Interactive notification panels in a computing system

• US 10,530,879 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewallen, Jr., James Henry, Mullins, Christopher Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Hannah S
• Application Number:
  US15/710,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20190089796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for providing interactive notification panels to a user. A bot apparatus receives a notification from an application program and transforms the notification into one or more interactive notification panels configured to receive user inputs and/or to provide an output to at least one user input. Based on at least one user input, the bot apparatus transmits data to the application program, which causes the application program to perform one or more actions.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storage devices for storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform a method, comprising;

receiving, by an intelligent virtual assistant, a notification from an application program;

transforming, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the notification into a first interactive notification panel that comprises one or more first outputs configured to receive one or more user inputs;

receiving, by the intelligent virtual assistant, a spoken user input responsive to at least one of the one or more first outputs, the spoken user input comprising input data for an action to be performed by the application program;

transmitting, by the intelligent virtual assistant, a second interactive notification panel in response to the spoken user input, the second interactive notification panel comprising a confirmation of the spoken user input and one or more second outputs configured to receive one or more user inputs, wherein content in the second interactive notification panel is distinct from content in the first interactive notification panel;

receiving, by the intelligent virtual assistant, a second user input responsive to at least one of the one or more second outputs, the second user input comprising second input data for the application program, wherein collectively the first interactive notification panel, the spoken user input, the second interactive notification panel, and the second user input comprise a dialogue; and

transmitting, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the input data to the application program to enable the application to perform the action.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent virtual assistant is stored on a first storage device and executed by a first computing device and the application program is stored on a second storage device and executed by a second computing device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device is a same computing device.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first computing device comprises a first server-computing device and the second computing device comprises one of a second server-computing device or a client-computing device.

5. A method for providing one or more interactive notifications, the method comprising:

receiving, by an intelligent virtual assistant, a notification from an application program;

transforming, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the notification into a first interactive notification panel that is configured to receive a first user input;

providing, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the first interactive notification panel to a client-computing device;

based on receipt of the first user input associated with the first interactive notification panel, providing, by the intelligent virtual assistant, a second interactive notification panel to the client computing device, the second interactive notification panel configured to receive a second user input and comprising a confirmation of the first user input, wherein content in the second interactive notification panel is distinct from content in the first interactive notification panel;

receiving, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the second user input associated with the second interactive panel, the second user input comprising input data for the application program, wherein collectively the first interactive notification panel, the first user input, the second interactive notification panel, and the second user input comprise a dialogue between the intelligent virtual assistant and the client-computing device; and

transmitting, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the input data to the application program to enable the application program to perform an action associated with the application program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first user input comprises a text input.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first user input comprises a spoken input.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the operation of providing the first interactive notification panel to the client-computing device causes the first interactive notification panel to be presented on a display.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the operation of providing the first interactive notification panel to the client-computing device causes the first interactive notification panel to be provided to one or more speakers.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the operation of transforming, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the notification into the first interactive notification panel comprises modifying, by the intelligent virtual assistant, a notification panel to include one or more graphical control elements.

11. A method for providing one or more interactive notifications, the method comprising:

receiving, by an intelligent virtual assistant, a notification from an application program;

transforming, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the notification into a first interactive notification panel comprising a first output configured to receive a first user input;

providing, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the first interactive notification panel to a client-computing device to present the first interactive notification panel to a user using an output device;

receiving, by the intelligent virtual assistant, a first user input responsive to the first output, the first user input comprising first input data for the application program;

transmitting, by the intelligent virtual assistant, a second interactive notification panel to the client-computing device in response to the first user input, the second interactive notification panel comprising a confirmation of the first user input and a second output configured to receive a second user input, wherein content in the second interactive notification panel is distinct from content in the first interactive notification panel;

receiving, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the second user input comprising second input data for the application program, wherein collectively the first interactive notification panel, the first user input, the second interactive notification panel, and the second user input comprise a dialogue between the intelligent virtual assistant and the client-computing device; and

transmitting, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the first and the second input data to the application program to enable the application program to perform an action associated with the application program.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second user input comprises a touch input or a gesture input.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the output device comprises one or more speakers.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first output is provided to the one or more speakers.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the intelligent virtual assistant is stored on a first storage device and executed by a first server-computing device and the application program is stored on a separate second storage device and executed by a separate second server-computing device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the operation of transforming, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the notification into the interactive notification panel comprises modifying, by the intelligent virtual assistant, a notification panel to include one or more graphical control elements, at least one of the one or more graphical control elements comprising a dialog box.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the client-computing device comprises a first client-computing device;

the output device comprises a first output device; and

the method further comprises;

prior to receiving the second user input, determining, by the intelligent virtual assistant, if the second interactive notification panel has been viewed at the first client-computing device; and

when the second interactive notification panel has not been viewed, transmitting, by the intelligent virtual assistant, the second interactive notification panel to a second client-computing device to present the second interactive notification panel to the user using a second output device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first user input comprises a spoken user input.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the confirmation comprises a confirmation of the spoken user input.