Systems and methods for sharing information between virtual agents

• US 9,276,802 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• 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): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/710,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20140164508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for use with at least one first virtual agent executing on a first device. In some embodiments, the at least one first virtual agent is programmed to: share information with at least one second virtual agent executing on at least one second device different from the first device, wherein the at least one first virtual agent is associated with a first user and the at least one second virtual agent is associate with a second user; and use the information shared between the at least one first virtual agent and the at least one second virtual agent to make a joint recommendation for the first and second users.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one hardware processor programmed by one or more executable instructions to implement at least one first virtual agent, the device being a first device, the at least one first virtual agent being associated with a first user and being programmed to;

communicate with at least one second virtual agent executing on at least one second device, the at least one second device being different from the first device, the at least one second virtual agent being associated with at least one second user different from the first user;

determine if a piece of information is subject to a privacy constraint set by the first user;

if it is determined that the piece of information is subject to the privacy constraint, determine if the at least one second user associated with the at least one second virtual agent is permitted to access the piece of information according to the privacy constraint;

share the piece of information with the at least one second virtual agent only if it is determined that the at least one second user associated with the at least one second virtual agent is permitted to access the piece of information according to the privacy constraint;

collaborate with the at least one second virtual agent to make a joint recommendation for the first user and the at least one second user, wherein the joint recommendation is based on the piece of information shared with the at least one second virtual agent; and

render the joint recommendation to the first user.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one first virtual agent is programmed to negotiate with the at least one second virtual agent to make the joint recommendation for the first user and the at least one second user.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the at least one first virtual agent is programmed to negotiate with the at least one second virtual agent at least in part by making a proposal to the at least one second virtual agent.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the at least one first virtual agent is programmed to negotiate with the at least one second virtual agent at least in part by rejecting a proposal from the at least one second virtual agent.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein collaborating with the at least one second virtual agent comprises receiving from the at least one second virtual agent information regarding the second user.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one first virtual agent is further programmed to use current information regarding the first user to dynamically update a receipt relating to the recommendation.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the recommendation relates to a social gathering to be attended by the first user, and wherein the at least one first virtual agent is programmed to use the first user'"'"'s current location to dynamically update an estimated time of arrival for the first user.

8. A method performed by at least one processor implementing at least one first virtual agent on a first device, the at least one first virtual agent being associated with a first user, the method comprising acts of:

communicating with at least one second virtual agent executing on at least one second device, the at least one second device being different from the first device, the at least one second virtual agent being associated with at least one second user different from the first user;

determining if a piece of information is subject to a privacy constraint set by the first user;

if it is determined that the piece of information is subject to the privacy constraint, determining if the at least one second user associated with the at least one second virtual agent is permitted to access the piece of information according to the privacy constraint;

sharing the piece of information with the at least one second virtual agent only if it is determined that the at least one second user associated with the at least one second virtual agent is permitted to access the piece of information according to the privacy constraint;

collaborating with the at least one second virtual agent to make a joint recommendation for the first user and the at least one second user, wherein the joint recommendation is based on the piece of information shared with the at least one second virtual agent; and

rendering the joint recommendation to the first user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein collaborating with the at least one second virtual agent comprises negotiating with the at least one second virtual agent to make the joint recommendation for the first user and the at least one second user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein negotiating with the at least one second virtual agent comprises making a proposal to the at least one second virtual agent.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein negotiating with the at least one second virtual agent comprises rejecting a proposal from the at least one second virtual agent.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein collaborating with the at least one second virtual agent comprises receiving from the at least one second virtual agent information regarding the second user.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising using current information regarding the first user to dynamically update a receipt relating to the recommendation.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the recommendation relates to a social gathering to be attended by the first user, and wherein the first user'"'"'s current location is used to dynamically update an estimated time of arrival for the first user.

15. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one processor on a first device, perform a method for implementing at least one first virtual agent, the at least one first virtual agent being associated with a first user, the method comprising acts of:

communicating with at least one second virtual agent executing on at least one second device, the at least one second device being different from the first device, the at least one second virtual agent being associated with at least one second user different from the first user;

determining if a piece of information is subject to a privacy constraint set by the first user;

if it is determined that the piece of information is subject to the privacy constraint, determining if the at least one second user associated with the at least one second virtual agent is permitted to access the piece of information according to the privacy constraint;

sharing the piece of information with the at least one second virtual agent only if it is determined that the at least one second user associated with the at least one second virtual agent is permitted to access the piece of information according to the privacy constraint;

collaborating with the at least one second virtual agent to make a joint recommendation for the first user and the at least one second user, wherein the joint recommendation is based on the piece of information shared with the at least one second virtual agent; and

rendering the joint recommendation to the first user.

16. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein collaborating with the at least one second virtual agent comprises negotiating with the at least one second virtual agent to make the joint recommendation for the first user and the at least one second user.

17. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein negotiating with the at least one second virtual agent comprises making a proposal to the at least one second virtual agent.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein negotiating with the at least one second virtual agent comprises rejecting a proposal from the at least one second virtual agent.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises using current information regarding the first user to dynamically update a receipt relating to the recommendation.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the recommendation relates to a social gathering to be attended by the first user, and wherein the first user'"'"'s current location is used to dynamically update an estimated time of arrival for the first user.