JP2002328932A - Method and system for supporting work of responding to inquiries from users - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and system for supporting the work of response capable of increasing the efficiency of user support work. SOLUTION: The system comprises a plurality of systems in charge of response 11, 11,... used by a plurality of persons in charge of response respectively, and a common knowledge base capable of communicating with the plurality of systems in charge of response 11, 11,.... Each of the systems in charge of response 11 comprises a terminal 11a in charge of response and a personal knowledge base 11b which is a storage device dedicated to the terminal in charge of response 11a. The terminal in charge of response 11a registers newly- created response data in the personal knowledge base 11b according to its own judgement or a request of a person in charge of response. The terminal in charge of response registers response data in the personal knowledge base 11b in the common knowledge base 13 according to the state of the reuse of the response data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for supporting answering an inquiry from a user using a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an inquiry about a specific item has been received from a user via e-mail or a predetermined Web page, and when the inquiry has been received, an answer sentence has been created and the created answer sentence has been sent to the inquiring user. User support such as replying is being performed.

[0003] In user support operations, there are many cases where inquiries of similar contents are received from a plurality of users. Under such circumstances, in the user support business, several answer example sentences are prepared, and when creating an answer sentence, an appropriate answer example sentence is used from among the prepared answer example sentences, so that the user support business is prepared. Efficiency is being improved. The person who prepares the answer example sentence is, for example, an administrator of the user support business.

[0004]

The answer sentence is of little value if it is not used relatively frequently. From this viewpoint, when preparing an answer example sentence, generally, the administrator creates an answer example sentence that is considered to be used relatively frequently by referring to a large number of inquiries received so far. For this reason, the task of preparing answer example sentences is very burdensome for the administrator.

[0005] As a method for reducing this burden, each answer sentence created by a plurality of business personnel who creates answer sentences to inquiries is used as a new answer example sentence.
A method of preparing an answer example sentence is conceivable.

However, in this method, a large number of answer example sentences that are not always highly usable are prepared, and it may be difficult to find an appropriate answer example sentence when creating an answer sentence. In addition, in this method, since even a rough answer sentence is registered as a new answer example sentence, it is highly necessary to check the contents of the answer example sentence when using the answer example sentence. There is a possibility that using it is rather troublesome.

From the above, it can be said that the efficiency of the conventional user support operation is not very good.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a response support system and method which can enhance the efficiency of user support work.

[0009]

An answer support method according to a first aspect of the present invention is a computer system used by an answering person who makes the answer, and stores and uses answer data representing the contents of the answer. And (1) storing the answer data according to the use status (for example, use frequency) of the answer data stored by the answerer system in the answerer system. The response data itself is stored in a shared database, which is a storage device with which the plurality of response personnel systems can communicate, and (2) new response data is created in accordance with the use status, and the new response And / or storing data in the shared database; and responding to and matching the request from the respondent. And a step of extracting the reply data from the shared database.

[0010] The term "use" here means, for example,
Editing the answer data stored in the answerer system, or inquiring the answer data itself stored in the answerer system or the answer data created by editing it as an answer to the inquiry from the user Send to the original user. Also, the above answer data is
For example, one created by the responder system in accordance with the operation of the responder or one created by another computer system is input to the responder system via a medium such as a floppy disk or a communication network. And so on.

An answer support method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a computer system used by an answerer who makes an answer, and which can store and use answer data representing the contents of the answer. Storing answer data; and (1) storing the stored answer data itself in a predetermined device (for example, in accordance with the use status of the answer data stored by the answer staff system in the answer staff system). Computer terminal used by the administrator of the system to implement the answer support method)
And (2) performing at least one of creating new answer data according to the use situation and transmitting the new answer data to the predetermined device;
Storing the response data itself received by the predetermined device from the response system or the edited response data in a shared database, which is a storage device that can communicate with the predetermined device and the plurality of response systems; And responding to a request from a responder and extracting response data matching the request from the shared database.

An answer support system according to a third aspect of the present invention is a computer system used by an answerer who makes an answer, and includes a plurality of answerers who can store and use answer data representing the contents of the answer. System, and a shared database that is a storage device with which a plurality of respondent systems can communicate, and the answer support system (for example, the respondent system or a specific computer system different from the respondent system (for example, , A computer system capable of monitoring the respondent system)), (1) The answer stored above according to the use status (for example, use frequency) of the answer data stored by the respondent system in the respondent system Storing the data in a shared database, and (2) creating new answer data according to the above usage situation And / or storing new answer data in a shared database, and means for responding to a request from a respondent and extracting answer data matching the request from the shared database. And

An answer support system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a computer system used by an answerer who makes an answer, and includes a plurality of answerers who can store and use answer data representing the contents of the answer. System, and a shared database that is a storage device with which a plurality of respondent systems can communicate, and the answer support system (for example, the respondent system or a specific computer system different from the respondent system (for example, A computer system capable of monitoring the respondent system)), (1) Predetermining the stored answer data itself according to the use status of the answer data stored by the respondent system in the respondent system And (2) creating new answer data according to the above-mentioned use status and transmitting the new answer data. To the predetermined device, and means for executing at least one of the above, and in response to a request from a respondent, the predetermined device edited the response data itself received from the response system or the received response data Means for extracting answer data matching the request from the shared database storing the data.

[0014] A computer program according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a computer program for realizing a method for supporting answering an inquiry from a user. A computer system used by a person in charge, which can store and use the answer data representing the contents of the answer, and use the answer data stored in the answer data stored in the answer person system. Accordingly, the stored answer data itself is stored in a shared database, which is a storage device with which the plurality of answerer systems can communicate, and (2) new answer data corresponding to the use situation is created And storing at least one of the new answer data in the shared database. Comprising a chromatography de, in response to a request from the respondents personnel, and program code for the response data to be matched to the request extracted from the shared database.

[0015] A computer program according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is a computer program for realizing a method for supporting answering an inquiry from a user. A computer system used by a person in charge, which can store and use the answer data representing the contents of the answer, and use the answer data stored in the answer data stored in the answer person system. In response, the stored answer data itself is transmitted to a predetermined device, and
(2) creating new answer data according to the usage status and transmitting the new answer data to the predetermined device;
A computer program for executing at least one of the above, and a storage device for storing the response data itself received by the predetermined device or an edited version of the received response data, wherein the predetermined device and a plurality of And a program code for extracting answer data that matches the request of the respondent from a shared database that is a storage device with which the respondent can communicate.

The computer programs according to the fifth and sixth aspects of the present invention can be installed in, for example, individual answerer systems provided in the above-described answer support system, or can be provided separately from the answerer system. It can also be mounted on a computer system. Further, in the computer program according to the fifth and sixth aspects of the present invention, each program code can be distributed and mounted on a plurality of computer machines. In this case, the first viewpoint or the second viewpoint is used by the plurality of computer machines.
The answer support method according to the viewpoint can be realized.

The "means for extracting" and the "program code for extracting" referred to in the present invention mean that the answering person system itself extracts not only the answer data matching the request but also the predetermined data. An external device (for example, a computer system that manages a shared database) is requested to search for answer data that matches the request, and in response to the request, the predetermined external device searches and extracts the extracted answer data to the predetermined external device. This includes receiving from the device.

The functions of each of the above-described means constituting the system of the present invention can be implemented by a computer. A computer program for this can be installed or installed on the computer through various media such as a disk-type storage, a semiconductor memory, and a communication network. Can be loaded.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of an answer support system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A computer system (hereinafter, referred to as user terminal) 1, 1,... Used by the user and a user support business system (hereinafter, abbreviated as "support system") 7 are provided.

The user terminals 1, 1,... Are desktop or notebook personal computers, handheld PCs, PDAs, mobile phones, PHSs, and the like. The user uses the user terminal 1 to make a desired inquiry via a communication network 3 such as the Internet or a public telephone network by a method such as telephone, e-mail, or via a predetermined Web page. It can be sent to the support system 7.

The support system 7 is provided by a method such as telephone, e-mail, or via a predetermined Web page.
An inquiry can be received from the user via the communication network 3. The support system 7 includes an inquiry transfer system 5 that receives an inquiry from a user and transfers the inquiry to an appropriate answerer, an answerer system 11, 11,. A database (hereinafter referred to as a shared knowledge base) 13 capable of communicating with the responder systems 11, 11,... Is provided. Inquiry transfer system 5, answer person system 11, 11,
, And the shared knowledge base 13 are connected to, for example, the LAN 9.

Although not shown, the inquiry transfer system 5 includes, for example, an automatic telephone response and transfer system, a mail server, and a Web server. When there is an incoming call from the user, the inquiry transfer system 5 automatically returns a predetermined voice guidance to the user by an automatic telephone answering / transferring system (not shown) and returns a number input to the user according to the voice guidance. Based on the information, a response person (or a response department) suitable for answering the user's inquiry is specified, and the telephone call from the user is transferred to a telephone used by the specified response person. Further, when an inquiry is received from the user by e-mail, the inquiry transfer system 5 analyzes the e-mail from the user by a predetermined application program (not shown) mounted on the mail server, and For example, a response rep (or a department in charge) suitable for responding to an inquiry is specified based on the keywords included in the body of the e-mail and their frequency, and the response rep used by the specified respondent The electronic mail from the user is transferred to the system 11 via the LAN 9. In addition, when receiving an inquiry from a user via a Web page provided by the Web server, the inquiry transfer system 5 uses a Web server (not shown) to select an appropriate person in charge of responding to the inquiry, for example, The inquiry from the user is specified in the inquiry category (for example, “product repair” or “contents of the product”) input to the Web page and sent to the answering person system 11 used by the identified answering person. Transfer via LAN9. As described above, the query transfer system 5 does not need to be physically single, but may be an aggregate of a plurality of types of devices or systems.

Each answering person system 11 includes an answering person terminal 11a such as a personal computer used by the answering person and a storage device (hereinafter, a personal knowledge base) 11b dedicated to the answering person terminal 11a. ing.

In response to the operation of the respondent, the respondent terminal 11a creates answer data representing the contents of the answer to the inquiry. The response person terminal 11a sends the created response data to the user terminal 1 of the inquiry source in response to a request from the response person. Also, the answering person terminal 11a
Can (1) respond to requests from respondents, and
(2) The degree of reusability of the answer data is determined (estimated) by a predetermined algorithm, and based on the result of the determination, using at least one of the following methods,
The created answer data is registered in the answer example sentence personal knowledge base 11b (the meaning of "reuse" in this embodiment will be described later). As a specific example, when the method (2) is used, the response person terminal 11a
In the above determination, if it is determined that the reusability is relatively high, the answer data as a result of the determination is registered as it is or edited in the personal knowledge base 11b, while if it is determined that the reusability is relatively low, The answer data of the judgment result object is not registered in the personal knowledge base 11b. The answer data registered in the personal knowledge base 11 can be reused as an answer example sentence (template) in the later creation of answer data (of course, data representing an answer example sentence is newly created and is used as the personal knowledge base 11).
b may be registered). The response data can be created using a dedicated application program or a general-purpose application program such as a word processor. Answer data, for example,
Text data, HTML data, JPEG format and GI
Any of image data created in the F format or the like, music data created in the MIDI format or the like, or multimedia data composed of such data can be adopted. In the following description, it is assumed that the answer data is text data or HTML data in which an answer to an inquiry from a user is described.

The answerer terminal 11a receives a search request for answer data for the search range of the personal knowledge base 11b from the answerer, and upon receiving the request, responds to the request and matches the request. The answer data is retrieved from the personal knowledge base 11b. As a result of the search, if answer data that matches the request is found (that is, if the search is hit), the answerer terminal 11a extracts the found answer data from the personal knowledge base 11b and displays it. On the other hand, as a result of the search, if answer data that matches the request is not found (that is, if the search is no hit), the answerer terminal 11a displays a message to that effect.

The answerer terminal 11a can reuse the answer data in the personal knowledge base 11b extracted by the above search according to the operation of the answerer. The term “reuse” in this embodiment means that the answer data itself extracted from the personal knowledge base 11b or the answer data created by editing the same is sent to the inquiry source user as an answer to the inquiry from the user. To tell.

The response staff terminal 11a registers the response data in the personal knowledge base 11b in the shared knowledge base 13 according to the reuse status of the personal knowledge base 11b. As a specific example, the response staff terminal 11a automatically generates response data in which the number of times of reuse reaches a predetermined number, or answer data in which a part edited at the time of reuse is relatively small (e.g., Alternatively, it is registered in the shared knowledge base 13 (in response to a request from an answering person). The registration method can be set as appropriate. For example, the answer data "A" is reused to create answer data "B", and the answer data "B" is stored in the personal knowledge base 11b.
When the answer data "B" is reused the predetermined number of times, only the answer data "B" may be stored in the shared knowledge base 13, or the answer data "B" based on the answer data "B" may be stored. “A” may be stored in the shared knowledge base 13 together with the answer data “B”.

The responder terminal 11a receives a search request for answer data for the shared knowledge base 13 from the responder, and upon receiving the request, responds to the request and matches the request. The answer data is searched from the shared knowledge base 13. As a result of the search, if answer data that matches the request is found (that is, if the search is hit), the answerer terminal 11a extracts the found answer data from the shared knowledge base 13 and displays it. On the other hand, as a result of the search, if answer data that matches the request is not found (that is, if the search is no hit), the answerer terminal 11a displays a message to that effect.

Referring to FIG. 2, the flow from the receiving of the inquiry by the responder to the answering of the user who made the inquiry in this embodiment will be described below.

First, upon receiving an inquiry from the user through the inquiry transfer system 5 (step S)
1) A search request for answer data with the shared knowledge base 13 as a search range object is issued to the answering staff terminal 11a. In response to the request, the response staff terminal 11a searches the shared knowledge base 13 for response data that matches the request (S2).

As a result of the search, if answer data that matches the request is found ("search hit" in S2), the answerer terminal 11a extracts the found answer data from the shared knowledge base 13 and displays it. The response staff terminal 11a
According to the operation of the respondent, the displayed response data is
The answer data is edited into answer data suitable for the inquiry received in step S1 (that is, the answer data in the shared knowledge base 13 is reused to create answer data) (S3), and the edited answer data is (If an inquiry is received by telephone, for example, reply to the user with reference to the displayed answer data) (S12) (Of course, in step S3, the displayed answer data Does not necessarily need to be edited, and it can be returned to the user as it is).

On the other hand, as a result of the search in step S2, if no answer data matching the above request is found (S2
, "Response no hit"), and the responder issues a search request for answer data for the personal knowledge base 11b to the answerer terminal 11a. Answer person terminal 1
In response to the request, 1a searches the personal knowledge base 11b for answer data that matches the request (S4).

As a result of the search, if answer data matching the request is found ("search hit" in S4), the answerer terminal 11a extracts the found answer data from the personal knowledge base 11b and displays it. Answer person terminal 1
1a edits the displayed answer data into answer data having answer contents suitable for the inquiry received in step S1 according to the operation of the answering person (that is, the answer data in the shared knowledge base 13 is re-used Create data) (S
5) Return the edited answer data to the user who made the inquiry (S12). Also, here, the response person terminal 11a
Identifies the reuse status of the response data (that is, the response data to be returned in step S12), and determines whether the response data satisfies a predetermined condition (S6). As a result of the determination, if the answer data satisfies a predetermined condition (for example, if the number of times the answer data is reused reaches a predetermined number) (YES in S7), the answering person terminal 11a The answer data is registered in the shared knowledge base 13 (S8). Conversely, if the predetermined condition is not satisfied (NO in S7), the answerer terminal 1
1a enters, for example, a waiting state.

By the way, as a result of the search in step S4,
If no answer data matching the above request is found,
That is, if neither the shared knowledge base 13 nor the personal knowledge base 11b has answer data suitable for creating answer data for the inquiry received in step S1 ("No search hit" in S4), the person in charge of answering Terminal 11a
Creates new answer data according to the operation of the answering person (S9). After that, the response person terminal 11
"a" determines the degree of reusability of the answer data (guess)
(Specifically, for example, a certain word included in an answer sentence described in newly created answer data is included in an answer sentence included in certain answer data in the shared knowledge base 13 or the personal knowledge base 11b. It is determined whether or not is included a predetermined number or more of times (S10). In addition, this judgment
The responder may do so.

As a result of this judgment, if the answer data created in step S9 has relatively high reusability, the answering person terminal 11a registers the answer data in the answer example sentence personal knowledge base 11b, and S11), the reply data is returned to the user who made the inquiry received in step S1 (S12). On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S10, if the answer data created in step S9 is relatively low in reusability, the answerer terminal 11a does not register the answer data in the personal knowledge base 11b,
The answer data is returned to the user who made the inquiry received in step S1 (S12).

The preceding is an explanation of this embodiment. As a modified example of this embodiment, a management system that is a computer that manages the support system 7 includes:
Monitor the response data reuse status in the response staff systems 11, 11,...
The answer data in the personal knowledge base 11b may be registered in the shared knowledge base 13. As another modified example, the response person system 11 sends the response data in the personal knowledge base 11b to an administrator terminal (not shown) used by the administrator of the support system 7 according to the reuse status, The administrator may browse or edit the answer data and then register it in the shared knowledge base 13 (of course, the administrator may use May be deleted. As another modified example, a plurality of, for example, two shared knowledge bases 13 are prepared, and the answer data in the personal knowledge base 11b is registered in one of the shared knowledge bases 13 according to the reuse status. When a predetermined condition is satisfied (for example, when the answer data is extracted a predetermined number of times from one of the shared knowledge bases 13), the registered answer data is transferred to the other shared knowledge base 13 and registered. You may do it. As yet another modified example, the response person terminal 11a creates new response data according to the reuse status of the response data in the personal knowledge base 11b (specifically, for example,
In a plurality of reuses, answer data describing only the text left without being edited is created as new answer data), and only the new answer data is registered in the shared knowledge base 13. good.

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, the new answer data created at the answering person terminal 11a is judged to have high reusability by the answering person terminal 11a or the answering person. Only the answer data determined to be highly reusable as a result of the determination is registered in the personal knowledge base 11b, which is a storage device dedicated to the respondent. The answer data registered in the personal knowledge base 11b is automatically registered in the shared knowledge base 13 in accordance with the reuse status at the answerer terminal 11a (for example, if the number of reuses is relatively large). (In other words, the shared knowledge base 13 is updated from the bottom up according to the reuse status of the answer data created by each answerer).
In other words, of the answer data created by each answerer, only answer data with high reusability are automatically prepared in a form that can be used as answer example sentences (that is, templates). This not only eliminates the burden of preparing the answer example sentence, but also registers only the highly reusable answer data so that it can be used as the answer example sentence. Disadvantages such as (1) and (2) below, namely (1)
There is a possibility that a large number of answer example sentences that are not always highly usable will be prepared, and it will be difficult to find an appropriate answer example sentence when creating an answer sentence (answer data).
(2) Defects such as the need to check the contents of the answer example sentence when using the answer example sentence when even the answer data with rough contents are registered as a new answer example sentence are solved.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, they are merely examples for describing the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to these embodiments. The present invention can be implemented in other various forms. The present invention can be applied to various things as long as an inquiry is received from a user and a response is made thereto. More specifically, the present invention is applicable not only to a user support service for a product or a service (for example, a service for receiving an inquiry about a defect of a product and responding to a method of solving the defect), but also to provide legal consultation and life consultation. The present invention can be applied to work in various fields.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an answer support system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a flow from when an answerer receives an inquiry to when he or she answers in an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 User terminal 3 Communication network 5 Inquiry transfer system 7 User support business system 9 LAN 11 Answer person system 11a Answer person terminal 11b Personal knowledge base 13 Shared knowledge base

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Masaki Horikawa 3-3-3 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo F-term in NTT Data Corporation (reference) 5B075 KK07 KK13 KK33 ND20 ND23 ND34 PR03 QP01

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A method for supporting answering an inquiry from a user, comprising: a computer system used by a respondent who makes the answer, wherein answer data representing the content of the answer is stored in the computer system. An answerer system that can be stored and used stores the answer data; and (1) according to a use status of the answer data stored by the answerer system in the answerer system, The stored answer data itself is stored in a shared database, which is a storage device with which the plurality of answer staff systems can communicate, and (2) creating new answer data according to the usage status, Storing new answer data in the shared database; and responding to a request from the respondent. And extracting answer data matching the request from the shared database. 2. A method for assisting in answering an inquiry from a user, comprising: a computer system used by an answering person who makes the answer, wherein answer data representing the content of the answer is stored. An answerer system that can be stored and used stores the answer data; and (1) according to a use status of the answer data stored by the answerer system in the answerer system, Transmitting the stored answer data itself to a predetermined device,
And (2) creating new answer data according to the usage status and transmitting the new answer data to the predetermined device;
Performing the at least one of the above, and the predetermined device edits the response data itself received from the response person system or the received response data, the predetermined device and a plurality of the response persons An answer support method comprising: storing in a shared database which is a communicable storage device of the system; and responding to a request from the answerer and extracting answer data matching the request from the shared database. 3. An answer support system for assisting in answering an inquiry from a user, comprising: a computer system used by an answerer who makes the answer, wherein the answer representing the content of the answer is provided. A plurality of responder systems capable of storing and using data; and a shared database that is a storage device with which the plurality of responder systems can communicate, wherein the answer support system comprises: Storing the stored answer data in the shared database in accordance with the use status of the answer data stored in the responder system in the responder system; and (2) new answer data in accordance with the use status Creating, and storing the new answer data in the shared database, means for performing at least one of: Response support system comprising a means for extracting in response to a request from the serial respondents personnel, the reply data that matches the request from the shared database. 4. An answer support system for assisting in answering an inquiry from a user, comprising: a computer system used by a person in charge of answering the answer, the answer representing the content of the answer. A plurality of responder systems capable of storing and using data; and a shared database that is a storage device with which the plurality of responder systems can communicate, wherein the answer support system comprises: Transmitting the stored answer data itself to a predetermined device in accordance with the use status of the answer data stored by the responder system in the answering person system,
And (2) means for executing at least one of creating new answer data according to the usage status and transmitting the new answer data to a predetermined device; and In response to the request, the predetermined device extracts response data that matches the request from the shared database in which the response data received from the response person system itself or the edited response data is stored. And an answer support system. 5. A computer program for realizing a method for supporting answering an inquiry from a user, comprising: (1) a computer system used by a person in charge of making the answer; An answerer system that can store and use answer data representing the content of the answer,
The stored answer data itself is stored in a shared database, which is a storage device with which the plurality of answer staff systems can communicate, according to the use status of the stored answer data in the answer staff system. And (2) a program code for executing at least one of creating new answer data according to the usage status and storing the new answer data in the shared database; And a program code for responding to a request from a user and extracting answer data matching the request from the shared database. 6. A computer program for realizing a method for supporting answering an inquiry from a user, comprising: (1) a computer system used by a person in charge of answering said answer; An answerer system that can store and use answer data representing the content of the answer,
Transmitting the stored answer data itself to a predetermined device in accordance with the use situation of the answer data stored in the answerer system, and (2) a new answer corresponding to the use situation Creating data, transmitting the new answer data to the predetermined device,
A computer program for executing at least one of the above, and a storage device for storing the response data itself received by the predetermined device or an edited version of the received response data, wherein the predetermined device and a plurality of And a program code for extracting answer data matching the request of the respondent from a shared database that is a storage device with which the respondent can communicate.