# US 12,184,516 B2 · User lifecycle journey and asset data based bot skill selection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,516 B2 - Document ID: US12184516B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/869,085 - Filed: 2022-07-20 - Published: 2024-01-25 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-07-20 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Chidambaram Arunachalam; David C. White, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184516B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/5074: Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets - G06F 40/30: Semantic analysis - H04L 51/02: using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method is provided that is performed by a computer-implemented user support bot. The method includes obtaining from a user a support request related to software and/or hardware used, or to be used, by the user; obtaining user lifecycle journey information that tracks deployment, adoption and/or use by the user of the software and/or hardware; determining a user intent for the support request based on the user lifecycle journey information when there is ambiguity as to the user intent based solely on the support request; and providing a response to the support request based on the user intent. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by a computer-implemented user support bot, the method comprising: obtaining, from a user, a support request related to software and/or hardware used in an enterprise network, or to be used in the enterprise network, by the user; determining a user intent for the support request based on the support request; based on determining that an ambiguity is present with respect to the user intent, obtaining user lifecycle journey information including a particular stage of a plurality of stages that include a deployment stage of the software and/or hardware, an adoption stage of the software and/or hardware, and an in-use stage of the software and/or hardware, wherein the particular stage is a current stage for the hardware and/or the software in the enterprise network; and determining the user intent for the support request based on the support request and the particular stage for the hardware and/or the software; and providing a response to the support request based on the user intent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining, from the software and/or hardware, metadata identifying a state of the software and/or hardware including network topology, software upgrade, configurations recently made, and/or alerts made by the software and/or hardware, wherein determining the user intent is further based on the metadata. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the metadata includes sending a command or application programming interface (API) request to the software and/or hardware to obtain, in response to the command or API request, information about the state of the software and/or hardware. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the user intent comprises: selecting from a plurality of bot skill bundles, a particular bot skill bundle to answer the support request based on the particular stage of the software and/or hardware. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: based on the response, performing a configuration change on the software and/or hardware via a remote communication interaction from a support server. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the user support bot interprets the support request using text-based analysis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the user lifecycle journey information further includes information associated with user interactions via a user support portal, including any online training sessions performed by the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stages further include onboarding the software and/or hardware, implementing the software and/or hardware, and upgrading the software and/or hardware. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the ambiguity is present with respect to the support request is based on a plurality of bot skill bundles matching the support request and determining the user intent when the ambiguity is present comprises: obtaining additional context from the user lifecycle journey information, the additional context including a state of deployment for the hardware and/or software within the enterprise network of the user and a state of the user within the enterprise network; and selecting, from the plurality of bot skill bundles that include a training management skill bundle, a certificate skill bundle and a network management skill bundle, a particular bot skill bundle to answer the support request based on the particular stage of the software and/or hardware, based on the additional context. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stages further include an optimization stage in which performance of the hardware and/or software of the enterprise network is improved using optimization rules with parameters related to security and transport mechanisms. ### Claim 11 An apparatus comprising: a network interface that communicates with software and/or hardware used in an enterprise network, or to be used in the enterprise network by, a user; and at least one processor coupled to the network interface, the at least one processor executing one or more computer programs for a user support bot, and that perform operations including: obtaining, from the user, a support request related to the software and/or hardware used in the enterprise network, or to be used in the enterprise network, by the user; determining a user intent for the support request based on the support request; based on determining that an ambiguity is present with respect to the user intent, obtaining user lifecycle journey information including a particular stage of a plurality of stages that include a deployment stage of the software and/or hardware, an adoption stage of the software and/or hardware, and an in-use stage of the software and/or hardware, wherein the particular stage is a current stage for the hardware and/or the software in the enterprise network, and; determining the user intent for the support request based on the support request and the particular stage for the hardware and/or the software; and providing a response to the support request based on the user intent. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor executes the one or more computer programs to further perform: obtaining from the software and/or hardware, metadata identifying a state the software and/or hardware including network topology, software upgrade, configurations recently made, and/or alerts made by the software and/or hardware, wherein determining the user intent is further based on the metadata. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein obtaining the metadata includes sending a command or application programming interface (API) request to the software and/or hardware to obtain, in response to the command or API request, information about the state of the software and/or hardware. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein determining the user intent comprises: selecting from a plurality of bot skill bundles, a particular bot skill bundle to answer the support request based on the particular stage of the software and/or hardware. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor executes the one or more computer programs to further perform: based on the response, providing a command that causes a configuration change on the software and/or hardware via a remote communication interaction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the user support bot interprets the support request using text-based analysis. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the user lifecycle journey information further includes information associated with user interactions via a user support portal, including any online training sessions performed by the user. ### Claim 18 One or more non-transitory computer readable media encoded with software instructions that, when executed by a processor of a support server that provides a computer-implemented user support bot, cause the support server to perform operations including: obtaining from a user a support request related to software and/or hardware used in an enterprise network, or to be used in the enterprise network, by the user; determining a user intent for the support request based on the support request; based on determining that an ambiguity is present with respect to the user intent, obtaining user lifecycle journey information including a particular stage of a plurality of stages that include a deployment stage of the software and/or hardware, an adoption stage of the software and/or hardware, and an in-use stage of the software and/or hardware, wherein the particular stage is a current stage of the hardware and/or the software in the enterprise network, and determining the user intent for the support request based on the support request and the particular stage for the hardware and/or the software; and providing a response to the support request based on the user intent. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 18, further comprising software instructions that, when executed by the processor of the support server, cause the support server to further perform: obtaining from the software and/or hardware, metadata identifying a state of the software and/or hardware including network topology, software upgrade, configurations recently made, and/or alerts made by the software and/or hardware, wherein determining the user intent is further based on the metadata. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 18, wherein determining the user intent comprises: selecting from a plurality of bot skill bundles, a particular bot skill bundle to answer the support request based on the particular stage of the software and/or hardware.