Conversational question generation system adapted for an insurance claim processing system

• US 8,478,769 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DUCK Creek Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Goldfarb, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Leslie
• Application Number:
  US12/036,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 707/758, 707/944, 707/999.003, 707/999.107, 705/4
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A conversational question generation system dynamically generates conversational questions for insurance claim processing. The conversational question generation system includes various modules and graphical user interfaces that provide a streamlined mechanism for creating new conversational questions for insurance claim processing. The conversational question generation system may include various levels of usability that distinguish between a question programmer of the conversational question generation system and an insurance claim agent that uses the created conversational questions. In generating conversational questions, the conversational question generation system may include graphical user interfaces directed to the question details, the answer details, the question text, or other aspects of the conversational questions.

Claims

1. A conversational question generation system comprising:

a memory storage device comprising;

executable instructions comprising;

a question text module configured to receive a question text of a conversational question from user input at runtime;

a question detail parameter module configured to receive at least one question detail parameter from user input at runtime, wherein the at least one question detail parameter includes an answer data type parameter that indicates a data type of any answer to the conversational question;

a graphical user interface for receipt of an answer to the conversational question, the graphical user interface comprising a control for receipt of the answer;

an answer detail graphical user interface configured to receive at least one answer detail parameter from user input at runtime, wherein the answer data type parameter identifies which of a plurality of answer detail parameters the answer detail graphical user interface is dynamically configured to receive, wherein the at least one answer detail parameter includes at least one parameter of the control in the graphical user interface for receipt of the answer to the conversational question, and the at least one answer detail parameter is included in the plurality of answer detail parameters;

an answer detail parameter module configured to receive the at least one answer detail parameter from the answer detail graphical user interface;

a question generation module configured to generate the conversational question at runtime in a conversational question master database from the question text, the at least one question detail parameter, and the at least one answer detail parameter; and

instructions executable to receive the answer to the conversational question through the control in the graphical user interface for receipt of the answer from user input at runtime in response to display of the conversational question; and

a processor configured to execute the executable instructions.

2. The conversational question generation system of claim 1, wherein:

the memory storage device further comprises an answer detail mapping module configured to map an answer detail conversational parameter representation to an answer detail system parameter representation, the at least one answer detail parameter being in the answer detail conversational parameter representation; and

the answer detail parameter module is configured to associate the at least one answer detail parameter with the answer detail system parameter representation based on the answer detail mapping module.

3. The conversational question generation system of claim 2, wherein the answer detail mapping module is further configured to map the answer detail conversational parameter representation to a key corresponding to the answer detail system parameter representation.

4. The conversational question generation system of claim 1, wherein the at least one answer detail parameter further comprises a control type that determines a type of the control.

5. The conversational question generation system of claim 1, wherein the question text module is further configured to receive a question text language from user input at runtime, wherein the question text language identifies a human language of the question text.

6. The conversational question generation system of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter of the control in the graphical user interface for receipt of the answer includes a width of the control.

7. The conversational question generation system of claim 1, wherein the question detail parameter module is further configured to mark the conversational question as deleted in response to user input at runtime, wherein the conversational question is not displayed when marked as deleted.

8. A computer-implemented method for generating conversational questions comprising:

receiving a question text of a conversational question from a user input device at runtime;

receiving at least one question detail parameter from the user input device at runtime, wherein the at least one question detail parameter includes an answer data type parameter that specifies a data type of an answer to the conversational question;

generating an answer detail graphical user interface, wherein the answer data type parameter identifies which of a plurality of answer detail parameters the answer detail graphical user interface is configured to receive;

generating a graphical user interface for receipt of the answer to the conversational question, the graphical user interface comprising a control for receipt of the answer;

receiving at least one answer detail parameter from the user input device at runtime through the answer detail graphical user interface, the answer data type parameter identifying the at least one answer detail parameter to be received through the answer detail graphical user interface, wherein the at least one answer detail parameter includes at least one parameter of the control in the graphical user interface for receipt of the answer to the conversational question, and the at least one answer detail parameter is included in the plurality of answer detail parameters;

generating the conversational question at runtime in a conversational question master database from the question text, the at least one question detail parameter, and the at least one answer detail parameter; and

receiving the answer to the conversational question from the user input device at runtime through the control in the graphical user interface for receipt of the answer.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the control in the graphical user interface for receipt of the answer from the conversational question stored in the conversational question master database.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving the answer with a computer system without shutting down the computer system after receiving the question text with the computer system.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a question text language of the question text from the user input device at runtime, wherein the question text language indicates a human language that the question text is written in.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the at least one answer detail parameter includes a flag indicating whether the control is read-only.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the at least one answer detail parameter includes a web address for a link control.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the conversational question in response to a determination that the conversational question has not yet expired.

15. A product comprising:

a tangible machine-readable medium comprising logic embodied in the medium, the logic executable by a computer processor and configured to;

receive a question text of a conversational question from user input at runtime;

receive at least one question detail parameter from user input at runtime, wherein the at least one question detail parameter includes an answer data type parameter that indicates a data type of any answer to the conversational question;

generate an answer detail graphical user interface, wherein the answer data type parameter identifies which of a plurality of answer detail parameters the answer detail graphical user interface is dynamically configured to receive;

receive at least one answer detail parameter from user input at runtime through the answer detail graphical user interface, wherein the answer data type parameter identifies the at least one answer detail parameter to be received in the answer detail graphical user interface, wherein the at least one answer detail parameter includes at least one parameter of the control in the graphical user interface for receipt of the answer to the conversational question, and wherein the at least one answer detail parameter is included in the plurality of answer detail parameters;

generate the conversational question at runtime in a conversational question master database, the conversational question generated from the question text, the at least one question detail parameter, and the at least one answer detail parameter;

generate the graphical user interface for receipt of the answer to the conversational question, the graphical user interface comprising the control; and

receive the answer to the conversational question from user input at runtime through the control in the graphical user interface for receipt of the answer.

16. The product of claim 15, wherein the logic is further configured to:

provide a mapping of an answer detail conversational parameter representation to an answer detail system parameter representation; and

associate the at least one answer detail parameter with the answer detail system parameter representation in the conversational question master database based on the mapping of the answer detail conversational parameter representation to the answer detail system parameter representation.

17. The product of claim 16, wherein the logic is further configured to map the answer detail conversational parameter representation to a key corresponding to the answer detail system parameter representation in the conversational question master database.

18. The product of claim 15, wherein the at least one question detail parameter comprises:

a first question detail parameter including an activation date of the conversational question; and

,

a second question detail parameter including an expiration date of the conversation question.

19. The product of claim 15, wherein the at least one question detail parameter comprises a unique identifier for an application to which the conversational question is assigned.

20. The product of claim 15, wherein the at least one answer detail conversational parameter is associated with the at least one question detail parameter based on the answer data type parameter.

21. The product of claim 15, wherein the logic is further configured to create conversational questions in a computer system from user input in addition to the conversational question and to receive answers to the conversation questions in the computer system from user input without a restart of the computer system.

22. The product of claim 15, wherein the logic is further configured to remove the conversational question in the conversational question master database.