Interactive query tool

• US 9,098,827 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Jagannathan, Srivatsan, Poruri, Ravibabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US12/648,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A chat room system interfaces with an automated processing system. When an interactive query message from a user is addressed to the automated processing system, the interactive query message is passed to the automated processing system. The automated processing system extracts one or more keywords from the interactive query message and obtains response information from a data structure based on the one or more keywords. The automated processing system then returns an interactive response to the user through instant messaging. When the interactive query message is not addressed to the automated processing system, the interactive query message is forwarded to a support group through a chat room system. When the interactive response exceeds a predetermined size, part of the interactive response may be sent through instant messaging and the remainder through e-mail.

Claims

1. A computer-assisted method comprising:

receiving a query message from a user device;

when the query message is addressed to an automated processing entity through a chat room system, wherein the query message includes an address of the automated processing entity,

passing the query message to the automated processing entity;

extracting, by the automated processing entity, at least one keyword from the query message;

obtaining response information from a data structure based on the at least one keyword;

when a non-zero amount of available information accessed from the data structure is less than a predetermined amount based on the at least one keyword, redirecting the query message from the automated processing entity through the chat room system;

returning the response to the user device, wherein the response includes at least one of user statistics, trade statistics for a client, user permissions for the user device, and user group and account information; and

when the response exceeds a predetermined size, sending a first portion of the response to the user device through instant messaging and a second portion of the response to the user device through e-mail; and

when the query message is not addressed to the automated processing entity through the chat room system,

forwarding the query message to a support group entity through the chat room system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the response information is not available from the data structure and the query message is addressed to the automated processing entity, forwarding the query message to the support group entity through the chat room system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the automated processing entity, whether the user device has user permission to receive the response information;

when the user device has the user permission, including the response information in the response.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

when the user device does not have the user permission, not including the response information in the response.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the automated processing entity, whether the query message is consistent with an expected format; and

sending an indicator in the response, wherein the indicator is indicative that the query message is inconsistent.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the query message is addressed to a member of the support group entity, forwarding the query message to the member.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform:

receiving a query message from a user device through a chat channel;

when the query message is addressed to an automated processing entity through a chat room system, wherein the query message includes an address of the automated processing entity,

forwarding the query message to the automated processing system;

extracting a command type from the query message;

obtaining response information from a data structure based on the command type;

when a non-zero amount of available information accessed from the data structure is less than a predetermined amount based on at least one keyword, redirecting the query message from the automated processing entity through the chat room system;

returning the response to the user device, wherein the response includes at least one of user statistics, trade statistics for a client, user permissions for the user device, and user group and account information; and

when the response exceeds a predetermined size, sending a first portion of the response to the user device through instant messaging and a second portion of the response to the user device through e-mail; and

when the query message is not addressed to the automated processing entity through the chat room system,

forwarding the query message to a support group entity through the chat room system.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform:

when the response information is not available from the data structure, forwarding the query message to the support group through the chat room system.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform:

determining, by the automated processing system, whether the user device has user permission to receive the response information;

when the user device has the user permission, including the response information in the response.

10. A query-based apparatus comprising:

a memory device containing a data structure based on at least one keyword;

an electronic chat room apparatus configured to perform;

receiving a query message from a user device;

when the query message is addressed to an automated processing apparatus through the electronic chat room apparatus, wherein the query message includes an address of the automated processing apparatus,

passing the query message to the automated processing apparatus; and

when the query message is not addressed to the automated processing apparatus, forwarding the query message to a support group entity through a chat session; and

the automated processing apparatus configured to perform;

extracting at least one keyword from the query message;

obtaining response information from the memory device;

when a non-zero an amount of available information accessed from the data structure is less than a predetermined amount based on the at least one keyword, redirecting the query message from the automated processing entity through the electronic chat room apparatus;

returning the response with the response information to the user device, wherein the response includes at least one of user statistics, trade statistics for a client, user permissions for the user device, and user group and account information; and

when the response exceeds a predetermined size, sending a first portion of the response to the user device through instant messaging and a second portion of the response to the user device through e-mail.

11. The query-based apparatus of claim 10, the automated processing apparatus forwarding the query message to the support group through the chat room apparatus when the response information is not available from the data structure.

12. The query-based apparatus of claim 10, the automated processing apparatus sending at least a portion of the response to the user device via e-mail when the response exceeds a predetermined size.

13. The query-based apparatus of claim 10, the automated processing apparatus determining whether the user device has user permission to receive the response information and including the response information in the response when the user device has the user permission.