System and method for providing an intelligent multi-step dialog with a user

• US 20010049688A1
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avolin LLC
• Original Assignee: Consona CRM Incorporated (Aptean Superior Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Monica, Kay, David, Copperman, Max, Stern, Robert, Huffman, Scott B., Fratkina, Raya, Angel, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,539,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/042 Backward inferencing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for retrieving information through the use of a multi-stage interaction with a client to identify particular knowledge content associated with a knowledge map. The present invention is an application program running on a server accessed via the world-wide web or other data network using standard Internet protocols, a web browser and web server software. In addition to an automated portion, the present invention allows a human dialog designer to model the way the system elicits information, giving a human feel to the dialog and a better customer experience. In operation, users start a dialog by directing their web browser to a designated web page. This web page asks the user some initial questions that are then passed to a dialog engine. The dialog engine then applies its methods and algorithms to a knowledge map, using dialog control information\ and the user'"'"'s responses to provide feedback to the user. The feedback may include follow-up questions, relevant documents, and instructions to the user (e.g., instructions to contact a human customer service representative). This dialog engine response is rendered as a web page and returned to the user'"'"'s web browser. The user can then respond further to the follow-up questions he or she is presented, and the cycle repeats. The invention can be implemented so that it can interact with customers through a wide variety of communication channels including the Internet, wireless devices (e.g., telephone, pager, etc.), handheld devices such as a Personal Data Assistant (PDA), email, and via a telephone where the automated system is delivered using an interactive voice response (IVR) and/or speech-recognition system.

Claims

1. A method of providing a multi-step interaction with a client to refine and satisfy the client'"'"'s request for information, said method comprising:

initiating a dialog request;

mapping the dialog request into a dialog state;

modifying the dialog state; and

generating a response based on the dialog state.