Method and apparatus for summarizing previous threads in a communication-center chat session

• US 6,346,952 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2000
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shtivelman, Yuri
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/551,259
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 345/705, 345/708, 345/709, 345/738, 345/752, 345/753, 345/757, 345/758, 345/759, 707/500, 707/3-6, 707/102, 707/104
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/284 Lexical analysis, e.g. tokenisation or collocates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/35 Discourse or dialogue representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A system for extracting keywords from interactive text dialog and providing the extracted keywords as a dialog summary displayed in an interactive text window is provided. The system is, in preferred embodiments, used with interactive chat communication wherein a communication center connected to the Internet hosts the communication and the communication involves customers of the center and a hosting agent. The system parses all incoming queries for keywords and then provides the keywords as a summary of the dialog. In one embodiment keywords may also be taken from responses to queries and associated in display with the keywords taken from the queries. In another embodiment, the keywords are compared to a data repository containing product-related words such that upon finding matches, the matching keywords are displayed alongside, but separately from, the dialog keyword summary and represent product keywords. In still another aspect, customer profile keywords may be separately generated and displayed alongside, but separately from, the dialog keyword summary.

Claims

1. A system for aiding a host of a chat session in reviewing queries and responses in a continuing dialog string comprising;

a parsing function for extracting keywords from queries and responses in the dialog; and

a display function for displaying the keywords extracted by the parsing function in a text interaction window associated with the dialog, providing thereby a condensed reminder for previous dialogue.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the host is an agent in a communication center connected to the Internet and hosting chat sessions.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the keywords include one or more of product names, nouns, and verbs.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein keywords extracted from queries and keywords extracted from responses to those queries are paired in the display.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein extracted keywords from queries are used to access a database providing matched responses to the queries.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the host participates in more than one dialog string and keywords extracted from each dialog string are displayed along with it'"'"'s associated dialog string.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein in step (b), keywords extracted from queries and keywords extracted from responses to those queries are paired in the display.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the keywords include product names, nouns, verbs, and question marks.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein extracted keywords from queries are used to access a database providing matched responses to the queries.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the host participates in more than one dialog string and keywords extracted from each dialog string are displayed along with it'"'"'s associated dialog string.

7. A method for aiding a host of a chat session in reviewing queries and responses in a continuing dialog comprising the steps of;

(a) parsing and extracting keywords from queries and responses in the dialog; and

(b) displaying the extracted keywords in an interactive text window associated with the text dialog as a condensed reminder for previous dialogue.