Automatic Question Generation and Answering Based on Monitored Messaging Sessions

• US 20150088998A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Isensee, Scott H., Schwartz, David R., Vardy, Cale R., O'Keeffe, William G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,401,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided, in a first computing device, for sharing content of communication sessions. The mechanisms establish a first communication session between the first computing device and a second computing device. The first computing device is operated by a first user and the second computing device is operated by a second user. The apparatus establishes, in response to content of the first communication session indicating subject matter for which additional information is desired by at least one of the first user or the second user, a second communication session between the first computing device and a question and answer (QA) system. In response to an input by the first user requesting sharing of information, the first computing device automatically copies a portion of content of the first communication session to the second communication session as an input question submitted to the QA system.

Claims

1. A method, in a first computing device comprising a processor and a memory, for sharing content of one communication session with another communication session, the method comprising:

establishing, by the first computing device, a first communication session between the first computing device and a second computing device, wherein the first computing device is operated by a first user and the second computing device is operated by a second user;

establishing, by the first computing device, in response to content of the first communication session indicating subject matter for which additional information is desired by at least one of the first user or the second user, a second communication session between the first computing device and a question and answer (QA) system; and

in response to an input by the first user to the first computing device requesting sharing of information of the first communication session with the second communication session, automatically copying, by the first computing device, a portion of content of the first communication session to the second communication session as an input question submitted to the QA system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to establishing the first communication session, registering the first communication session with an analysis engine that analyzes content of the first communication session to determine if additional information is available to assist with the first communication session, wherein the registration comprises providing context information for the first communication session to the analysis engine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the analysis engine is a Natural Language Processing (NLP) engine that performs natural language processing of the content of the first communication session.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the analysis engine further analyzes context information associated with the first communication session, wherein the context information comprises information identifying characteristics of the second user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the characteristics of the second user comprises at least one of information identifying a configuration of the second computing device used by the second user, account information associated with the user, or personal information about the second user.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

automatically establishing a third communication session with a second computing device associated with a third user in response to the analysis engine analyzing the content of the first communication session and, based on results of the analysis, identifies the third user as having an associated characteristic that corresponds to a feature of the content of the first communication session.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of organizational relationship information indicating an organizational relationship between the third user and the first user or subject matter expertise information for the third user.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the feature of the content of the first communication session comprises a feature indicative of a frustration level of the second user with the first communication session and the characteristic is a supervisory level of the third user relative to the first user.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the feature of the content of the first communication session comprises a feature indicative of a subject matter of one or more communications of the first communication session, and wherein the characteristic associated with the third user is an indicator of a subject matter expertise of the third user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first computing device, results information generated by the QA system in response to receiving the input question;

outputting, by the first computing device, the results information to the first user, wherein the results information comprises a candidate answer, generated by the QA system in response to the input question, which has at least a threshold value level of confidence measure associated with the candidate answer; and

automatically copying at least a portion of the results information from the second communication session into the first communication session such that the portion of the results information is output on the second computing device.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a first computing device, causes the first computing device to:

establish a first communication session between the first computing device and a second computing device, wherein the first computing device is operated by a first user and the second computing device is operated by a second user;

establish, in response to content of the first communication session indicating subject matter for which additional information is desired by at least one of the first user or the second user, a second communication session between the first computing device and a question and answer (QA) system; and

in response to an input by the first user to the first computing device requesting sharing of information of the first communication session with the second communication session, automatically copy a portion of content of the first communication session to the second communication session as an input question submitted to the QA system.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to establishing the first communication session, registering the first communication session with an analysis engine that analyzes content of the first communication session to determine if additional information is available to assist with the first communication session, wherein the registration comprises providing context information for the first communication session to the analysis engine.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the analysis engine is a Natural Language Processing (NLP) engine that performs natural language processing of the content of the first communication session.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the analysis engine further analyzes context information associated with the first communication session, wherein the context information comprises information identifying characteristics of the second user.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the characteristics of the second user comprises at least one of information identifying a configuration of the second computing device used by the second user, account information associated with the user, or personal information about the second user.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

automatically establishing a third communication session with a second computing device associated with a third user in response to the analysis engine analyzing the content of the first communication session and, based on results of the analysis, identifies the third user as having an associated characteristic that corresponds to a feature of the content of the first communication session.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of organizational relationship information indicating an organizational relationship between the third user and the first user or subject matter expertise information for the third user.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the feature of the content of the first communication session comprises a feature indicative of a frustration level of the second user with the first communication session and the characteristic is a supervisory level of the third user relative to the first user.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the feature of the content of the first communication session comprises a feature indicative of a subject matter of one or more communications of the first communication session, and wherein the characteristic associated with the third user is an indicator of a subject matter expertise of the third user.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

establish a first communication session between the apparatus and a first computing device, wherein the apparatus is operated by a first user and the first computing device is operated by a second user;

establish, in response to content of the first communication session indicating subject matter for which additional information is desired by at least one of the first user or the second user, a second communication session between the apparatus and a question and answer (QA) system; and

in response to an input by the first user to the apparatus requesting sharing of information of the first communication session with the second communication session, automatically copy a portion of content of the first communication session to the second communication session as an input question submitted to the QA system.