Method and apparatus for providing user support through an intelligent help agent

• US 6,871,322 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gusler, Carl Phillip, Hamilton, Rick Allen II
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/947,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20030043180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 345/708, 345/705, 345/707, 345/712, 345/714, 345/733, 345/751, 345/753, 345/971, 345741-743, 345/745, 345/747, 345/744, 706/50, 706/46, 706/45, 706/60, 434/118, 709/202, 709/201, 709/203, 709/206, 709/205, 709/204, 715/708, 715/705, 715/707, 715/712, 715/714, 715/733, 715/751, 715/753, 715/971, 715741-743, 715/745, 715/744, 715/747
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for providing user support. In response to receiving a request of real-time user support from a user, the request is placed in a service queue for processing. Prior actions taken by the user are identified. Access is selectively provided to an intelligent help agent while the request is in the queue.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for providing user support, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a request for real-time user support from a user, placing the request in a service queue for processing;

determining whether a human representative is available to provide said real-time support;

in response to determining that said human representative is available to provide real-time support, removing said request from said service queue and providing said request to said human representative to provide support without providing an intelligent help agent to the user; and

in response to determining that said human representative is not available to provide real-time support;

waiting for said human representative to become available;

while waiting for a human representative to become available to provide said real-time user support, selectively providing an intelligent help agent to the user to use to provide suppot;

utilizing said intelligent help agent by said user;

generating information about said utilization of said intelligent help agent by said user; and

providing said generated information along with said request to said human representative when said human representative becomes available.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a subject matter of said request;

determining whether a particular intelligent help agent is currently available that supports said subject matter;

in response to determining that said particular intelligent help agent is not available, continuing to wait for a human representative to become available without providing said intelligent help agent to the user;

in response to determining that said particular intelligent help agent is available, determining whether said user has selected to use said particular intelligent help agent;

in response to determining that said user has not selected to use said particular intelligent help agent, continuing to wait for a human representative to become available without providing said intelligent help agent to the user; and

in response to determining that said user has selected to use said particular intelligent help agent, selectively providing an intelligent help agent to the user to use to provide support by providing said particular intelligent help agent and utilizing said particular intelligent help agent to provide support until said human representative becomes available.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step comprising:

sending an option to initiate use of the intelligent help agent; and

responsive to a user input to use the intelligent agent, activating the intelligent agent for use by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

collecting information from the user through the intelligent help agent, wherein the information is provided to said human representative when the request is assigned to the human representative for processing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the intelligent help agent is an artificial intelligence program.

6. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to place a request in a service queue for processing in response to receiving the request for real-time user support from a user, determine whether a human representative is available to provide said real-time support;

in response to determining that said human representative is available to provide real-time support, remove said request from said service queue and provide said request to said human representative to provide support without providing an intelligent help agent to the user; and

in response to determining that said human representative is not available to provide real-time support;

wait for said human representative to become available;

while waiting for a human representative to become available to provide said real-time user support, selectively provide an intelligent help agent to the user to use to provide support;

utilize said intelligent help agent by said user;

generate information about said utilization of said intelligent help agent by said user; and

provide said generated information along with said request to said human representative when said human representative becomes available.

7. A data processing system for providing user support, the method comprising:

placing means, responsive to receiving a request for teal-time user support from a user, for placing the request in a service queue for processing;

determining means for determining whether a human representative is available to provide said real-time support;

in response to determining that said human representative is available to provide real-time support, removing means for removing said request from said service queue and providing means for providing said request to said human representative to provide support without providing an intelligent help agent to the user; and

in response to determining that said human representative is not available to provide real-time support;

waiting means for waiting for said human representative to become available;

while waiting for a human representative to become available to provide said real-time user support, providing means for selectively providing an intelligent help agent to the user to use to provide support;

utilizing means for utilizing said intelligent help agent by said user;

generating means for generating information about said utilization of said intelligent help agent by said user; and

providing means for providing said generated information along with said request to said human representative when said human representative becomes available.

8. The data processing system of claim 7, further comprising:

determining means for determining a subject matter or said request;

determining means for determining whether a particular intelligent help agent is currently available that support said subject matter;

in response to determining that said particular intelligent help agent is not available, waiting means for continuing to wait for a human representative to become available without providing said intelligent help agent to the user;

in response to determining that said particular intelligent help agent is available, determining means for determining whether said user has selected to use said particular intelligent help agent;

in response to determining that said user has not selected to use said particular intelligent help agent, waiting means for continuing to wait for a human representative to become available without providing said intelligent help agent to the user; and

in response to determining that said user has selected to use said particular intelligent help agent, providing means for selectively providing an intelligent help agent to the user to use to provide support by providing said particular intelligent help agent and utilizing means for utilizing said particular intelligent help agent to provide support until said human representative becomes available.

9. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the providing step comprising:

sending means for sending an option to initiate use of the intelligent help agent; and

activating means, responsive to a user input to use the intelligent agent, for activating the intelligent agent for use by the user.

10. The data processing system of claim 7, further comprising:

collecting means for collecting information from the user through the intelligent help agent, wherein the information is provided to said human representative when the request is assigned to the human representative for processing.

11. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the intelligent help agent is an artificial intelligence program.

12. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for providing user support, the computer program product comprising:

instructions, responsive to receiving a request for real-time user support from a user, for placing the request in a service queue for processing;

instructions for determining whether a human representative is available to provide said real-time support;

in response to determining that said human representative is available to provide real-time support, instructions for removing said request from said service queue and instructions for providing said request to said human representative to provide support without providing an intelligent help agent to the user; and

in response to determining that said human representative is not available to provide real-time support;

instructions for waiting for said human representative to become available;

while waiting for a human representative to become available to provide said real-time user support, instructions for selectively providing an intelligent help agent to the user to use to provide support;

instructions for utilizing said intelligent help agent by said user;

instructions for generating information about said utilization of said intelligent help agent by said user; and

instructions for providing said generated information along with said request to said human representative when said human representative becomes available.

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

instructions for determining a subject matter of said request;

instructions for determining whether a particular intelligent help agent is currently available that supports said subject matter;

in response to determining that said particular intelligent help agent is not available, instructions for continuing to wait for a human representative to become available without providing said intelligent help agent to the user;

in response to determining that said particular intelligent help agent is available, instructions for determining whether said user has selected to use said particular intelligent help agent;

in response to determining that said user has not selected to use particular intelligent help agent, instructions for continuing to wait for a human representative to become available without providing said intelligent help agent to the user; and

in response to determining that said user has selected to use said particular intelligent help agent, instructions for selectively providing an intelligent help agent to the user to use to provide support by providing said particular intelligent help agent and instructions for utilizing said particular intelligent help agent to provide support until said human representative becomes available.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the providing step comprising:

first instructions for sending an option to initiate use of the intelligent help agent; and

second instructions, responsive to a user input to use the intelligent agent, for activating the intelligent agent for use by the user.

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

instructions for collecting information from the user through the intelligent help agent, wherein the information is provided to said human representative when the request is assigned to the human representative for processing.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the intelligent help agent is an artificial intelligence program.