USING A COMPUTERIZED AGENT EXTERNAL TO AN INSTANT MESSAGING (IM) SERVICE FOR ENHANCING AN IM SESSION MANAGED BY THE IM SERVICE

• US 20170011383A1
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roy S. Melzer
• Original Assignee: Roy S. Melzer
• Inventors: MELZER, Roy S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,643,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/223 based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method of adding a computerized agent to an instant messaging (IM) session managed by an IM service for identifying automatically textual instructions to perform a transaction related to participant(s) of the IM session, comprising: using a computerized agent subscribed to an IM service by a telephone number and participates in an IM session managed by an IM service to acquire text content in an IM session and analyzing at least the text content of the IM session to identify automatically textual instructions to perform a transaction from the user which uses the IM client module, automatically instructing an operation of the transaction and submitting by the computerized agent at least one IM message in the IM session. The at least one IM message is presented to the user using the IM module and is indicative of a performance or a denial of the transaction by the transaction performing entity.

Claims

1. A method of adding a computerized agent to an instant messaging (IM) session managed by an IM service for identifying automatically textual instructions to perform a transaction related to at least one participant of said IM session, comprising:

managing a computerized agent representing a transaction performing entity, said computerized agent being subscribed to an instant messaging (IM) service by a telephone number, said computerized agent is a participant of an instant messaging (IM) session managed by an IM service and initiated by a user which is also a participant of said IM session;

wherein said user participates in said IM session by inputting text content using an IM client module running on a client terminal;

using said computerized agent to acquire said text content in said IM session;

analyzing at least said text content to identify automatically textual instructions to perform a transaction from said user which uses said IM client module;

automatically instructing an operation of said transaction; and

submitting by said computerized agent at least one IM message in said IM session, said at least one IM message presented to said user using said IM module and is indicative of a performance or a denial of said transaction by said transaction performing entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said IM session is established in response to a user action of said user using said client terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said user action comprises at least one of scanning a barcode using a camera of said client terminal and inputting said telephone number in a user interface rendered by a browser.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said user action comprises establishing a group session between said user, at least one additional user and said computerized agent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically instructing comprises generating a link to a web document having credential user interface that allows said user to input credentials for performing said transaction directly to said transaction performing entity when said web document is displayed on a screen using a browser executing on said client terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said generating comprises acquiring a token from transaction performing entity and generating said link according to said token.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising instructing said computerized agent to leave said IM session after said performance or said denial of said transaction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing at least said text content is performed analyzing said text content by natural language processing (NLP).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said IM session is a group discussion between said user, said transaction performing entity agent, and at least one participant which is being subscribed to said IM service another telephone number;

wherein said at least one participant is added to said IM session by said user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said analyzing comprises extracting from said IM session details of said at least one participant to perform said transaction.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing an additional IM session using said IM service between said computerized agent and at least one participant which is being subscribed to said IM service another telephone number to acquire payment data;

wherein said operation is performed using said payment data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing an additional IM session between said computerized agent and said user to authenticate said user;

wherein said operation is performed when said user is authenticated.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising performing at least one of instructing said IM service to delete or mask at least some of said additional IM session and sending said user a reminder to delete at least some of said additional IM session.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said IM session is held between a plurality of human participants including said user, a retailer agent and said computerized agent;

wherein said textual instructions define a split of payment for a product sold by a retailer represented by said retailer agent to said plurality of human participants;

further comprising separately authenticating said split or said transaction by an additional IM session separately held between said computerized agent and each of said plurality of human participants.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding an additional computerized agent representing a retailer as an additional participant to said IM session;

wherein said additional computerized agent analyzes an additional IM message in said IM session which is received from said user to identify automatically a request to purchase a product or a service from said retailer;

wherein said additional computerized agent approves or denies said request by adding a further IM message to said IM session;

wherein said transaction is between said user and said retailer.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising acquiring payment data in a direct communication with said additional computerized agent;

wherein said operation is performed using said payment data.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said IM client module is a messenger application which allows said user to message with a plurality of contacts from a contact list in addition to performing said IM session.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said textual instructions are encoded using at least one emoticon.

19. A system of adding a computerized agent to an instant messaging (IM) session managed by an IM service for identifying automatically textual instructions to perform a transaction related to at least one participant of said IM session, comprising:

at least one processor executing a code comprising;

code instructions for managing a computerized agent subscribed to an IM service by a telephone number and set to participate as a transaction performing entity in an instant messaging (IM) session managed by an IM service, wherein said computerized agent is added to said IM session in response to an action of a user which uses an IM client module, said IM client module runs on a client terminal and used to allow said user to participate in said IM session by inputting text content, said computerized agent acquires said text content from said IM session,

code instructions for analyzing said textual content received from said user in said IM session to identify automatically textual instructions to perform a transaction,

code instructions for instructing an operation of said transaction by said transaction performing entity, and

code instructions for instructing said computerized agent to add to said IM session an IM message indicative of a performance or a denial of said transaction by said transaction performing entity, wherein said IM message is presented to said user.

20. A computer program product for adding a computerized agent to an instant messaging (IM) session managed by an IM service for identifying automatically textual instructions to perform a transaction related to at least one participant of said IM session, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon;

first program instructions executable by a system to cause the system to manage a computerized agent representing a transaction performing entity when said computerized agent is added as a participant to an instant messaging (IM) session managed by an IM service and triggered by an action of a user which is also a participant of said IM session, said computerized agent being subscribed to said IM service by a telephone number, said adding is instructed in response to said action, said user participates in said IM session by inputting text content using an IM client module running on a client terminal; and

second program instructions executable by the system to cause the system to use said computerized agent to acquire said text content and to analyze said IM session to identify automatically textual instructions from said user which uses said IM client module to perform a transaction;

third program instructions executable by the system to instruct automatically an operation of said transaction; and

fourth program instructions executable by the system to use said computerized agent to submit an IM message in said IM session, said IM message is indicative of a performance or a denial of said transaction by said transaction performing entity and presenting said IM message to said user.