Querying a dynamic database with an electronic message directed to subscribers of a publish/subscribe computer service

• US 8,849,893 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, Brian D., Lagarde, Konrad C., Stewart, Eben P., Van Der Meulen, Michael, Wu, Jessica
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US11/245,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,280 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

A message received from a user causes a query of a dynamic database such as a FAQ or Relational Database, the results of the query are returned to the user. Furthermore the received message is published to a community of anonymous users. Optionally the user can edit the returned results and store the edited version in the dynamic database or edit the dynamic database via a GUI interface.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a dynamic database accessible to a community of users, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a first user, a first electronic message directed through a pub/sub service including a channel having a topic of interest to a community of users who have anonymously subscribed to the channel, the first electronic message containing first information including a question related to the topic of interest of said channel;

querying the dynamic database responsive to the first electronic message received for locating an answer to the question in said first information and including said answer into a second information;

transmitting the second information to the first user, said second information being indistinguishable from messages from one of said anonymous subscribers; and

publishing by way of the pub/sub service, the received first electronic message to the community of users such that any one of the community of users is able to respond to the first user with an answer to the question;

wherein the community of users includes a second user, the first electronic message received by each of said anonymous subscribers is identical, and the method comprising the further steps of;

filtering the first electronic message by each of said anonymous subscribers to filter the first electronic message for topics of specific interest to each of said anonymous subscribers, said first electronic message having to pass the filtering of the second user in order for the second user to see the question of the message;

receiving a response to the first electronic message from the second user after said filtering, the response comprising third information, the third information including an answer to the question in said first information; and

responsive to receiving the response to the first electronic message, creating a uniquely identified electronic conversation session between the first user and the second user.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

creating fourth information from one or more of any one of user provided information, the first information or the second information; and

storing fourth information in the dynamic database.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising the further step of creating the fourth information from one or more of any one of user provided information, the first information or the second information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic database is any one of a FAQ database, an active agent or a relational database.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

presenting the second information to the first user via a GUI interface;

presenting editing options to the first user via the GUI;

creating fifth information according to GUI directives from the first user, the GUI directives associated with a selected editing option; and

selectively incorporating the fifth information in the dynamic database.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising the further step of incorporating any one of the first information or the second information in the fifth information.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

presenting editing options to the first user via a GUI interface;

responsive to first user GUI actions, selecting sixth information in the dynamic database; and

editing the sixth information in the dynamic database, the editing action comprising any one of selected text modification, selected text deletion or modification of a sixth information parameter.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

presenting the second information to the first user via a GUI interface; and

presenting seventh information to the first user via the GUI interface, the seventh information comprising information from one or more previous queries.

9. A compute program product for accessing a dynamic database to a community of users, the program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising the steps of;

receiving from a first user, a first electronic message directed through a pub/sub service including a channel having a topic of interest to a community of users who have anonymously subscribed to the channel, the first electronic message containing first information including a question related to the topic of interest of said channel;

querying the dynamic database responsive to the first electronic message received for locating an answer to the question in said first information and including said answer into a second information;

transmitting the second information to the first user, said second information being indistinguishable from messages from one of said anonymous subscribers; and

publishing by way of the pub/sub service, the received first electronic message to the community of users such that any one of the community of users is able to respond to the firs user with an answer to the question;

wherein the community of users includes a second user, the first electronic message received by each of said anonymous subscribers is identical, and the method comprising the further steps of;

filtering the first electronic message by each of said anonymous subscribers to filter the first electronic for topics of specific interest to each of said anonymous subscribers, said first electronic message having to pass the filtering of the second user in order for the second user to see the question of the message;

receiving a response to the first electronic message from the second user after said filtering, the response comprising third information which includes an answer to said question contained in said first information; and

responsive to receiving the response to the first electronic message, creating a uniquely identified electronic conversation session between the first user and the second user.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, comprising the further steps of:

creating fourth information from one or more of any one of user provided information, the first information or the second information; and

storing the fourth information in the dynamic database.

11. The computer program product according to claim 9, comprising the further steps of:

presenting the second information to the first user via a GUI interface;

presenting editing options to the first user via the GUI;

creating fifth information according to GUI directives from the first user, the GUI directives associated with a selected editing option; and

selectively incorporating the fifth information in the dynamic database.

12. The computer program product according to claim 9, comprising the further steps of:

presenting editing options to the first user via a GUI interface;

responsive to first user GUI actions, selecting sixth information in the dynamic database; and

editing the sixth information in the dynamic database, the editing action comprising any one of selected text modification, selected text deletion or modification of a sixth information parameter.

13. The computer program product according to claim 9, comprising the further steps of:

presenting the second information to the first user via a GUI interface; and

presenting seventh information to the first user via the GUI interface, the seventh information comprising information from one or more previous queries.

14. A system for accessing a dynamic database accessible to a community of users, the system comprising:

a network;

a server system in communications with the network;

a client system in communication with the server system via the network wherein the system includes instructions to execute a method comprising the steps of;

receiving from a first user, a first electronic message directed through a pub/sub service including a channel having a topic of interest to a community of users who have anonymously subscribed to the channel, the first electronic message containing first information including a question related to the topic of interest of said channel;

querying the dynamic database responsive to the first electronic message received for locating an answer to the question in said first information and including said answer into a second information;

transmitting the second information to the first user, said second information being indistinguishable from messages from one of said anonymous subscribers; and

publishing by way of the pub/sub service, the received first electronic message to the community of users such that any one of the community of users is able to respond to the first user with an answer to the question;

wherein the community of users includes a second user, the first electronic message received by each of said anonymous subscribers is identical, and the system further comprises a filter for each of said anonymous subscribers filtering the first electronic message by each of said anonymous subscribers for topics of specific interest to each of said anonymous subscribers, said first electronic message having to pass the filtering of the second user in order for the second user to see the question of the message; and

said method further comprising;

receiving a response to the first electronic message from the second user, the response comprising third information which includes an answer to said question contained in said first information; and

responsive to receiving the response to the first electronic message, creating a uniquely identified electronic conversation session between the first user and the second user.

15. The system according to claim 14, comprising the further steps of:

creating fourth information from one or more of any one of user provided information, the first information or the second information; and

storing the fourth information in the dynamic database.

16. The system according to claim 14, comprising the further steps of:

presenting the second information to the first user via a GUI interface;

presenting editing options to the first user via the GUI;

creating fifth information according to GUI directives from the first user, the GUI directives associated with a selected editing option; and

selectively incorporating the fifth information in the dynamic database.

17. The system according to claim 14, comprising the further steps of:

presenting editing options to the first user via a GUI interface;

responsive to first user GUI actions, selecting sixth information in the dynamic database; and

editing the sixth information in the dynamic database, the editing action comprising any one of selected text modification, selected text deletion or modification of a sixth information parameter.