System and method for distributed virtual assistant platforms

• US 9,729,592 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Persais LLC
• Original Assignee: Persais LLC
• Inventors: Slayton, Michael H., Kouklev, Vadim
• Primary Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US14/488,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 715708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• 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

Abstract

Virtual assistant systems (“VAs”) operate on a distributed and interconnected network, such as a hierarchy or mesh, of virtual assistant platforms (“VAPs”). VAs communicate with a user via an electronic device, and can communicate with other devices, software programs, and other VAs. VAs include intelligent agents configured to perform particular tasks. The VAP includes an execution environment that may provide an interface between the VA and the electronic device, and may further provide a framework of services for implementing, maintaining, and executing the intelligent agents. A VA may be configured to participate in a group VA in which knowledge and tasks can be shared and cooperatively executed. Cooperative execution can include distributing subtasks among VAs in the group VA, the subtasks together forming the task. Group VAs can share information with each other, and may further inter-network by accessing a common network outside the VAP, such as a social network.

Claims

1. A system for providing electronic assistance to a plurality of users, the system comprising:

a first hardware computing device coupled to a network and executing a first set of specific computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the first hardware computing device to operate one or more virtual assistant platforms;

a plurality of virtual assistants located within a second hardware computing device coupled to the network and executing a second set of specific computer-executable instructions, including a device client software installed on the second hardware computing device, each of the plurality of virtual assistants comprising at least one customized configuration for the second hardware computing device, and each of the virtual assistants being accessible by one of the plurality of users and being configured to use one or more of the virtual assistant platforms to communicate with another of the plurality of virtual assistants;

one or more shared data stores accessible by each of the virtual assistants, the shared data stores providing the virtual assistants with shared capabilities; and

a network topology within which the one or more virtual assistant platforms are arranged, the network topology determining parameters for communication between each of the plurality of virtual assistants.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the shared data stores comprises a world ontology understood by all of the virtual assistants.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a group virtual assistant to which one or more of the virtual assistants subscribes, the group virtual assistant being configured to distribute information to the subscribed virtual assistants according to a status of each of the virtual assistants.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network topology is a hierarchy comprising:

a first level preventing access to personal data of a first of the users by any of the virtual assistants that is not accessible by the first user;

a second level comprising one or more group virtual assistants to which one or more of the virtual assistants subscribes; and

a third level comprising one or more networks accessible by one or more of the virtual assistant platforms.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein one of the virtual assistants that is accessible by the first user is a personal virtual assistant authorized to access or modify the personal data of the first user.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein one of the virtual assistants that is accessible by the first user is a subscriber virtual assistant that subscribes to one or more of the group virtual assistants.

7. The system of claim 6, where the subscriber virtual assistant is also a personal virtual assistant of the first user, the subscriber virtual assistant being configured to communicate with other of the virtual assistants according to the first level or the second level of the hierarchy.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein one or more of the networks accessible by the virtual assistant platforms according to the third level of the hierarchy is a non-VAP-native user network.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein one or more of the networks accessible by the virtual assistant platforms according to the third level of the hierarchy is a VAP-native network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein one or more of the VAP-native networks is an emergent network implemented by one or more of the virtual assistant platforms.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more emergent networks is accessible by only those of the users that configure one of the virtual assistants to which the user has access to participate in the third level of the hierarchy.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the network topology is a mesh.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

a first of the virtual assistants operates for a first of the users on a first of the virtual assistant platforms;

a second of the virtual assistants operates for a second of the users on a second of the virtual assistant platforms; and

the first virtual assistant platform and the second virtual assistant platform are configured to allow the first virtual assistant to interact with the second virtual assistant.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

a third of the virtual assistants is a first group virtual assistant operating on a third of the virtual assistant platforms; and

each of the first virtual assistant and the second virtual assistant subscribe to the first group virtual assistant.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

a fourth of the virtual assistants is a second group virtual assistant operating on a fourth of the virtual assistant platforms; and

each of the first virtual assistant, the second virtual assistant, and the first group virtual assistant subscribe to the second group virtual assistant.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein, for one or more of the users, one of the virtual assistants accessible by the user is a personal virtual assistant that is installed on an electronic device of the user and comprises a first adapter agent configured to communicate electronically with one or more sensors, such communication including receiving sensor data from the sensors.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more sensors are worn on one or more of the users'"'"' bodies.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

one of the virtual assistants is a first group virtual assistant configured to process the sensor data;

the personal virtual assistant subscribes to the first group virtual assistant; and

the personal virtual assistant comprises a main agent configured to receive the sensor-data from the first adapter agent and transmit the sensor data to the first group virtual assistant.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first group virtual assistant is configured to process the sensor data by:

comparing the sensor data to a plurality of records in one or more first databases; and

upon matching the sensor data to one or more first results, communicating the first results to the main agent of the personal virtual assistant.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein:

one of the virtual assistants is a second group virtual assistant configured to process the sensor data;

the first group virtual assistant is subscribed to the second group virtual assistant and configured to send the sensor data to the second group virtual assistant; and

the second group virtual assistant is configured to process the sensor data by, upon receipt of the sensor data, comparing the sensor data to a plurality of records in one or more second databases different from the first databases and, upon matching the sensor data to one or more second results, communicating the second results to the main agent of the personal virtual assistant via the first group virtual assistant.