Automated Topic Ranking and Expert Identification in Forums
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in identifying relevant subject matter experts and information in large online forums, as existing search engines and chat rooms require manual browsing and may not efficiently link users with accurate answers to specific questions, especially for technical issues like smartphone or software problems.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize natural language processing to identify content threads, rank topics, and designate subject matter experts within forums, creating notifications and share links to connect users with relevant experts and information across multiple forums, leveraging bots to process and transmit queries for third-party information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If manual browsing of search results and chat rooms is used to identify relevant content, then users can access information, but the process is burdensome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically indexes messages and identifies topics without requiring user intervention. The automated bot processes content threads, ranks topics by weight, and identifies subject matter experts autonomously, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring manual user browsing and filtering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual browsing process with an automated information processing system using natural language processing and algorithms. Instead of users manually reading and evaluating search results, an automated system performs topic indexing, weighting, and expert identification, substituting human cognitive effort with computational processes.
2Reliability
If experts manually monitor chat rooms to answer customer questions, then customer service can be provided, but the process is inefficient and resource-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically identifying subject matter experts and routing questions to them without requiring experts to continuously monitor chat rooms. The automated topic identification and expert matching system handles the initial processing, allowing experts to respond only when their specific expertise is needed, thereby improving both efficiency and answer accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an automated intermediary system that acts as a mediator between users and experts. This intermediary processes content threads, identifies relevant topics through natural language processing, ranks topics by weight, and matches questions with appropriate experts, thereby improving the efficiency of expert response while maintaining answer reliability.
3Productivity
If automated bots process questions using natural language processing, then response efficiency can be improved, but the ability to accurately identify relevant experts and topics becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex task of expert identification into distinct modular components: message indexing, topic identification, topic weighting, and expert matching. Each component handles a specific aspect of the processing pipeline, making the overall system more manageable despite the inherent complexity of natural language processing and automated expert identification.
Data Source
AI summary
One example method of operation may include identifying a content thread in a content sharing forum, indexing all messages included in the content thread according to content of the messages to identify topics, ranking the topics of the content thread to identify highest weighted topics based on content of messages included in the topics, identifying one or more topic experts associated with the highest weighted topics, creating a notification with the one or more topic experts and the highest weighted topics, and posting the notification in the content sharing forum.