of the plurality of agent statements that is selected by the agent.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for providing automated assistance to an agent, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

a client communication code segment that, when executed, receives a client communication from a client terminal via a network;

a processing code segment that, when executed, processes the client communication;

an agent statement code segment that, when executed, determines a plurality of agent statements based on the client communication;

a displaying code segment that, when executed, displays the plurality of agent statements on a display;

an agent communication code segment that, when executed, receives an agent communication from the agent, the agent communication selected from a custom statement that is input by the agent and one of the plurality of agent statements that is selected by the agent; and

a transmitting code segment that, when executed, transmits the agent communication to the client terminal via the network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein

the processing code segment further processes a previous agent communication input by the agent, and

the agent statement code segment determines the plurality of agent statements based on the client communication and the previous agent communication.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein the agent statement code segment queries a backend system to determine the plurality of agent statements.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein the processing code segment processes the client communication based on natural language processing.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 15, further comprising:

an automated agent code segment that, when executed, automatically selects one of the plurality of agent statements as the agent communication.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 15, further comprising:

a storage code segment that, when executed, stores an automated assistance session in association with the client terminal, the automated assistance session comprising the client communication, the plurality of agent statements, and the agent communication; and

a restoration code segment that restores the automated assistance session when the client terminal disconnects from the network and reconnects with the network.