Conversational interfaces

• US 9,875,483 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Stoll, Nathan, Stensmo, Jan Magnus, Robinson, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US13/986,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709220, 709228, 709230
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

In accordance with some implementations, a method for responding to requests submitted through a conversational interface is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The server system receives a request from a user through a conversational interface. The server system determines, based on the request, whether the system is able to fulfill the request automatically. In accordance with a determination that the system is able to fulfill the request automatically, the server system fulfills the user request with no human interaction. In accordance with a determination that the system is not able to fulfill the request without human intervention, the server system sends the request to a human operator for fulfillment.

Claims

1. A method of responding to requests submitted through a conversational interface, the method comprising:

at a computer system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

receiving a request from a user using natural language through the conversational interface of an online commerce system, wherein the request comprises one of (1) a purchase request for a product or a service or (2) a recommendation request for the product or the service, and wherein the conversational interface comprises at least one communication channel comprising one or more of a website, an email, an instant message, a short message service (SMS) message, a social network post, or a voice communication;

determining, based on the request, whether the computer system is able to fulfill the request automatically;

in response to a determination that the computer system is able to fulfill the request automatically;

fulfilling the request with no human interaction; and

in response to a determination that the computer system is not able to fulfill the request without human intervention;

sending the request to a human operator for fulfillment, wherein;

determining whether the computer system is able to fulfill the request automatically comprises, in response to a determination that a type of the request is ambiguous based on contents of the request;

determining that the computer system is able to fulfill the request without the human intervention;

detecting what information is missing from the request;

sending a message to the user through the conversational interface asking for the information that is missing from the request;

receiving the information that is missing from the request from the user through the conversational interface; and

fulfilling the request with no human interaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the computer system is able to fulfill the request automatically comprises:

in response to a determination that one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires in-person confirmation by the user, determining that the computer system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the computer system is able to fulfill the request automatically comprises:

in response to a determination that one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires sensitive information, the sensitive information comprising credit card information, determining that the computer system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an additional request from the user to access additional services;

in response to receiving the additional request from the user, requesting first additional information from the user;

periodically requesting second additional information from the user in one or more unprompted requests;

in response to the one or more unprompted requests, receiving the second additional information from the user;

adding the second additional information to a user profile of the user;

inferring third additional information associated with the user based on at least one of the first additional information or the second additional information; and

adding the third additional information to the user profile of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the conversational interface comprises a first communication channel, the at least one communication channel comprising the first communication channel, the first communication channel comprising one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication; and

the method further comprises;

determining the user has ceased using the first communication channel;

identifying a second communication channel being used by the user, the at least one communication channel comprising the second communication channel, the second communication channel comprising a different one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication of the first communication channel; and

sending further communication data through the second communication channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining whether the computer system is able to fulfill the request automatically comprises;

in response to a determination that one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires in-person confirmation by the user, determining that the computer system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention; and

in response to a determination that the one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires sensitive information, the sensitive information comprising credit card information, determining that the computer system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention;

the conversational interface comprises a first communication channel, the at least one communication channel comprising the first communication channel, the first communication channel comprising one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication; and

the method further comprises;

receiving an additional request from the user to access additional services;

in response to receiving the additional request from the user, requesting first additional information from the user;

periodically requesting second additional information from the user in one or more unprompted requests;

in response to the one or more unprompted requests, receiving the second additional information from the user;

adding the second additional information to a user profile of the user;

inferring third additional information associated with the user based on at least one of the first additional information or the second additional information;

adding the third additional information to the user profile of the user;

determining the user has ceased using the first communication channel;

identifying a second communication channel being used by the user, the at least one communication channel comprising the second communication channel, the second communication channel comprising a different one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication of the first communication channel; and

sending further communication data through the second communication channel.

7. A server system for requesting user data, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors;

the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

receiving a request from a user using natural language through a conversational interface of an online commerce system, wherein the request comprises one of (1) a purchase request for a product or a service or (2) a recommendation request for the product or the service, and wherein the conversational interface comprises at least one communication channel comprising one or more of a website, an email, an instant message, a short message service (SMS) message, a social network post, or a voice communication;

determining, based on the request, whether the server system is able to fulfill the request automatically;

in response to a determination that the server system is able to fulfill the request automatically;

fulfilling the request with no human interaction;

in response to a determination that the server system is not able to fulfill the request without human intervention;

sending the request to a human operator for fulfillment; and

in response to a determination that a type of the request is ambiguous based on contents of the request;

determining that the server system is able to fulfill the request without the human intervention;

detecting what information is missing from the request;

sending a message to the user through the conversational interface asking for the information that is missing from the request;

receiving the information that is missing from the request from the user through the conversational interface; and

fulfilling the request with no human interaction.

8. The server system of claim 7, comprising instructions for:

in response to a determination that one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires in-person confirmation by the user, determining that the server system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention.

9. The server system of claim 7, comprising instructions for:

in response to a determination that one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires sensitive information, the sensitive information comprising credit card information, determining that the server system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention.

10. The server system of claim 7, further comprising instructions for:

receiving an additional request from the user to access additional services;

in response to receiving the additional request from the user, requesting first additional information from the user;

periodically requesting second additional information from the user in one or more unprompted requests;

in response to the one or more unprompted requests, receiving the second additional information from the user;

adding the second additional information to a user profile of the user;

inferring third additional information associated with the user based on at least one of the first additional information or the second additional information; and

adding the third additional information to the user profile of the user.

11. The server system of claim 7, wherein:

the conversational interface comprises a first communication channel, the at least one communication channel comprising the first communication channel, the first communication channel comprising one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication; and

the server system further comprises instructions for;

determining the user has ceased using the first communication channel;

identifying a second communication channel being used by the user, the at least one communication channel comprising the second communication channel, the second communication channel comprising a different one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication of the first communication channel; and

sending further communication data through the second communication channel.

12. The server system of claim 7, wherein:

the conversational interface comprises a first communication channel, the at least one communication channel comprising the first communication channel, the first communication channel comprising one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication; and

the server system further comprises instructions for;

in response to a determination that one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires in-person confirmation by the user, determining that the server system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention;

in response to a determination that the one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires sensitive information, the sensitive information comprising credit card information, determining that the server system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention;

receiving an additional request from the user to access additional services;

in response to receiving the additional request from the user, requesting first additional information from the user;

periodically requesting second additional information from the user in one or more unprompted requests;

in response to the one or more unprompted requests, receiving the second additional information from the user;

adding the second additional information to a user profile of the user;

inferring third additional information associated with the user based on at least one of the first additional information or the second additional information;

adding the third additional information to the user profile of the user;

determining the user has ceased using the first communication channel;

identifying a second communication channel being used by the user, the at least one communication channel comprising the second communication channel, the second communication channel comprising a different one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication of the first communication channel; and

sending further communication data through the second communication channel.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a server system, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

receiving a request from a user using natural language through a conversational interface of an online commerce system, wherein the request comprises one of (1) a purchase request for a product or a service or (2) a recommendation request for the product or the service, and wherein the conversational interface comprises at least one communication channel comprising one or more of a website, an email, an instant message, a short message service (SMS) message, a social network post, or a voice communication;

determining, based on the request, whether the server system is able to fulfill the request automatically;

in accordance with a determination that the server system is able to fulfill the request automatically;

fulfilling the request with no human interaction;

in accordance with a determination that the server system is not able to fulfill the request without human intervention;

sending the request to a human operator for fulfillment;

and in accordance with a determination that a type of the request is ambiguous based on contents of the request;

determining that the server system is able to fulfill the request without the human intervention;

detecting what information is missing from the request;

sending a message to the user through the conversational interface asking for the information that is missing from the request;

receiving the information that is missing from the request from the user through the conversational interface; and

fulfilling the request with no human interaction.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein:

the conversational interface comprises a first communication channel, the at least one communication channel comprising the first communication channel, the first communication channel comprising one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication; and

the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further comprises instructions for;

determining the user has ceased using the first communication channel;

identifying a second communication channel being used by the user, the at least one communication channel comprising the second communication channel, the second communication channel comprising a different one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication of the first communication channel; and

sending further communication data through the second communication channel.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein:

the conversational interface comprises a first communication channel, the at least one communication channel comprising the first communication channel, the first communication channel comprising one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication; and

the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further comprises instructions for;

in accordance with a determination that the one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires sensitive information, the sensitive information comprising credit card information, determining that the server system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention;

in accordance with a determination that one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires in-person confirmation by the user, determining that the server system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention;

receiving an additional request from the user to access additional services;

in response to receiving the additional request from the user, requesting first additional information from the user;

periodically requesting second additional information from the user in one or more unprompted requests;

in response to the one or more unprompted requests, receiving the second additional information from the user;

adding the second additional information to a user profile of the user;

inferring third additional information associated with the user based on at least one of the first additional information or the second additional information;

adding the third additional information to the user profile of the user;

determining the user has ceased using the first communication channel;

identifying a second communication channel being used by the user, the at least one communication channel comprising the second communication channel, the second communication channel comprising a different one of the website, the email, the instant message, the SMS message, the social network post, or the voice communication of the first communication channel; and

sending further communication data through the second communication channel.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, comprising further instructions for:

receiving an additional request from the user to access additional services;

in response to receiving the additional request from the user, requesting first additional information from the user;

periodically requesting second additional information from the user in one or more unprompted requests;

in response to the one or more unprompted requests, receiving the second additional information from the user;

adding the second additional information to a user profile of the user;

inferring third additional information associated with the user based on at least one of the first additional information or the second additional information; and

adding the third additional information to the user profile of the user.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, comprising instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires in-person confirmation by the user, determining that the server system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, comprising instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that one or more information items needed to fulfill the request requires sensitive information, the sensitive information comprising credit card information, determining that the server system is not able to fulfill the request without the human intervention.