SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USER INTERFACE PRESENTATION OF VIRTUAL AGENT

• US 20140164533A1
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lynch, Timothy, Harper, Kenneth S., Radebaugh, Carey
• Granted Patent: US 9,148,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for use in connection with at least one virtual agent. In some embodiments, at least one processor is programmed to present the at least one virtual agent as a participant in a multiparty conversation taking place via a messaging application.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor programmed by one or more executable instructions to implement at least one virtual agent, the at least one processor being further programmed to:

present the at least one virtual agent as a participant in a multiparty conversation taking place via a messaging application.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to present the at least one virtual agent in a same manner as one or more persons participating in the conversation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to present the at least one virtual agent in a manner that distinguishes the at least one virtual agent from one or more persons participating in the conversation.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the messaging application has a visual user interface to be displayed on a display screen of a user'"'"'s device, and wherein the at least one virtual agent'"'"'s contribution to the conversation is presented at a first portion of the display screen and the one or more persons'"'"' contribution is presented at a second portion of the display screen different from the first portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the messaging application has a visual user interface to be displayed on a display screen of a user'"'"'s device, and wherein the at least one virtual agent'"'"'s contribution to the conversation is presented using at least one first color and the one or more users'"'"' contribution is presented using at least one second color different from the at least one first color.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the messaging application is a text-based messaging application.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the text-based messaging application is selected from a group consisting of:

Short Message Service (SMS), Instant Messaging (IM), and email.

8. A method performed by at least one processor in connection with at least one virtual agent, the method comprising an act of:

presenting the at least one virtual agent as a participant in a multiparty conversation taking place via a messaging application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one virtual agent is presented in a same manner as one or more persons participating in the conversation.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one virtual agent is presented in a manner that distinguishes the at least one virtual agent from one or more persons participating in the conversation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the messaging application has a visual user interface to be displayed on a display screen of a user'"'"'s device, and wherein the at least one virtual agent'"'"'s contribution to the conversation is presented at a first portion of the display screen and the one or more persons'"'"' contribution is presented at a second portion of the display screen different from the first portion.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the messaging application has a visual user interface to be displayed on a display screen of a user'"'"'s device, and wherein the at least one virtual agent'"'"'s contribution to the conversation is presented using at least one first color and the one or more users'"'"' contribution is presented using at least one second color different from the at least one first color.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the messaging application is a text-based messaging application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the text-based messaging application is selected from a group consisting of:

Short Message Service (SMS), Instant Messaging (IM), and email.

15. At least one computer-readable medium having encoded thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for use in connection with at least one virtual agent, the method comprising an act of:

presenting the at least one virtual agent as a participant in a multiparty conversation taking place via a messaging application.

16. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one virtual agent is presented in a same manner as one or more persons participating in the conversation.

17. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one virtual agent is presented in a manner that distinguishes the at least one virtual agent from one or more persons participating in the conversation.

18. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the messaging application has a visual user interface to be displayed on a display screen of a user'"'"'s device, and wherein the at least one virtual agent'"'"'s contribution to the conversation is presented at a first portion of the display screen and the one or more persons'"'"' contribution is presented at a second portion of the display screen different from the first portion.

19. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the messaging application has a visual user interface to be displayed on a display screen of a user'"'"'s device, and wherein the at least one virtual agent'"'"'s contribution to the conversation is presented using at least one first color and the one or more users'"'"' contribution is presented using at least one second color different from the at least one first color.

20. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the messaging application is a text-based messaging application.