Virtual Assistant Transfer between Smart Devices

• US 20140245140A1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Next IT Corporation (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Next IT Corporation (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brown, Fred A., Miller, Tanya M.
• Application Number:
  US13/774,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20140245140A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

Techniques for transferring an interaction with a virtual assistant from a smart device to another smart device are described herein. The virtual assistant may act as an interface between an end user and content stored locally or remotely. The techniques may include outputting the virtual assistant on the smart device to facilitate an interaction of the virtual assistant with a user. Thereafter, the virtual assistant may be output on the other smart device to continue the interaction of the virtual assistant with the user on the other smart device. In some instances, one or more pieces of context of the interaction of the virtual assistant with the user are transferred with the virtual assistant to the other smart device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing a conversation user interface of a virtual assistant to be displayed on a smart device;

providing a dialog representation within the conversation user interface to solicit input from a user;

receiving input from the user after providing the dialog representation within the conversation user interface; and

causing the conversation user interface of the virtual assistant to be displayed on another smart device along with a response to the input from the user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing the conversation user interface to be displayed on the other smart device is based at least in part on determining that the input or other input requests that the conversation user interface be transferred to the other smart device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing the conversation user interface to be displayed on the other smart device is based at least in part on a location of the user relative to the smart device or the other smart device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the input from the user, causing one or more pieces of context associated with the conversation user interface to be transferred to the other smart device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the conversation user interface is displayed on the smart device in conjunction with a site of a service provider;

the input from the user requests that an action related to the site of the service provider be performed; and

the response displayed in the conversation user interface on the other smart device comprises content related to the site of the service provider.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to transfer the conversation user interface to the other smart device; and

receiving input from the user requesting to transfer the conversation user interface to the other smart device,

wherein the conversation user interface is displayed on the other smart device in response to receiving the input from the user requesting to transfer the conversation user interface to the other smart device.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a virtual assistant on a first smart device;

causing the virtual assistant to interact with a user associated with the first smart device; and

causing the virtual assistant to be transferred to a second smart device associated with the user to continue the interaction of the virtual assistant with the user on the second smart device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein causing the virtual assistant to interact with the user comprises displaying one or more dialog representations within a user interface to solicit input from the user or to provide a response to the user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein causing the virtual assistant to interact with the user comprises outputting one or more audio segments to solicit input from the user or to provide a response to the user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving input from the user requesting that the virtual assistant be transferred to the second smart device,

wherein the virtual assistant is transferred to the second smart device in response to receiving the input from the user.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein causing the virtual assistant to be transferred to the second smart device is based at least in part on determining that input from the user requests that the virtual assistant be transferred to the second smart device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein causing the virtual assistant to be transferred to the second smart device is based at least in part on a location of the user relative to the first smart device or the second smart device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

after causing the virtual assistant to interact with the user, causing one or more pieces of context associated with the interaction of the user and the virtual assistant to be transferred to the second smart device.

14. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory, communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 7.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, instruct one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

causing a virtual assistant to be output on a smart device to facilitate an interaction of the virtual assistant with a user of the smart device; and

causing the virtual assistant to be output on another smart device to continue the interaction of the virtual assistant with the user on the other smart device.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein:

the virtual assistant is output on the smart device in conjunction with a site of a service provider; and

the interaction of the virtual assistant with the user comprises at least one of providing content that is related to the site of the service provider or receiving input from the user that is related to the site of the service provider.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that input from the user requests that the virtual assistant be transferred to the other smart device,

wherein causing the virtual assistant to be output on the second smart device is based at least in part on determining that the input from the user requests that the virtual assistant be transferred to the other smart device.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the user is located outside a predetermined distance to the smart device or that the user is located within a predetermined distance to the other smart device,

wherein causing the virtual assistant to be output on the second smart device is based at least in part on the determining.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

after causing the virtual assistant to be output on the smart device, causing one or more pieces of context associated with the interaction of the virtual assistant with the user to be transferred to the other smart device.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein causing the virtual assistant to be output on the other smart device comprises transferring the virtual assistant directly to the other smart device from the smart device via a short-range wireless technology.