Patent Document ID: 6026396
Application ID: 09208446

Base Claim:
1. Apparatus for providing information about a subject matter, including a knowledge base for automatically responding to a user message, the apparatus comprising: a logging means for receiving the user message when the knowledge base does not address the user message; a storage means for storing the logged user message; an output means for providing the logged user message to a subject matter expert; and a receiving means for receiving data input, for updating the knowledge base, from the subject matter expert, but not from other users of the system; said logged means comprises an identifier for the logged user message to associate additional future correspondence with said user related to the logged user message.

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Claim 6:
6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a terminal means for permitting the subject matter expert to: a) update the knowledge base by creating a query expression and a body of information, b) transmit at least one query expression to the knowledge base, c) associate said query expression with said body of information, and d) control the manner in which a processor means responds to the user message.