System and method for automated chat testing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9392113-B2
Application number	US-201514854003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2009
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

A system for flexible and scalable automated chat-based contact center testing, comprising a test case management platform, “chat cruncher”, contact center manager, chat classifier, and desktop automation engine, and method for using such a system for automated testing of a contact center's chat-based interactions environment and reporting of test results.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for automated testing of a chat-based interaction environment, comprising:
a text chat cruncher computer comprising a memory, a processor, a network interface, and a plurality of programmable instructions stored in the memory and operable on the processor, the programmable instructions configured to execute text chat test cases;
an interaction router computer attached to the network and comprising programmable instructions stored and operable thereon to route incoming interactions;
a contact center manager computer attached to a network and comprising programmable instructions stored and operable thereon to manage contact center interactions; and
a chat classifier computer attached to a network and comprising programmable instructions stored and operable thereon to analyze live customer text chat requests and test text chat requests;
wherein the text chat cruncher computer operates a plurality of virtual customers as independent software agents under control of the programmable instructions for executing text chat test cases;
wherein the contact center manager computer operates a plurality of virtual agents to participate in chat session with virtual customers;
wherein the interaction router simultaneously routes both live customer text chat interactions to real human agents and test text chat interactions to virtual simulated agents;
wherein the text chat classifier computer classifies interactions according to their nature as either live customer text chat interactions or test text chat interactions to enforce boundaries between a running test and an operating contact center environment.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a desktop automation computer comprising programmable instructions stored and operable thereon;
wherein the desktop automation computer operates a real or simulated agent desktop for testing of agent experience and software functionality.

3. A method for operating a system for automated testing of chat-based interaction environments, comprising the steps of:
creating a plurality of virtual agents and virtual customers using a text chat cruncher computer attached to a network and comprising programmable instructions stored and operable thereon to execute text chat test cases;
initiating a text chat session between a virtual customer and a virtual agent using the text chat cruncher computer;
routing, via an interaction router computer attached to the network and comprising programmable instructions stored and operable thereon to route incoming interactions, a plurality of substantially simultaneous live customer text chat interactions to real human agents and test text chat interactions to the virtual agent; and
classifying a text chat session either as a live customer text chat interaction or as a test text chat interaction using a text chat classifier computer comprising programmable instructions stored and operable thereon to enforce boundaries between a running test and an operating contact center environment.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of:
interacting with a real or simulated agent desktop using a desktop automation computer comprising programmable instructions stored and operable thereon for additional testing of agent experience and software functionality.

Assignees

• Cyara Solutions Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Kulkarni Alok
• Willshire Geoff

Classifications

• H04L41/14

  Network analysis or design · CPC title

• H04L41/00

  Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks · CPC title

• H04L51/046

  Interoperability with other network applications or services · CPC title

• H04L51/02 Primary

  using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages · CPC title

• H04M3/28

  Automatic routine testing {; Fault testing; Installation testing; Test methods, test equipment or test arrangements therefor} · CPC title