Bot Identification and Control

• US 20080086522A1
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gunn, Campbell D., Biggs, Todd S., Smith, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload

Abstract

Various embodiments employ methods and techniques to enable users, and others, to manage or otherwise become more informed about applications or bots with which they interact. The methods and techniques, in at least some embodiments, can provide various types of indications, visual or otherwise, that pertain to various types of ratings that can be assigned to applications or bots and which can enable a user and others to assess the propriety, level and nature of their interaction with an application or bot.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media embodying computer-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement a method comprising:

ascertaining that a user is or is about to converse with a bot; and

presenting, in a user interface, indicia that the user is or is about to converse with a bot.

2. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said indicia comprises iconic indicia.

3. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said indicia comprises textual indicia.

4. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said indicia comprises indicia that includes non-visual indicia.

5. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises part of an instant messaging or VoIP application user interface.

6. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises part of an interface that enables the user to have real-time conversations.

7. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1 further comprising providing indicia that indicates that a bot is approved or verified.

8. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1 further comprising providing indicia that indicates that a bot'"'"'s content is approved.

9. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1 further comprising providing indicia that indicates content ratings associated with a bot.

10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1 further comprising providing indicia that indicates a privacy rating associated with a bot.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1 further comprising providing indicia that indicates a reputation associated with a bot.

12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1 further comprising providing indicia that indicates popularity of a bot.

13. One or more computer-readable media embodying computer-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement a method comprising:

ascertaining that a user is or is about to converse with a bot in a presence-based environment; and

providing indicia that can be presented in a user interface to indicate a rating associated with the bot.

14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises expressing said indicia programmatically so that other applications can take actions based on the rating.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the bot is associated with a managed ID.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein said indicia comprises textual indicia.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein said indicia comprises textual indicia that is presented with iconic indicia that indicates that the bot is a bot.

18. A system comprising:

one or more servers configured to implement a presence-based environment; and

a store associated with -the one or more servers and configured to store ratings and/or voting information associated with individual bots that can operate within the presence-based environment.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more servers are configured to receive reactive feedback from users within the presence-based network and maintain the reactive feedback in the store.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising a catalog service associated with the one or more servers, wherein the catalog service is configured to provide a catalog of bots associated with the presence-based environment