Question Answering System for Electronic Communication Tools
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic communication tools hinder productivity due to the need for users to send and receive unnecessary messages that could be easily answered by a computer, leading to inefficiencies in real-time non-verbal communication.
Innovation Solution
A question answering system is integrated into electronic communication tools to generate candidate answers based on user input, using natural language processing and data sources including personalized and informational databases, with confidence scores to assist users in selecting appropriate responses, and optionally blocking unnecessary messages if a high-confidence answer is available.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If users manually type and send messages in electronic communication tools, then real-time communication capability is maintained, but productivity decreases due to unnecessary messages and time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by generating candidate answers before the user sends the message. The question answering system analyzes the incoming message and prepares multiple candidate responses in advance, allowing the user to quickly select from pre-generated options rather than typing from scratch.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service by automatically generating candidate answers without requiring user input for each message. The question answering system autonomously processes incoming messages, retrieves relevant information from data sources, and generates appropriate responses that the user can directly utilize or modify.
2Productivity
If a question answering system generates candidate answers, then productivity is enhanced by reducing unnecessary messages, but device complexity increases due to integration of natural language processing and data sources
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves multi-functionality by integrating multiple capabilities into a single platform: natural language processing for understanding incoming messages, information retrieval from multiple data sources (personalized and informational databases), candidate answer generation, and confidence scoring. This universal system handles various types of communication queries through a unified architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The question answering system acts as an intermediary between the communication users and the extensive data sources. It mediates the complex interactions by processing user messages, querying multiple databases, generating candidates, and presenting simplified options to users, thereby managing complexity internally while maintaining simplicity at the user interface.
3Measurement precision
If the system provides multiple candidate answers with confidence scores, then answer accuracy is improved, but ease of operation decreases due to additional selection steps for users
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by providing a limited number of top candidate answers (e.g., top 3-5) with confidence scores rather than generating all possible answers. This approach maintains high accuracy by presenting the most relevant options while avoiding overwhelming the user with excessive choices, thus balancing precision with ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Text is received from a first user. The text is associated with an electronic communication tool for communication to a second user. Candidate answers are generated based on the text using a question answering system. At least one of the candidate answers is provided to the first user.