Computer implemented automated remote support

• US 6,760,722 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Raghunandan, Hulikunta Prahlad
• Primary Examiner(s): Amsbury, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/572,396
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/3, 707/102, 705/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/046 Forward inferencing; Production systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

This invention relates to a computer implemented automated remote support in a computing system that utilizes machine learning to provide constantly improving support capability. It comprises a means for parsing input requests, means for automatically executing test cases, a Database for storing data pertaining to behaviour of products and Multiproduct combinations, as well as searching means for searching through the Database for previous occurrences of similar requests. An Expert System utilizing machine learning capabilities generates the final solution and constantly updates the organization of the data in the Database in order to improve the effectiveness of subsequent searches.

Claims

1. A computer implemented support system comprising:

a prioritising means for prioritising electronically received support requests, wherein such a support request includes a problem report describing actual and expected behaviour information, the behaviour information including a particular product, p1, and environment, e1, for the problem,

a parsing means for parsing each said support request to extract the actual and expected behaviour information, including the particular product and environment for the problem, and compiling such actual and expected behaviour information in a prescribed data format for identifying the particular product and environment for the problem,

a searching means for connecting to the formatted data for the expected and actual behaviour information and searching in a database for previous occurrences of similar behaviour, and

updating means for updating the database, wherein the updating means updates the database in response to identification of new behaviour and also performs self-learning, wherein the updating means also updates the database in response to the self-learning to refine organization of the database in order to improve effectiveness of subsequent searches, wherein the previous occurrences of the similar behaviour are represented in the database in the prescribed data format, and the refining of the database organization includes forming associations, in the prescribed data format, of the product, p1, and another environment, e2, and of the environment e1, and another product, p2, wherein the updating means performs its self-learning independently of the updating in response to identification of new behaviour so that the updations in response to the self-learning are performed even if no support requests are received.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support request is received through a mailing system or via a network.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for parsing the support request includes a standard or custom-designed parsing system.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the searching means includes a search engine.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the database contains information relating to functionality, specifications and behaviour, including reported problems and their solutions, for individual products as well as combinations of products.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the database includes a combination of multiple entities in order to improve effectiveness of the searching.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the database includes a knowledge cache containing most recent information relating to individual products, a multi-product view cache containing most recent views on various product combinations, and a set of knowledge bases containing all available information on individual products as well as product combinations.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7 comprising:

means for forwarding the request to a system expert if a solution is not found.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the data in the knowledge base, knowledge cache and the multiproduct view cache is updated responsive to a release of a new product, a revision to an existing product, and a solution provided by the system expert.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the system includes:

means for generating a final solution or suggestion using a result of a search performed by the searching means.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the means for generating a final solution or suggestion includes an expert system with self-learning capability.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for updating the database includes an expert system with self-learning abilities.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein such a support request includes test data, the parsing means parses the support request to extract the test data and compiles the test data in the prescribed data format, and wherein the system includes:

test execution means for receiving the extracted test data and executing the extracted test data in order to confirm the reported behaviour.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the test execution means includes a computing system for automatic login and execution of test cases.

15. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the prescribed data format includes but is not limited to Environment, Description, Action, Next, Testcase to facilitate effective interfacing.

16. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the system is a part of a network.

17. In a computing system including a means for electronically receiving requests, a method for automatically processing support requests comprising the steps of:

a) electronically receiving and prioritising the support requests, wherein such a support request includes a problem reported describing expected and actual behaviour information, the behaviour information including a particular product, p1, and environment, e1, for the problem,

b) parsing the electronically received request to extract the actual and expected behaviour information, including the particular product and environment for the problem,

c) compiling the actual and expected behaviour information in a prescribed data format, for identifying the particular product and environment for the problem,

d) searching in a database for previous occurrences of similar behaviour,

e) updating the database in response to step d) indicating a case of new behaviour, and

f) updating the database in response to analysis of the database by an expert system to refine organization of the database in order to improve effectiveness of subsequent searches, wherein the previous occurrences of the similar behaviour are represented in the database in the prescribed data format, and the refining of the database organization includes forming associations, in the prescribed data format, of the product, p1, and another environment, e2, and of the environment, e1, and another product, p2, wherein the updating in step f) is independent of the updating of step e) so that the updations of step f) are performed even if no support requests are received.

18. In a computing system including a means for electronically receiving requests, a method as claimed in claim 17, wherein such a support request includes test data, step b) includes parsing the support request to extract the test data, step c) includes compiling the test data in the prescribed data format, and the method includes the step of:

executing the test data to confirm the reported actual behaviour.

19. In a computing system including a means for electronically receiving requests, a method as claimed in claim 17 wherein in cases where multiple requests are received, each request is processed based on a prescribed priority handling mechanism.

20. In a computing system including a means for electronically receiving requests, a method as claimed in claim 17, including the step of:

generating a final solution or suggestion using a result of the searching.

21. In a computing system including a means for electronically receiving requests, a method for automatically processing support requests as claimed in claim 17, wherein the database includes a knowledge cache, a multiproduct view cache and a knowledge base, and step d) includes the steps of:

searching in the knowledge cache for previous occurrence of similar behaviour

searching in the multiproduct view cache for previous occurrence of similar behaviour, and

searching in the knowledge base for previous occurrence of similar behaviour.

22. In a computer system including a means for electronically receiving requests, a method as claimed in claim 21, including the step of:

forwarding the request to a system expert if a solution is not found.

23. In a computer system including a means for electronically receiving requests, a method as claimed in claim 22 including the step of:

updating the knowledge base, knowledge cache and the multiproduct view cache responsive to a release of a new product, a revision to an existing product, and a solution provided by the system expert.

24. In a computer system including a means for electronically receiving requests, a method as claimed in claim 17 wherein in cases where multiple requests are received, each request is processed based on a prescribed priority handling mechanism.