Systems and methods for virtual agent recommendation for multiple persons

• US 9,679,300 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• 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, Radebaugh, Carey, Harper, Kenneth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Michael B
• Application Number:
  US13/711,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20140164305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,645 Days
• Field of Search: 706 46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for implementing at least one virtual agent. In some embodiments, the at least one virtual agent is programmed to analyze first information regarding a first person; analyze second information regarding a second person different from the first person; and make a joint recommendation for a plurality of persons based at least in part on the first and second information, wherein the plurality of persons comprises the first person and the second person.

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 virtual agent being programmed to:

analyze first information regarding a first person, wherein the first information comprises historical information regarding one or more past activities of the first person;

analyze second information regarding a second person different from the first person; and

make a joint recommendation for a plurality of persons based at least in part on the first and second information, wherein;

the plurality of persons comprises the first person and the second person;

the first and second persons participate in a multiparty conversation;

the first information further comprises first input provided by the first person during the multiparty conversation;

the second information comprises second input provided by the second person during the multiparty conversation;

the at least one processor is further programmed to monitor the multiparty conversation while the multiparty conversation is ongoing;

the multiple party conversation is facilitated by a messaging application;

the at least one processor is further programmed to present the virtual agent as a participant in the multiparty conversation; and

the at least one processor is further programmed to, in response to detecting a trigger in the multiparty conversation, inject the at least one virtual agent into the multiparty conversation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information further comprises at least one preference of the first person.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information further comprises at least one restriction imposed by the first person.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual agent is further programmed to:

identify the first person as a prioritized person; and

in making the recommendation, give priority to the first information regarding the first person over the second information regarding the second person.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual agent is further programmed to:

identify a person who invoked the at least one virtual agent; and

in making the recommendation, give priority to information regarding the person identified as having invoked the at least one virtual agent.

6. 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 virtual agent being programmed to:

analyze first information regarding a first person;

analyze second information regarding a second person different from the first person; and

make a joint recommendation for a plurality of persons based at least in part on the first and second information, wherein;

the plurality of persons comprises the first person and the second person;

the at least one virtual agent is programmed to select, as the recommendation, from a plurality of candidates, a candidate that receives a highest number of votes from the plurality of persons; and

the first information comprises the first person'"'"'s vote and the second information comprises the second person'"'"'s vote.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one virtual agent comprises a first virtual agent associated with the first person and a second virtual agent associated with the second person, the first and second virtual agents being programmed to negotiate with each other in making the recommendation.

8. A method performed by at least one processor implementing at least one virtual agent, the method comprising acts of:

analyzing first information regarding a first person, wherein the first information comprises historical information regarding one or more past activities of the first person;

analyzing second information regarding a second person different from the first person; and

making a joint recommendation for a plurality of persons based at least in part on the first and second information, wherein;

the plurality of persons comprises the first person and the second person;

the first and second persons participate in a multiparty conversation;

the first information further comprises first input provided by the first person during the multiparty conversation;

the second information comprises second input provided by the second person during the multiparty conversation;

the method further comprises monitoring the multiparty conversation while the multiparty conversation is ongoing;

the multiple party conversation is facilitated by a messaging application; and

the method further comprises presenting the virtual agent as a participant in the multiparty conversation; and

the method further comprises, in response to detecting a trigger in the multiparty conversation, injecting the at least one virtual agent into the multiparty conversation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first information further comprises at least one preference of the first person.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first information further comprises at least one restriction imposed by the first person.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying the first person as a prioritized person; and

in making the recommendation, giving priority to the first information regarding the first person over the second information regarding the second person.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying a person who invoked the at least one virtual agent; and

in making the recommendation, giving priority to information regarding the person identified as having invoked the at least one virtual agent.

13. A method performed by at least one processor implementing at least one virtual agent, the method comprising acts of:

analyzing first information regarding a first person;

analyzing second information regarding a second person different from the first person; and

making a joint recommendation for a plurality of persons based at least in part on the first and second information, wherein;

the plurality of persons comprises the first person and the second person;

the method further comprises selecting, as the recommendation, from a plurality of candidates, a candidate that receives a highest number of votes from the plurality of persons; and

the first information comprises the first person'"'"'s vote and the second information comprises the second person'"'"'s vote.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one virtual agent comprises a first virtual agent associated with the first person and a second virtual agent associated with the second person, the first and second virtual agents being programmed to negotiate with each other in making the recommendation.

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

analyzing first information regarding a first person, wherein the first information comprises historical information regarding one or more past activities of the first person;

analyzing second information regarding a second person different from the first person; and

making a joint recommendation for a plurality of persons based at least in part on the first and second information, wherein;

the plurality of persons comprises the first person and the second person;

the first and second persons participate in a multiparty conversation;

the first information further comprises first input provided by the first person during the multiparty conversation;

the second information comprises second input provided by the second person during the multiparty conversation;

the method further comprises monitoring the multiparty conversation while the multiparty conversation is ongoing;

the multiple party conversation is facilitated by a messaging application; and

the method further comprises presenting the virtual agent as a participant in the multiparty conversation; and

the method further comprises, in response to detecting a trigger in the multiparty conversation, injecting the at least one virtual agent into the multiparty conversation.

16. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying the first person as a prioritized person; and

in making the recommendation, giving priority to the first information regarding the first person over the second information regarding the second person.

17. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a person who invoked the at least one virtual agent; and

in making the recommendation, giving priority to information regarding the person identified as having invoked the at least one virtual agent.

18. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for implementing at least one virtual agent, the method comprising acts of:

analyzing first information regarding a first person;

analyzing second information regarding a second person different from the first person; and

making a joint recommendation for a plurality of persons based at least in part on the first and second information, wherein;

the plurality of persons comprises the first person and the second person;

the method further comprises selecting, as the recommendation, from a plurality of candidates, a candidate that receives a highest number of votes from the plurality of persons; and

the first information comprises the first person'"'"'s vote and the second information comprises the second person'"'"'s vote.