COMMUNICATION-PROMPTED USER ASSISTANCE

• US 20080005053A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pulsipher, Jon D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Communications are monitored for user intentions related to user tasks such as meeting scheduling and the like 308. When an intention (e.g. mention of a meeting) is determined from the communications, candidate task actions (e.g., scheduling meeting) are initiated and/or stored 310. At an appropriate event trigger (e.g. completion of communications), a user can be prompted with a list of candidate task actions and can select which actions to perform 312. Action profiles 320 can also be incorporated to allow customization of how task actions are completed. These profiles can be called at the time of task action execution to guide the action fulfillment. The profiles can be user and/or system generated and/or provided by third parties and the like. The task actions are typically performed utilizing task related applications to fully execute the task action so that additional user input is not required.

Claims

1. A system that responds to human communications, comprising:

a recognition component that dynamically monitors communications for an apparent intent related to a task; and

a task component that receives, at least in part, an apparent intent from the recognition component and associates it with a task to form a candidate task for prompting a user.

2. The system of claim 1, the recognition component incorporates environmental and/or contextual information to facilitate in determining an apparent intent.

3. The system of claim 1, the recognition component employs, at least in part, artificial intelligence processing to detect an apparent intent in the communications.

4. The system of claim 1, the task component stores candidate tasks for recall after a trigger event.

5. The system of claim 1, the task component and/or recognition component is/are remotely located to a device utilized for the communications.

6. The system of claim 1, the communications comprising audio, visual, and/or written communications.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an action manager component that receives a candidate task directly and/or indirectly from the task component and prompts a user about the candidate task.

8. The system of claim 7, the action manager component prompts the user after a trigger event.

9. The system of claim 8, the trigger event comprising detection of the apparent intent related to a task and/or completion of the communications.

10. The system of claim 7, the action manager component interacts with a user to determine which candidate task is performed.

11. The system of claim 10, the action manager component employs an action profile to facilitate in completing a task.

12. The system of claim 10, the action manager component adds a reference, a copy, and/or a link associated with an originating communication in an application associated with a performed task.

13. The system of claim 7, the action manager component is remotely located to a device utilized for the communications.

14. The system of claim 7, the action manager component prompts a user other than participants of the communications.

15. The system of claim 7, the action manager component contacts a user subsequent to a completion of communications via a similar communication means utilized for the communications to prompt for a follow up to the candidate task.

16. A method for extracting tasks from communications, comprising:

dynamically detecting an apparent intent related to a task while monitoring human communications;

associating a detected intent with a task to create a candidate task; and

prompting a user of the candidate task following a trigger event.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

accepting a candidate task selection from the user;

executing the selected task utilizing an action profile and a task associated application; and

providing the user with a visualization of the executed task that includes information relating to an origin of the task.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

employing environmental and/or contextual information to facilitate in determining an apparent intent.

19. The method of claim 16, the communications comprising emails, instant messaging, text messaging, and/or voice communications.

20. A system that is responsive to human communications, comprising:

means for dynamically extracting an apparent intent related to a task from visual and/or aural communications;

means for associating the extracted apparent intent to an existing task to create a candidate task; and

means for interacting with a user to indicate that a candidate task was obtained from the communications and to allow user selections of candidate tasks for execution.