Automated transfer of user data between applications utilizing different interaction modes

• US 9,703,617 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Woods, Eric, Allen, Corville O., Loredo, Robert E., Rodriguez, Adrian X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, H S
• Assistant Examiner(s): JORDAN, KIMBERLY L
• Application Number:
  US14/687,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 719313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

Software that preserves information provided by a user in a first application utilizing a first interaction mode for use by a second application utilizing a second interaction mode, by performing the following steps: (i) generating a natural language log describing an interaction between a user and a first application, where the user interacts with the first application utilizing a first interaction mode; (ii) analyzing the natural language log using natural language processing to determine first user data; and (iii) utilizing the first user data by a second application, where the user interacts with the second application utilizing a second interaction mode different from the first interaction mode, and where the second application does not receive the first user data from the user via the second interaction mode.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon:

program instructions programmed to generate a natural language log describing an interaction between a user and a first application, where the user interacts with the first application utilizing a first interaction mode;

program instructions programmed to analyze the natural language log using natural language processing to determine first user data;

program instructions to train a question answering system with the first user data; and

program instructions programmed to utilize the trained question answering system to automatically answer a first set of question(s) on behalf of the user, thereby providing a first set of answer(s) to the first set of question(s), where the first set of question(s) is asked by a second application that interacts with the user utilizing a second interaction mode different from the first interaction mode, and where, as a result of the automatic answering of the first set of question(s), the second application asks a second set of question(s) different from the first set of question(s), and based on the first set of answer(s), for answering by the user utilizing the second interaction mode.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

program instructions programmed to establish a goal for the user, where the goal is achievable by performing a set of action(s); and

program instructions programmed to determine, based, at least in part, on the first user data, whether the user has achieved the goal by performing the set of action(s).

3. The computer program product of claim 2, further comprising:

program instructions programmed to, on condition that the goal has been determined to have not been achieved by the user, allow the user to perform one or more remaining action(s) of the set of action(s) on the second application via the second interaction mode.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein:

the second interaction mode is audio and includes a voice response system; and

the second application is a customer service application.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein:

the first interaction mode is performing actions on a website; and

the first application is a web browser interacting with the website.

6. A computer system comprising:

a processor(s) set; and

a computer readable storage medium;

wherein;

the processor set is structured, located, connected and/or programmed to run program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium; and

the program instructions include;

program instructions programmed to generate a natural language log describing an interaction between a user and a first application, where the user interacts with the first application utilizing a first interaction mode;

program instructions programmed to analyze the natural language log using natural language processing to determine first user data;

program instructions to train a question answering system with the first user data; and

program instructions programmed to utilize the trained question answering system to automatically answer a first set of question(s) on behalf of the user, thereby providing a first set of answer(s) to the first set of question(s), where the first set of question(s) is asked by a second application that interacts with the user utilizing a second interaction mode different from the first interaction mode, and where, as a result of the automatic answering of the first set of question(s), the second application asks a second set of question(s) different from the first set of question(s), and based on the first set of answer(s), for answering by the user utilizing the second interaction mode.

7. The computer system of claim 6, further comprising:

program instructions programmed to establish a goal for the user, where the goal is achievable by performing a set of action(s); and

program instructions programmed to determine, based, at least in part, on the first user data, whether the user has achieved the goal by performing the set of action(s).

8. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions programmed to, on condition that the goal has been determined to have not been achieved by the user, allow the user to perform one or more remaining action(s) of the set of action(s) on the second application via the second interaction mode.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein:

the second interaction mode is audio and includes a voice response system; and

the second application is a customer service application.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein:

the first interaction mode is performing actions on a website; and

the first application is a web browser interacting with the website.