INTELLIGENT PERSONAL ASSISTANT AS A CONTACT

• US 20170295117A1
• Filed: 04/08/2016
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Pfriem, Zachary Adam, Vitazko, Mark Jozef, Frew, Jared, Nelson, Jason Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,757,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

In a non-limiting example of the present disclosure, an intelligent personal assistant service may be added as an active participant within a thread of an application. A query directed to an intelligent personal assistant service may be entered into a message thread of a messaging application. An indication that the intelligent personal assistant service is added as an active participant within the message thread may be received, at a processing device. Content from the intelligent personal assistant service may be received directly into the message application. As an example, content may be provided, within the messaging application, as a message draft that may be modified before inclusion within a message thread. An input may be provided indicating to include the received content within the message thread. In response to providing the input, content received from the intelligent personal assistant service may be displayed within the message thread.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

entering, into a message thread of a messaging application, a query directed to an intelligent personal assistant service;

receiving, within the message thread, an indication that the intelligent personal assistant service is added as an active participant;

receiving content from the intelligent personal assistant service directly into the message application;

providing an input indicating to include the received content within the message thread; and

displaying the content received from the intelligent personal assistant service within the message thread.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the query is entered using a processing device executing the messaging application, and wherein the query comprises contact data that identifies the intelligent personal assistant service.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the indication comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of:

presenting the intelligent personal assistant as a listed participant in the message thread and displaying, within the message thread, a notification that assistance is available from the intelligent personal assistant service.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing, using a processing device, selection of the indication, wherein the content from the content is received within the messaging application in response to selection of the indication.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received content is displayed in at least one of a format selected from:

a rich format and a plaintext format.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving of the content from the intelligent personal assistant service further comprises receiving the content within a message draft that is editable for inclusion within the message thread.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting a message for inclusion within the message thread, and proactively receiving, from the intelligent personal assistant service, a response to the message.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a message within the message thread from another processing device, and receiving, from the intelligent personal assistant service, a response to the message within the message thread.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, from a message thread of a messaging application, a query directed to an intelligent personal assistant service;

in response to receiving the query, adding the intelligent personal assistant service as an active participant within the message thread;

analyzing message content within the message thread;

providing, within the message thread, an indication that content is available from the intelligent personal assistant service; and

displaying, within the message thread, the content received from the intelligent personal assistant service.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising receiving a selection of the indication, wherein the content is displayed within the message thread in response to the selection of the indication.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the query comprises contact data that identifies the intelligent personal assistant service, and the contact data is used to involve the intelligent personal assistant service as the active participant.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the content is displayed in at least of a format selected from:

a rich format and a plaintext format.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising identifying additional message content within the message thread, re-analyzing the message thread, and proactively providing, within the message thread, a response to the additional message content.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the query is initiated by a first processing device and the additional message content is received from a second processing device, and wherein the re-analyzing analyzes context of the message thread and signal data of the first processing device and the second processing device to generate the response.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory, operatively connected with the at least one processor, that stores computer-executable instructions, which when executed on the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to;

receive, from a message thread of a messaging application, a query directed to an intelligent personal assistant service,

in response to receiving the query, add the intelligent personal assistant service as an active participant within the message thread,

analyze message content within the message thread,

provide, within the message thread, an indication that content is available from the intelligent personal assistant service, and

display, within the message thread, the content received from the intelligent personal assistant service.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

receive a selection of the indication, and wherein the content is displayed within the message thread in response to the selection of the indication.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the query comprises contact data that identifies the intelligent personal assistant service, and the contact data is used to involve the intelligent personal assistant service as the active participant.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein the content is displayed in at least of a format selected from:

a rich format and a plaintext format.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

identify additional message content within the message thread, re-analyze the message thread, and proactively provide, within the message thread, a response to the additional message content.

20. The system according to claim 15, wherein the query is initiated by a first processing device and the additional message content is received from a second processing device, and wherein the re-analyzing of the message thread comprises analyzing context of the message thread and signal data of the first processing device and the second processing device to generate the response.