Providing searching strategy in connection with answering question in message

• US 9,858,335 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chakra, Al, Harpur, Liam, Rice, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US14/692,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20160314197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 707722, 707769, 706 46, 706 50, 715704, 434350
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for providing a searching strategy in connection with answering a question in a message. A message containing a question is detected as being received from a sender. The steps performed by the recipient of the message to answer the question are monitored. Content is detected as being inserted in a reply message responding to the sender'"'"'s message via a copy and paste operation. In response to detecting the copy and paste operation, the monitored steps utilized by the user in the user'"'"'s searching strategy in arriving at an answer to the sender'"'"'s question are stored in a database. The monitored steps are then attached to the reply message as tags or a link to the database to retrieve the stored monitored steps is inserted in the reply message thereby allowing the sender to replay the searching strategy used in answering the sender'"'"'s question.

Claims

1. A method for providing a searching strategy in connection with answering a question in a message, the method comprising:

detecting a message being received from a sender of a client device containing a question, wherein said sender is an author of said message containing said question;

automatically monitoring steps performed by a recipient of said message online to answer said question, wherein said steps involve search terms and selections of uniform resource locators;

storing said monitored steps in a database in response to detecting content answering said question being inserted in a reply message responding to said message;

automatically attaching, by a processor, said stored monitored steps to said reply message as tags or inserting a link to said database in said reply message to retrieve said stored monitored steps thereby allowing said sender to replay an online searching strategy used by said recipient to answer said question; and

sending said reply message with said tagged monitored steps or said link to said database to retrieve said stored monitored steps to said sender.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

detecting said question in said message asked by said sender, wherein said question is detected in said message using natural language processing; and

monitoring said steps performed by said recipient of said message online to answer said question in response to detecting said question in said message asked by said sender.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

attaching said stored monitored steps to said reply message in response to detecting content answering said question being inserted in said reply message responding to said message.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring said steps performed by said recipient of said message online to answer said question in response to detecting said recipient performing searching activity related to a topic of said message.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

storing said monitored steps in said database in response to detecting a copy and paste operation of said content into said reply message.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether said sender is to have access to said recipient'"'"'s online searching strategy prior to attaching said monitored steps to said reply message as tags or prior to inserting said link to said database in said reply message to retrieve said stored monitored steps.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said steps to answer said question that are monitored are performed by said recipient and other individuals forming a group of individuals.

8. A computer program product for providing a searching strategy in connection with answering a question in a message, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising the programming instructions for:

detecting a message being received from a sender of a client device containing a question, wherein said sender is an author of said message containing said question;

automatically monitoring steps performed by a recipient of said message online to answer said question, wherein said steps involve search terms and selections of uniform resource locators;

storing said monitored steps in a database in response to detecting content answering said question being inserted in a reply message responding to said message;

automatically attaching said stored monitored steps to said reply message as tags or inserting a link to said database in said reply message to retrieve said stored monitored steps thereby allowing said sender to replay an online searching strategy used by said recipient to answer said question; and

sending said reply message with said tagged monitored steps or said link to said database to retrieve said stored monitored steps to said sender.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

detecting said question in said message asked by said sender, wherein said question is detected in said message using natural language processing; and

monitoring said steps performed by said recipient of said message online to answer said question in response to detecting said question in said message asked by said sender.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

attaching said stored monitored steps to said reply message in response to detecting content answering said question being inserted in said reply message responding to said message.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

monitoring said steps performed by said recipient of said message online to answer said question in response to detecting said recipient performing searching activity related to a topic of said message.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

storing said monitored steps in said database in response to detecting a copy and paste operation of content acquired during said monitored steps into said reply message.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

determining whether said sender is to have access to said recipient'"'"'s online searching strategy prior to attaching said monitored steps to said reply message as tags or prior to inserting said link to said database in said reply message to retrieve said stored monitored steps.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein said steps to answer said question that are monitored are performed by said recipient and other individuals forming a group of individuals.

15. A system, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a computer program for providing a searching strategy in connection with answering a question in a message; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit, wherein the processor is configured to execute the program instructions of the computer program comprising;

detecting a message being received from a sender of a client device containing a question, wherein said sender is an author of said message containing said question;

automatically monitoring steps performed by a recipient of said message online to answer said question, wherein said steps involve search terms and selections of uniform resource locators;

storing said monitored steps in a database in response to detecting content answering said question being inserted in a reply message responding to said message;

automatically attaching said stored monitored steps to said reply message as tags or inserting a link to said database in said reply message to retrieve said stored monitored steps thereby allowing said sender to replay an online searching strategy used by said recipient to answer said question; and

sending said reply message with said tagged monitored steps or said link to said database to retrieve said stored monitored steps to said sender.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprises:

detecting said question in said message asked by said sender, wherein said question is detected in said message using natural language processing; and

monitoring said steps performed by said recipient of said message online to answer said question in response to detecting said question in said message asked by said sender.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprises:

attaching said stored monitored steps to said reply message in response to detecting content answering said question being inserted in said reply message responding to said message.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprises:

monitoring said steps performed by said recipient of said message online to answer said question in response to detecting said recipient performing searching activity related to a topic of said message.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprises:

storing said monitored steps in said database in response to detecting a copy and paste operation of content acquired during said monitored steps into said reply message.

20. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprises:

determining whether said sender is to have access to said recipient'"'"'s online searching strategy prior to attaching said monitored steps to said reply message as tags or prior to inserting said link to said database in said reply message to retrieve said stored monitored steps.