Instant-Messaging Bot Human-Agent Symbiosis Escalation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing instant-messaging bots lack effective human-chatbot symbiosis, requiring human agents to intervene in complex conversations, leading to user frustration and poor experience due to limitations in handling nuanced human language and information access.
Innovation Solution
A system that enables chatbots and human agents to communicate seamlessly over public IM platforms, allowing users to interact with both through a single messaging channel, with real-time message visibility and an escalation mechanism that automatically switches to a live agent when preset conditions are met, using a combination of natural language processing, dialog management, and knowledge base integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a chatbot handles complex conversations alone, then automation extent increases, but reliability decreases due to inability to handle nuanced human language
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges chatbot automation with human agent capability into a unified communication channel. The system combines the chatbot's automated response capability with human agents' ability to handle complex conversations, allowing seamless transition between automated and human-assisted service within the same IM interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that connects the chatbot system with human agents. This intermediary enables automatic escalation to human agents when conversation complexity exceeds chatbot capabilities, while maintaining a unified communication interface for users.
2Ease of operation
If human agents use separate IM platforms to communicate with users, then ease of operation for agents improves, but device complexity increases due to multiple contact channels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal IM platform that serves multiple functions: it acts as both the user's contact channel for the enterprise and the internal communication system for human agents. The single IM platform supports both external user communication and internal agent collaboration, eliminating the need for separate communication systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the communication functions within the unified IM platform, allowing different agents to be assigned to specific conversation segments or escalation levels. The system divides conversation handling into automated chatbot segments and human agent segments, with clear transition points.
3Reliability
If human agents are added to handle complex conversations, then reliability improves, but loss of time increases due to escalation and handoff processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary actions by pre-configuring escalation rules, agent assignments, and conversation context transfer mechanisms before interactions occur. When escalation is needed, the system has already prepared the necessary information and agent routing, minimizing handoff time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action by preserving conversation context and history during escalation from chatbot to human agent. The IM platform continuously maintains the conversation thread, allowing seamless transition without requiring users to repeat information or agents to lose context.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of instant-messaging bot that provide a chatbot and human agents working in accord in communicating with users over a public instant-messaging (IM) platform includes a chatbot application and an IM platform, both built for an enterprise. The enterprise IM platform is connected to the chatbot application and separately connected to one or more public IM platforms via the Internet. The chatbot application contains software for receiving, processing, analyzing and responding to human-generated messages in a human-like manner. The enterprise IM platform contains software for managing traffic of IM messages exchanged among the chatbot, one or more human agents connected to the enterprise IM platform, and any user connected to one of the public IM platforms.