INTELLIGENT CHAT SYSTEM

• US 20140195621A1
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao DV, Raja
• Granted Patent: US 9,374,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages

Abstract

The disclosure herein describes an intelligent chat system. During operation, the system monitors content provided by participants of an online chat, and automatically obtains, from a data source, additional information based on the monitored content. The system then presents the obtained additional information to the chat participants without the need for the chat participants to request the additional information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enhancing online chat experience, comprising:

establishing a chat session between a first participant and a second participant, the chat session being executed using a chat application that enables a plurality of messages to be transmitted between the first participant and the second participant, the messages being displayed in a chat window local to each participant;

initiating a chat assistant configured to execute as a background process on a computer, the chat assistant configured to monitor the plurality of messages;

monitoring, by the chat assistant, a computer, content in the plurality of messages transmitted between the first participant and the second participant;

recognizing a specified set of content in a message;

in response to recognizing the set of content, automatically obtaining, from a data source external with respect to the chat application, additional information based on the monitored content; and

presenting simultaneously to both the first participant and the second participant, the obtained additional information within the chat window by the chat assistant without requiring either the first participant or the second participant to request the additional information manually.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the second participant is authorized to view the additional information obtained from the content in the message transmitted by the first participant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data source includes at least one of:

an email server;

a calendar;

an enterprise database; and

Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising inferring meanings of the content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a recommendation to the first participant and to the second participant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional information includes one or more of:

a map;

an email;

a date;

a time;

a calendar item; and

a venue.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing a question related to a home address of the first participant in the plurality of messages transmitted between the first participant and the second participant;

determining whether the first participant has previously authorized the second participant to know the home address of the first participant;

if the first participant has authorized the second participant to know the home address, contacting a mapping service by the chat assistant, retrieving a set of directions from the mapping service, and displaying the set of directions within the chat window.

3. (canceled)

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a set of operations comprising:

establishing a chat session between a first participant and a second participant, the chat session being executed using a chat application that enables a plurality of messages to be transmitted between the first participant and the second participant, the messages being displayed in a chat window local to each participant;

initiating a chat assistant configured to execute as a background process on a computer, the chat assistant configured to monitor the plurality of messages;

monitoring, by the chat assistant, content in the plurality of messages transmitted between the first participant and the second participant;

recognizing a specified set of content in a message;

in response to recognizing the set of content, automatically obtaining, from a data source external with respect to the chat application, additional information based on the monitored content; and

presenting simultaneously both to the first participant and to the second participant, the obtained additional information within the chat window without requiring either the first participant or the second participant to request the additional information manually.

9. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the set of operations further comprises determining whether the second participant is authorized to view the additional information obtained from the content in the message transmitted by the first participant.

11. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the data source includes at least one of:

an email server;

a calendar;

an enterprise database; and

Internet.

12. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the set of operations further comprises inferring meanings of the content.

13. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the set of operations further comprises presenting a recommendation to the first participant and to the second participant.

14. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the additional information includes one or more of:

a map;

an email;

a date;

a time;

a calendar item; and

a venue.

23. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the set of operations further comprises:

recognizing a question related to a home address of the first participant in the plurality of messages transmitted between the first participant and the second participant;

determining whether the first participant has previously authorized the second participant to know the home address of the first participant;

if the first participant has authorized the second participant to know the home address, contacting a mapping service by the chat assistant, retrieving a set of directions from the mapping service, and displaying the set of directions within the chat window.

10. (canceled)

15. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a sequence of instructions executed by the processor to;

establish a chat session between a first participant and a second participant, the chat session being executed using a chat application that enables a plurality of messages to be transmitted between the first participant and the second participant, the messages being displayed in a chat window local to each participant;

initiate a chat assistant configured to execute as a background process on computer system, the chat assistant configured to monitor the plurality of messages;

monitor, by the chat assistant, content in the plurality of messages transmitted between the first participant and the second participant;

recognize a specified set of content in a message;

in response to recognizing the set of content, automatically obtain, from a data source external with respect to the chat application, additional information based on the monitored content; and

present simultaneously both to the first participant and to the second participant, the obtained additional information within the chat window without requiring either the first participant or the second participant to request the additional information manually.

16. The computer system of claim 15, the memory further comprising instructions executed by the processor to:

determine whether the second participant is authorized to view the additional information obtained from the content in the message transmitted by the first participant.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the data source includes at least one of:

an email server;

a calendar;

an enterprise database; and

Internet.

19. The computer system of claim 15, the memory further comprising instructions executed by the processor to:

infer meanings of the content.

20. The computer system of claim 15, the memory further comprising instructions executed by the processor to:

present a recommendation to the first participant and to the second participant.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the additional information includes one or more of:

a map;

an email;

a date;

a time;

a calendar item; and

a venue.

24. The computer system of claim 15, the memory further comprising instructions executed by the processor to:

recognize a question related to a home address of the first participant in the plurality of messages transmitted between the first participant and the second participant;

determine whether the first participant has previously authorized the second participant to know the home address of the first participant;

if the first participant has authorized the second participant to know the home address, contact a mapping service by the chat assistant, retrieve a set of directions from the mapping service, and display the set of directions within the chat window.

17. (canceled)