System for managing an exchange of questions and answers through an expert answer web site

• US 6,938,068 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kraft, Reiner, Ruvolo, Joann
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Halim, Sahera
• Application Number:
  US09/607,289
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/203, 709/206, 705/8, 705/10
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A question management system for an expert advice web site maintains a database of experts in different subject matter categories. Ranking scores associated with each expert are continually updated based on the timeliness of answers provided by the experts and answer rating feedback received from the question poser. According to another aspect of the invention, method and computer readable medium is disclosed for carrying out the above method.

Claims

1. A system for managing questions submitted by a person with a question and answered by one or more experts comprising:

a question management server;

a question poser communication interface;

an expert communication interface;

an expert ranking database for maintaining a list of experts in one or more categories along with an item of information indicative of timeliness of an expert in providing answers and quality of answers provided by an expert;

an expert set determinator for extracting a set of experts in a particular category from the expert ranking database based on the item of information indicative of timeliness of each expert in providing answers and quality of answers provided by each expert; and

a sliding window manager for extracting a contiguous subset of the set of experts to whom to send a question received from a question poser.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user-session manager for receiving feedback from the question poser; and

a ranking manager for adjusting the item of information in accordance with the feedback received from the question poser.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an expert timer manager for timing the time taken by an expert to answer a question; and

a ranking manager for adjusting the item of information in accordance with the time taken by the expert to answer the question.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user-session manager for receiving feedback from the question poser;

an expert timer manager for timing the time taken by an expert to answer a question; and

a ranking manager for adjusting the item of information in accordance with the time taken by the expert to answer the question and the feedback received from the question poser.

5. A method on a server for managing questions received via a network from a plurality of client systems comprising steps of:

receiving a question from a question poser using a client system;

extracting a set of experts with associated ranking scores, wherein ranking scores are based on timeliness of each expert in providing answers and the quality of the answers provided by each expert;

selecting a subset of the set of experts based on the associated ranking scores; and

providing the question to the subset of experts.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising steps of:

receiving an answers from an expert; and

sending the answer to the question poser.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising steps of:

timing the time taken by the expert to answer the question; and

adjusting a ranking score associated with the expert on the basis of the time taken.

8. A method according to claim 5, further comprising steps of:

receiving a feedback response from the question poser on the quality of an answer provided by the expert; and

adjusting a ranking score associated with the expert on the basis of the feedback response.

9. A method according to claim 6, comprising a step of:

timing the time taken by the expert to answer the question;

reading a typical time for other experts to answer questions in a subject category; and

adjusting a ranking score on the basis of the time taken by the expert to answer the question, and the time for other experts to answer questions in the subject category.

10. A method according to claim 5, comprising steps of:

reading a time limit;

starting a timer;

waiting until the timer reaches the time limit; and

adjusting a ranking score associated with the expert on the basis of the timer having reached the time limit.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the step of reading a time limit comprises a substep of:

receiving a time constraint from the question poser.

12. A method according to claim 5, comprising steps of:

receiving an explicit declination to answer the question from an expert; and

adjusting a ranking score associated with the expert in response to receiving the explicit declination.

13. A method according to claim 5, comprising steps of:

receiving an explicit declination to answer the question from an expert;

performing a comparison of a time used by the expert to submit the explicit declination to a preselected declination limit time; and

adjusting a ranking score associated with the expert In accordance with an outcome of the comparison.

14. A method according to claim 5, comprising steps of:

sending an indication of a time limit for answering the question to an expert; and

receiving a message from the expert indicating that the time limit is too short.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising steps of:

storing the name of the expert in a list of experts that indicated that the time limit was too short;

waiting until a time period has elapsed;

obtaining a count of a number experts in the list;

performing a comparison of the count to a preselected threshold; and

adjusting a ranking score of the expert in accordance with an outcome of the comparison.

16. A method for operating an expert answer web site comprising steps of:

receiving a question from a question poser;

selecting a set of experts on the basis of timeliness of each expert in providing answers and the quality of the answers provided by each expert; and

notifying the set of experts of the question.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of notifying the set of experts comprises a substep of:

e-mailing the question to the set of experts.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of notifying the set of experts comprises a substep of:

sending a wireless device messages to the set of experts.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of notifying the set of experts comprises a substep of:

generating and sending a web page including the question.

20. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for managing a question answer system comprising programming instructions for:

receiving a question from a question poser;

extracting a set of experts with associated ranking scores, wherein ranking scores are based on timeliness of each expert in providing answers and the quality of the answers provided by each expert;

selecting a subset of the set of experts based on the associated ranking scores; and

providing the question to the subset of experts.

21. A computer readable medium according to claim 20, further comprising programming instructions for:

receiving an answers from an expert; and

sending the answer to the question poser.

22. A computer readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising programming instructions for:

timing the time taken by the expert to answer the question; and

adjusting a ranking score associated with the expert on the basis of the time taken.

23. A computer readable medium according to claim 21, comprising programming instructions for:

timing the time taken by the expert to answer the question;

reading a typical time for other experts to answer questions in a subject category; and

adjusting a ranking score on the basis of the time taken by the expert to answer the question, and the time for other experts to answer questions in the subject category.

24. A computer readable medium according to claim 20, further comprising programming instruction for:

receiving a feedback response from the question poser on the quality of an answer provided by the expert; and

adjusting a ranking score associated with the expert on the basis of the feedback response.

25. A computer readable medium according to claim 20, comprising programming instructions for:

reading a time limit;

starting a timer;

waiting until the timer reaches the time limit;

adjusting a ranking score associated with the expert on the basis of the timer having reached the time limit.

26. The computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the programming instructions for reading a time limit comprises programming instructions for:

receiving a time constraint from the question poser.

27. A computer readable medium according to claim 20, comprising programming instructions for:

receiving an explicit declination to answer the question from an expert; and

adjusting a ranking score associated with the expert in response to receiving the explicit declination.

28. A computer readable medium according to claim 20, comprising programming instructions for:

receiving an explicit declination to answer the question from an expert;

performing a comparison of a time used by the expert to submit the explicit declination to a preselected declination limit time; and

adjusting a ranking score associated with the expert in accordance with an outcome of the comparison.

29. A computer readable medium according to claim 20, comprising programming instructions for:

sending an indication of a time limit for answering the question to an expert; and

receiving a message from the expert indicating that the time limit is too short.

30. A computer readable medium according to claim 29, further comprising programming instructions for:

storing the name of the expert in a list of experts that Indicated that the time limit was too short;

waiting until a time period has elapsed;

obtaining a count of a number experts in the list;

performing a comparison of the count to a preselected threshold; and

adjusting a ranking score of the expert in accordance with an outcome of the comparison.

31. A computer readable medium for operating an expert answer web site comprising programming instructions for:

receiving a question from a question poser;

selecting a set of experts on the basis of timeliness of each expert in providing answers and the quality of the answers provided by each expert; and

notifying the set of experts of the question.

32. The computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the programming instructions for notifying the set of experts comprises a programming instructions for:

e-mailing the question to the set of experts.

33. The computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the programming instructions for notifying the set of experts comprises programming instructions for:

sending a wireless device messages to the set of experts.

34. The computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the programming instructions for notifying the set of experts comprises a programming instructions for:

generating and sending a web page including the question.