Systems and methods for storing record of virtual agent interaction

• US 9,262,175 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Loc
• Application Number:
  US13/710,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20140164317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 707/687, 707/705
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for use with at least one virtual agent. In some embodiments, at least one processor is programmed to store a receipt for an interaction between the at least one virtual agent and one or more users, wherein the receipt comprises at least some information provided by the one or more users to the at least one virtual agent during the interaction.

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:

at a first time, store a receipt for an interaction between the at least one virtual agent and one or more users, wherein;

the receipt comprises a plurality of preference values provided by the one or more users to the at least one virtual agent during the interaction, the plurality of preference values comprising a first preference value provided by the one or more users for at least one preference,

the interaction comprises the at least one virtual agent making a first recommendation to the one or more users based on the plurality of preference values, and

the receipt is stored for at least some period of time after the interaction between the at least one virtual agent and the one or more users has ended;

at a second time subsequent to the first time, receive a user instruction to make a modification to the at least one preference, the user instruction comprising a second preference value for the at least one preference to replace the first preference value provided by the one or more users; and

cause the at least one virtual agent to make a second recommendation based on the receipt and the second preference value for the at least one preference.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

receive user input relating to the receipt; and

update the receipt based at least in part on the user input.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the receipt comprises the first recommendation made by the at least one virtual agent, and wherein updating the receipt comprises adding to the receipt user feedback relating to the first recommendation.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the user input is received from a first user, and wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

receive from the first user an indication of whether the first user wishes to share information in the user input with one or more persons different from the first user; and

control access to a portion of the receipt updated based on the user input according to the indication from the first user.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the user input is received from a first user, and wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to update a user profile of the first user based at least in part on the user input.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user input is first user input received from a first user, and wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

receive second user input relating to the receipt from a second user different from the first user; and

update the receipt based at least in part on the second user input.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more users comprise a plurality of users and the at least one virtual agent comprises a plurality of virtual agents associated respectively with the plurality of users, and wherein the plurality of virtual agents are programmed to coordinate at least one update to the receipt based on inputs provided by the plurality of users.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receipt further comprises at least some information provided by the at least one virtual agent to the one or more users.

9. A method performed by at least one processor in connection with at least one virtual agent, the method comprising acts of:

at a first time, storing a receipt for an interaction between the at least one virtual agent and one or more users, wherein;

the receipt comprises a plurality of preference values provided by the one or more users to the at least one virtual agent during the interaction, the plurality of preference values comprising a first preference value provided by the one or more users for at least one preference,

the interaction comprises the at least one virtual agent making a first recommendation to the one or more users based on the plurality of preference values, and

the receipt is stored for at least some period of time after the interaction between the at least one virtual agent and the one or more users has ended;

at a second time subsequent to the first time, receiving a user instruction to make a modification to the at least one preference, the user instruction comprising a second preference value for the at least one preference to replace the first preference value provided by the one or more users; and

causing the at least one virtual agent to make a second recommendation based on the receipt and the second preference value for the at least one preference.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving user input relating to the receipt; and

updating the receipt based at least in part on the user input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receipt comprises the first recommendation made by the at least one virtual agent, and wherein updating the receipt comprises adding to the receipt user feedback relating to the first recommendation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the user input is received from a first user, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving from the first user an indication of whether the first user wishes to share information in the user input with one or more persons different from the first user; and

controlling access to a portion of the receipt updated based on the user input according to the indication from the first user.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the user input is received from a first user, and wherein the method further comprises updating a user profile of the first user based at least in part on the user input.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the user input is first user input received from a first user, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving second user input relating to the receipt from a second user different from the first user; and

updating the receipt based at least in part on the second user input.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more users comprise a plurality of users and the at least one virtual agent comprises a plurality of virtual agents associated respectively with the plurality of users, and wherein the method further comprises the plurality of virtual agents coordinating at least one update to the receipt based on inputs provided by the plurality of users.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the receipt further comprises at least some information provided by the at least one virtual agent to the one or more users.

17. At least one non-transitory 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 acts of:

at a first time, storing a receipt for an interaction between the at least one virtual agent and one or more users, wherein;

the receipt comprises a plurality of preference values provided by the one or more users to the at least one virtual agent during the interaction, the plurality of preference values comprising a first preference value provided by the one or more users for at least one preference,

the interaction comprises the at least one virtual agent making a first recommendation to the one or more users based on the plurality of preference values, and the receipt is stored for at least some period of time after the interaction between the at least one virtual agent and the one or more users has ended;

at a second time subsequent to the first time, receiving a user instruction to make a modification to the at least one preference, the user instruction comprising a second preference value for the at least one preference to replace the first preference value provided by the one or more users; and

causing the at least one virtual agent to make a second recommendation based on the receipt and the second preference value for the at least one preference.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving user input relating to the receipt; and

updating the receipt based at least in part on the user input.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the user input is received from a first user, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving from the first user an indication of whether the first user wishes to share information in the user input with one or more persons different from the first user; and

controlling access to a portion of the receipt updated based on the user input according to the indication from the first user.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user input is first user input received from a first user, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving second user input relating to the receipt from a second user different from the first user; and

updating the receipt based at least in part on the second user input.