System and method for electronic communication management

• US 7,266,535 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Magdalen, Josemina, Nelken, Yoram, Nelken, Israel, Cohen, Dani, Hajaj, Nissan, Bluger, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US11/297,197
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 706/46, 706/14, 706/12, 709/202
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for electronic communication management comprises a universal data model, a modeling engine, and an adaptive knowledge base. The modeling engine includes a natural language processor and a statistical modeler. A communication is translated from its native format into the universal data model. The modeling engine determines the intent of the communication using the natural language processor and the statistical modeler. A response is generated, either automatically or by an agent. An audit module analyzes each response and provides feedback to the modeling engine and the adaptive knowledge base. The modeling engine uses the feedback to update models in the adaptive knowledge base. The modeling engine supports various application specific modules.

Claims

1. An electronic communications management system for managing electronic communications, comprising:

a contact center configured to send and receive electronic communications;

a modeling engine configured to analyze an electronic communication received by the contact center and determine an intent of the received electronic communication, wherein the modeling engine is configured to automatically retrieve a model based on the intent of the received electronic communication;

an adaptive knowledge base configured to store the models used by the modeling engine; and

a feedback module configured to compare an actual response to the received electronic communication with a predicted response to the received electronic communication generated using the retrieved model and provide feedback to the modeling engine, which uses the feedback to update the models in the adaptive knowledge base, so as to improve subsequent predicted responses by the electronic communications management system to received electronic communications.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the contact center is configured to receive text communications comprising natural language.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the modeling engine comprises a natural language processor configured to analyze the text communications to identify concepts.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the natural language processor performs a morphological basis of the text communications.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the natural language processor performs a semantic analysis of the text communications.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the natural language processor comprises a lexical knowledge base.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an automatic response module configured to generate responses to the received communications.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an audit module configured to monitor responses generated by agents for quality.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the audit module is configured to generate an audit result that is fed back to the modeling engine.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the models in the adaptive knowledge base comprises an accuracy gauge configured to be updated by feedback.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback module is further configured to support multiple feedbacks to a single received communication.

12. A method for managing electronic communications in an electronic communications management system, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic communication at a contact center;

analyzing the received electronic communication in a modeling engine to determine an intent of the received electronic communication, wherein the modeling engine is configured to automatically retrieve a model based on the intent of the received electronic communication;

generating a predicted response to the received electronic communication based on the intent of the received electronic communication using the retrieved model;

generating an actual response to the received electronic communication; and

comparing the actual response to the predicted response in a feedback module to provide feedback to the modeling engine, which uses the feedback to update models in an adaptive knowledge base, so as to improve subsequent predicted responses by the electronic communications management system to received electronic communications.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising routing the communication based on semantical content of the communication.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication comprises a communication expressed in natural language.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein generating a predicted response to the communication comprises comparing the communication to a model.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein generating a predicted response to the communication comprises comparing the communication to a set of models that correspond to a category related to the intent of the communication.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein comparing the actual response and the predicted response generates feedback that is used to modify a model.

18. A computer-usable medium having a program embodied thereon, the program being executable by a computer to perform a method for managing electronic communications in an electronic communications management system, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic communication at a contact center;

analyzing the received electronic communication in a modeling engine to determine an intent of the received electronic communication, wherein the modeling engine is configured to automatically retrieve a model based on the intent of the received electronic communication;

generating a predicted response to the received electronic communication based on the intent of the received electronic communication using the retrieved model;

generating an actual response to the received electronic communication; and

comparing the actual response and the predicted response in a feedback module to provide feedback to the modeling engine, which uses the feedback to update models in an adaptive knowledge base, so as to improve subsequent predicted responses by the electronic communications management system to received electronic communications.

19. An electronic communications management system for managing electronic communications, comprising:

means for receiving an electronic communication at a contact center;

means for analyzing the received electronic communication in a modeling engine to determine an intent of the received electronic communication, wherein the modeling engine is configured to automatically retrieve a model from an adaptive knowledge base based on the intent of the received electronic communication;

means for predicting a response to the received electronic communication based on the intent and generating a predicted response using the retrieved model;

means for generating an actual response to the received electronic communication; and

means for comprising the actual response and the predicted response in a feedback module to provide feedback to the modeling engine, which uses the feedback to update models in the adaptive knowledge base, so as to improve subsequent predictions by the electronic communications management system to received electronic communications.