Method and apparatus for live chat integration
First Claim
1. A method for implementing a live chat system, the method comprising:
- providing a response to a query, entered by a user via a user screen view on a user interface and submitted to a virtual agent server hosting at least one virtual agent, the response provided to the user from the virtual agent server via the user screen view, in a manner maintaining continuity of conversation in the user screen view independent of whether the at least one virtual agent or a live chat operator, having access to the at least one virtual agent via a live chat server operatively coupled to the virtual agent, sources content of the response;
applying a linguistic analysis to the query at the at least one virtual agent and determining at least one proposed response to the query and a confidence metric associated with the at least one proposed response determined;
transferring the query, with the at least one proposed response and the confidence metric determined, to the live chat operator via an operator screen view on an operator interface; and
enabling the live chat operator to override the at least one proposed response transferred or to select from the at least one proposed response transferred to source the content of the response in the user screen view, wherein said providing the response to the query includes enabling the live chat operator to validate or change response content, proposed by the at least one virtual agent, within an interjection time, the interjection time being based on the confidence metric associated with the content proposed by the at least one virtual agent and whether or not the live chat operator changed a previous response proposed by the at least one virtual agent to a previous query.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A Live Chat (LC) system, apparatus, and method combine virtual agent (VA) and LC in a manner enabling a user to receive resolution of a contact request at a reduced cost and enhancing both the user and LC operator'"'"'s experience. VAs may source response content for easier or more frequent user queries, whereas VAs may transfer a user query to an LC operator whenever a user query becomes too complicated, enabling the LC to source the response content. From the user'"'"'s point of view, escalation from the VA to the LC operator happens in the very same user screen view used to contact the VA, enhancing the user'"'"'s experience by providing seamless escalation. Conversation history between the user and the VA or formatted data related thereto may be provided to the LC operator, expediting the LC operator'"'"'s response time and reducing a number of interactions needed to resolve the user'"'"'s query.
63 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for implementing a live chat system, the method comprising:
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providing a response to a query, entered by a user via a user screen view on a user interface and submitted to a virtual agent server hosting at least one virtual agent, the response provided to the user from the virtual agent server via the user screen view, in a manner maintaining continuity of conversation in the user screen view independent of whether the at least one virtual agent or a live chat operator, having access to the at least one virtual agent via a live chat server operatively coupled to the virtual agent, sources content of the response; applying a linguistic analysis to the query at the at least one virtual agent and determining at least one proposed response to the query and a confidence metric associated with the at least one proposed response determined; transferring the query, with the at least one proposed response and the confidence metric determined, to the live chat operator via an operator screen view on an operator interface; and enabling the live chat operator to override the at least one proposed response transferred or to select from the at least one proposed response transferred to source the content of the response in the user screen view, wherein said providing the response to the query includes enabling the live chat operator to validate or change response content, proposed by the at least one virtual agent, within an interjection time, the interjection time being based on the confidence metric associated with the content proposed by the at least one virtual agent and whether or not the live chat operator changed a previous response proposed by the at least one virtual agent to a previous query. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A live chat system comprising:
a virtual agent server, hosting at least one virtual agent accessible by a user via a user screen view on a user interface, the virtual agent server operatively coupled to a live chat server, the at least one virtual agent being accessible to a live chat operator via an operator screen view on an operator interface, the virtual agent server including a user side network interface and an operator side network interface, the at least one virtual agent configured to; provide a response to a query, entered by a user via the user screen view on a user interface and submitted to the user side network interface of the virtual agent server, the response provided via the user side network interface to the user from the virtual agent server via the user screen view, in a manner maintaining continuity of conversation in the user screen view independent of whether the at least one virtual agent or the live chat operator sources content of the response, wherein the at least one virtual agent includes; a natural language understanding unit (NLU) configured to apply a linguistic analysis to the query and determine at least one proposed response to the query and a confidence metric associated with the at least one proposed response determined; and a dialog manager configured to transfer the query, with the at least one proposed response and the confidence metric determined, to the live chat operator in the operator screen view enabling the live chat operator to override the at least one proposed response transferred or to select from the at least one proposed response transferred to source the content of the response in the user screen view, wherein, to provide the response, the dialog manager is further configured to enable the live chat operator to validate or change response content, proposed by the at least one virtual agent, within an interjection time, the interjection time based on a confidence metric associated with the content proposed by the at least one virtual agent and whether or not the live chat operator changed a previous response proposed by the at least one virtual agent to a previous query. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when loaded and executed by a processor, causes the processor to:
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provide a response to a query, entered by a user via a user screen view and submitted to a virtual agent server hosting at least one virtual agent, the response provided to the user from the virtual agent server via the user screen view, in a manner maintaining continuity of conversation in the user screen view independent of whether the at least one virtual agent or a live chat operator, having access to the at least one virtual agent via a live chat server, sources content of the response; apply a linguistic analysis to the query at the at least one virtual agent and determine at least one proposed response to the query and a confidence metric associated with the at least one proposed response determined; transfer the query, with the at least one proposed response and the confidence metric determined, to the live chat operator via an operator screen view on an operator interface; and enable the live chat operator to override the at least one proposed response transferred or to select from the at least one proposed response transferred to source the content of the response in the user screen view, wherein, to provide the response, the processor is further configured to enable the live chat operator to validate or change response content, proposed by the at least one virtual agent, within an interjection time, the interjection time based on a confidence metric associated with the content proposed by the at least one virtual agent and whether or not the live chat operator changed a previous response proposed by the at least one virtual agent to a previous query. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification