Method and system for instant messaging bots specification using state transition methodology and XML

• US 20050138132A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shu, Chen, Zhou, Nianjun, Meliksetian, Dikran S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A framework for creating instant messaging Bots that autonomously operate within an instant messaging sessions to respond to requests from other user(s) or Bot(s). Bot operation is defined by a state machine with one or more states that are described in XML documents. These XML documents abide by the grammar of a Bot Transition Definition Language (BTDL) that is defined in an XML schema. A Bot developer creates a state transition diagram via a Graphical User Interface. The state transition diagram defines states, transitions between states, and conditions for each of those state transitions and methods to be performed upon each state transition. An XML document that conforms to BTDL format is created from the state transition definition diagram. Both stateful and stateless Bots are defined using XML documents abiding to a BTDL format. A runtime environment implements the Bots, accepts runtime inputs and generates responses.

Claims

1. A method for defining an instant messaging Bot process, the method comprising:

accepting an XML schema that defines elements for instant messaging Bots, the elements for use in XML documents that define instant messaging Bots that accept at least one runtime input and provide at least one response in response to the at least one runtime input, wherein the elements defined in the XML schema comprise definitions for elements that correspond to at least one state definition, at least one state transition definition, and at least one condition definition for each of the at least one state transition;

creating a state transition definition diagram for an instant messaging Bot, the state transition definition diagram comprising at least one state, at least one state transition, and at least one condition for each of the at least one state transition; and

generating an XML document that corresponds to the state transition definition diagram and that abides to the XML schema.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein creating the state transition definition diagram comprises specifying a set of legitimate runtime input formats and the XML document defines the set of legitimate runtime input formats.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instant messaging Bot is able to participate with a plurality of clients in a plurality of instant messaging sessions.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the creating the state transition definition diagram comprises defining at least a portion of the state transition definition diagram with a graphical user interface.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

entering, into the graphical user interface, a format for at least one runtime input that corresponds to at least one of the at least one condition; and

validating the format.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the XML document further specifies at least one object class, and the method further comprises submitting the XML document to a runtime environment that processes the XML document in order to implement the instant messaging Bot in conjunction with the at least one object class.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the state transition definition diagram comprises at least one help message that is to be displayed in response to satisfaction of a corresponding help condition, and wherein the runtime environment displays the help message upon satisfaction of the help condition.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the runtime environment implements the instant messaging Bot within physical communications sessions, and wherein the runtime environment continues to implement the instant messaging Bot after a physical communication session associated with the instant messaging Bot terminates.

9. An instant messaging Bot development system, comprising:

an XML schema repository for storing at least one XML schema, each of the at least one XML schema defining elements for instant messaging Bots that accept at least one runtime input and provide at least one response in response to the at least one runtime input, wherein the elements defined in the XML schema comprise definitions for elements that correspond to at least one state definition, at least one state transition definition, and at least one condition definition for each of the at least one state transition definition;

a state transition definition diagram definition tool for creating a state transition definition diagram for an instant messaging Bot, the state transition definition diagram comprising at least one state, at least one state transition, and at least one condition for each of the at least one state transition; and

an XML document generator for generating an XML document that corresponds to the state transition definition diagram and that conforms to one of the at least one XML schema.

10. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 9, wherein the state transition definition diagram definition tool further accepts a set of legitimate runtime input formats and the XML document defines the set of legitimate runtime input formats.

11. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 9, wherein the instant messaging Bot is able to participate with a plurality of clients in a plurality of instant messaging sessions.

12. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 9, wherein the state transition definition diagram definition tool comprises a graphical user interface for defining at least a portion of the state transition definition diagram.

13. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 12, wherein the graphical user interface further supports entry of a format for at least one runtime input that corresponds to at least one of the at least one condition, and comprises a format checker for validating the format.

14. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 9, wherein the XML document further specifies at least one object class and the instant messaging Bot development system further comprises a runtime environment that processes the XML document in order to implement the instant messaging Bot in conjunction with the at least one object class according to the state transition definition diagram.

15. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 14, wherein the state transition definition diagram comprises at least one help message that is to be displayed in response to satisfaction of a corresponding help condition, and wherein the runtime environment displays the help message upon satisfaction of the help condition.

16. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 15, wherein the runtime environment implements the instant messaging Bot within physical communications sessions, and wherein the runtime environment continues to implement the instant messaging Bot after a physical communication session associated with the instant messaging Bot terminates.

17. An XML schema for defining a Bot Transition Definition Language for use in developing instant messaging Bots, the XML schema comprising:

at least one state element definition; and

at least one state transition element definition,

wherein at least one of the at least one state transition element definition comprises a definition of at least one condition for a state transition.

18. An XML document that conforms to an XML schema, wherein the XML schema comprises:

a state machine element that defines data for a state machine for an instant messaging Bot, the state machine element comprising;

at least one state element; and

at least one state transition element,

wherein at least one of the at least one state transition element comprises at least one condition for the at least one of the at least one state transition.

19. An instant messaging Bot runtime system, comprising:

a runtime environment for processing an XML document in order to implement an instant messaging Bot in conjunction with at least one object class, wherein the XML document comprises;

a definition of a state machine element;

at least one state element; and

at least one state transition element,

wherein at least one of the at least one state transition element comprises at least one condition for the at least one of the at least one state transition.

20. A computer program product for defining an instant messaging Bot process, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

accepting an XML schema that defines elements for instant messaging Bots, the elements for use in XML documents that define instant messaging Bots that accept at least one runtime input and provide at least one response in response to the at least one runtime input, wherein the elements defined in the XML schema comprise definitions for elements that correspond to at least one state definition, at least one state transition definition, and at least one condition definition for each of the at least one state transition;

creating a state transition definition diagram for an instant messaging Bot, the state transition definition diagram comprising at least one state, at least one state transition, and at least one condition for each of the at least one state transition; and

generating an XML document that corresponds to the state transition definition diagram and that abides to the XML schema.

21. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein creating the state transition definition diagram comprises specifying a set of legitimate runtime input formats and the XML document defines the set of legitimate runtime input formats.

22. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the instant messaging Bot is able to participate with a plurality of clients in a plurality of instant messaging sessions.

23. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the instructions for creating the state transition diagram comprise instructions for defining at least a portion of the state transition definition diagram with a graphical user interface.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23, further comprising instructions for:

entering, into the graphical user interface, a legitimate format for at least one runtime input that corresponds to at least one of the at least one condition; and

validating the legitimate format.

25. The computer program product according to claim 20, further comprising instructions for submitting the XML document to a runtime environment that performs functions of the instant messaging Bot in conjunction with at least one object class.

26. The computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the state transition definition diagram comprises at least one help message that is to be displayed in response to satisfaction of a corresponding help condition, and wherein the runtime environment displays the help message upon satisfaction of the help condition.

27. The computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the runtime environment performs the functions of the instant messaging Bot within physical communications sessions, and wherein the runtime environment continues to perform the functions after a physical communication session associated with the instant messaging Bot terminates.