System for building a user-determined database of solution documents from queries that fail within it and from the search steps that do provide a solution

• US 5,404,518 A
• Filed: 06/30/1994
• Issued: 04/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Answer Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: Gilbertson, Eric J., Nunke, Sarah L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kulik, Paul V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US08/268,712
• Time in Patent Office: 278 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 364/408, 364/419.19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/322 Trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A computer system and method are disclosed for integrating call management to the retrieval of documents in response to user inquiries. The system consists of a processor connected to an incident table register, a user table register and a document tree data base. The incident table register records and stores information related to the user inquiry, the user table stores information related to the user'"'"'s identity and the document tree data base stores a plurality of documents, useful in addressing user inquiries. Various linkages connect information stored in the various tables and registers, thereby making the system integrated with respect to the user'"'"'s identity, the user'"'"'s inquiry and the identity of the document which ultimately resolves the inquiry.

Claims

1. A method for managing user inquiries and a database of solution documents providing solutions to the user inquiries, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing a user inquiry for which a retrieved solution document may provide a solution;

identifying and storing an identity of a user presenting the user inquiry;

linking the identity of the user to the user inquiry;

retrieving a solution document providing a solution to the user inquiry from the database using at least one search step and notifying the user of the retrieved solution document; and

if no solution document providing a solution to the user inquiry is retrieved, creating a problem report identifying the user inquiry and the search steps, creating a new solution document responsive to the problem report, storing the new solution document in the database such that repeating the search steps retrieves the solution document, and notifying the user of the solution document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

linking the retrieved solution document to the user inquiry; and

linking the retrieved solution document to the identity of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

linking the new solution document to the user inquiry for which no solution document was retrieved; and

linking the new solution document to the identity of the user presenting the user inquiry.

4. A document and inquiry management system comprising:

a processor for executing search instructions input by a user;

a data base structure, accessible by the processor for storing documents, for being searched by the processor in response to the search instructions for retrieving a document solving a user supplied inquiry description;

an inquiry reporter accessible by the processor for receiving and storing the inquiry description and the search instructions for searching the data base structure for a document providing a solution to the inquiry description, and providing the search instructions to the processor;

a user identifier accessible by the processor for receiving and storing identities of authorized users of the system and for identifying the identity of the user for whom the document is being retrieved from the data base structure according to the search instructions;

a link generator connecting the inquiry reporter to the user identifier in order that the processor may simultaneously identify both the inquiry description and the user for whom the document is being retrieved; and

a solution report generator accessible by the processor for generating a solution report indicating that a document solving an inquiry description was not retrieved by the processor, and for linking a new document solving the inquiry description to the data base structure such that repeating the search instructions retrieves the new document.

5. A computer system for managing user inquiries and solution documents solving the user inquiries, the system comprising:

a processor for receiving a user inquiry input by a user and user indicia identifying the user of the system;

an incident table register coupled to the processor for storing the user inquiry;

a user table register coupled to the processor for storing the user indicia, the processor linking a user inquiry in the incident table register to the user indicia of the user who input the user inquiry;

a document tree data base coupled to the processor for storing a plurality of solution documents, each solution document providing a solution to at least one user inquiry in the incident table register;

a search means coupled to the processor, and directed by the user for searching the document tree data base to retrieve a solution document providing a solution to the user inquiry, linking the retrieved solution document to the user inquiry, and storing in the incident table register search steps used during the search of the document tree database;

a problem report register for storing a problem report including an unsolved user inquiry for which no solution document was retrieved by the user from the document tree data base, and the search steps used during a search of the document tree database, the document tree data base updated to include a solution document providing a solution to the unsolved user inquiry in response to the search steps.

6. The computer system of claim 5 further comprising:

a document table register coupled to the processor for storing document addresses of solution documents stored in the document tree data base, the processor accessing the document table register to link the document address of a solution document providing a solution to a user inquiry in the incident table register.

7. The computer system of claim 5 further comprising:

an inquiry link register coupled to the processor for storing the linking between a user inquiry in the incident table register and the user indicia in the user table register.

8. The computer system of claim 5 further comprising:

solution link register coupled to the processor for storing a linking between a user inquiry in the incident table register and a solution document stored in the document tree data base providing a solution to the user inquiry.

9. The computer system of claim 5 further comprising:

a notify link register coupled to the processor for storing a linking between a user indicia in the user table register and a solution document in the document tree data base providing a solution to a user inquiry input by a user identified by the user indicia, for notifying a user of the solution document if the solution document is updated.

10. The computer system of claim 5 further comprising:

a problem link register coupled to the processor for storing a linking between a problem report in the problem report register including an unsolved user inquiry for which no solution document was retrieved and that user inquiry as stored in the incident table register.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the document tree data base comprises a hierarchical data base having a plurality of levels, each level including either at least one solution document or at least one index to sublevels, wherein the user searches the levels of the document tree data base using the search means to retrieve a solution document providing a solution to a user inquiry.