Dynamic Type-Ahead Suggestions for Tax Search Queries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tax return preparation systems face challenges in assisting users in finding answers to their questions efficiently, leading to feelings of fear, uncertainty, and doubt, which can result in user frustration and abandonment of the system.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that provide domain-specific and dynamic type-ahead suggestions for search query terms using a predictive topic model, incorporating user profile data and tax data to identify relevant search queries and disambiguate ambiguous terms, thereby assisting users in formulating questions and reducing search time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tax return preparation system provides comprehensive user experience pages and tax information, then the system's capability to assist users is improved, but the time required for users to find answers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-generates type-ahead suggestions and search recommendations based on user inputs before users actually need them. This preliminary preparation of information allows users to quickly access relevant answers without manually searching through comprehensive tax information, thus maintaining system capability while reducing search time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual information searching with an automated machine learning-based suggestion system. The system uses natural language processing and predictive algorithms to automatically generate and present relevant search suggestions, substituting the mechanical process of manual searching with an intelligent automated system that delivers answers more efficiently
2Reliability
If the system provides detailed tax information and user experience pages, then user assistance quality is improved, but user frustration increases due to difficulty in finding answers
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to self-serve by providing intelligent type-ahead suggestions that automatically appear as users type. This self-service mechanism allows users to quickly find answers without needing to navigate through detailed tax information manually, improving ease of operation while maintaining assistance quality through the intelligence of the suggestion system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between users and comprehensive tax information - the type-ahead suggestion system. This intermediary automatically processes user inputs and presents filtered, relevant suggestions, mediating between the user's simple query and the complex tax information base, thus improving ease of operation while preserving assistance quality
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system offers extensive user experience pages, then service comprehensiveness is improved, but user trust decreases due to fear and uncertainty
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by providing real-time type-ahead suggestions that respond to user inputs. This immediate feedback loop builds user trust by showing the system understands user needs and provides relevant assistance, reducing fear and uncertainty while maintaining comprehensive service capability through the adaptive suggestion system
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed methods and systems provide domain-specific type ahead suggestions for search query terms with a customer self-service system for a tax return preparation system, according to one embodiment. Type ahead suggestions include suggestions for completing a single search query term and/or suggestions for completing a search query having multiple search query terms. The customer self-service system receives one or more search query terms in a search text box, searches for potential search queries that are likely to complete the one or more search query terms, and provides a selected one of the potential search queries in the search text box as a type ahead suggestion, adjacent to the received one or more search query terms, according to one embodiment. The customer self-service system selects one of the potential search queries based on the received search query terms, the user's profile, and/or the user's tax data, according to one embodiment.