Location based access control for artificial conversational entities

• US 10,064,006 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Raghav, Amritansh
• Primary Examiner(s): Holliday, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US15/248,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4143
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software technology for providing access control with respect to messaging bots is disclosed herein. In an implementation, an access control service associates various messaging bots with various geographic areas. The system monitors a location of messaging clients with respect to the geographic areas and, in response to when at least one of the messaging clients has entered one of the geographic areas, grants an associated messaging bot with initial access to the messaging client to converse with an end user. Subsequent access is granted based on a level of engagement reached with respect to the messaging conversation.

Claims

1. A method of operating an access control service to control access to messaging clients, the method comprising:

in the access control service;

associating a plurality of messaging bots with a plurality of geographic areas;

monitoring a location of each messaging client of a plurality of messaging clients with respect to each geographic area of the plurality of geographic areas;

in response to when at least one of the messaging clients has entered a one of the plurality of geographic areas as indicated by the location of the messaging client, granting a messaging bot associated with the geographic area with initial access to the messaging client, in order to initiate engagement with an end-user in a messaging conversation;

determining a level of engagement by the end-user with the messaging bot in the messaging conversation;

determining whether to grant the messaging bot with subsequent access to the messaging client based at least in part on the level of engagement by the end-user with respect to the messaging conversation; and

when the end-user neglects to engage with the messaging bot in the messaging conversation, preventing the messaging bot from communicating with the messaging client upon re-entry of the messaging client into the geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein preventing the messaging bot from communicating with the messaging client upon re-entry of the messaging client into the geographic area is limited by timers, wherein the timers are set to re-grant access to the messaging bot once a period of time has elapsed.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to the messaging client re-entering the geographic area, granting a different messaging bot associated with the geographic area with initial access to the messaging client, in order to initiate engagement with the end-user in a different messaging conversation.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the messaging bot to communicate with the messaging client while the end-user remains engaged with the messaging conversation and until the end-user disengages from the messaging conversation.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to when the messaging client has entered the geographic area, identifying multiple messaging bots associated with the geographic area, identifying the multiple messaging bots to the messaging client, and receiving a selection of the messaging bot from the messaging client.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a plurality of requests to register the plurality of messaging bots and, in response to each request of the plurality of requests, verifying an association between the messaging bot and the geographic area indicated in the request.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to the end-user engaging the messaging bot on the messaging conversation via the messaging client, sending a contact to the messaging client for contacting the messaging bot.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying the messaging client to the messaging bot by an alias with which to address messages sent during the messaging conversation to the messaging client.

9. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media;

a processing system operatively coupled to the one or more computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media that, when executed by the processing system to operate an access control service to control access to messaging clients, direct the processing system to at least;

in the access control service;

associate a plurality of messaging bots with a plurality of geographic areas;

monitor a location of each messaging client of a plurality of messaging clients with respect to each geographic area of the plurality of geographic areas;

in response to when at least one of the messaging clients has entered a one of the plurality of geographic areas as indicated by the location of the messaging client, grant a messaging bot associated with the geographic area with initial access to the messaging client, in order to initiate engagement with an end-user in a messaging conversation;

determine a level of engagement by the end-user with the messaging bot in the messaging conversation;

determine whether to grant the messaging bot with subsequent access to the messaging client based at least in part on the level of engagement by the end-user with respect to the messaging conversation; and

when the end-user neglects to engage with the messaging bot in the messaging conversation, prevent the messaging bot from communicating with the messaging client upon re-entry of the messaging client into the geographic area.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein prevent the messaging bot from communicating with the messaging client upon re-entry of the messaging client into the geographic area is limited by timers, wherein the timers are set to re-grant access to the messaging bot once a period of time has elapsed.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising in response to the messaging client re-entering the geographic area, grant a different messaging bot associated with the geographic area with initial access to the messaging client, in order to initiate engagement with the end-user in a different messaging conversation.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to allow the messaging bot to communicate with the messaging client while the end-user remains engaged with the messaging conversation and until the end-user disengages from the messaging conversation.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to, in response to when the messaging client has entered the geographic area, identify multiple messaging bots associated with the geographic area, identify the multiple messaging bots to the messaging client, and receive a selection of the messaging bot from the messaging client.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to receive a plurality of requests to register the plurality of messaging bots and, in response to each request of the plurality of requests, verify an association between the messaging bot and the geographic area indicated in the request.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to, in response to the end-user engaging the messaging bot on the messaging conversation via the messaging client, add a contact to the messaging client for contacting the messaging bot.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to identify the messaging client to the messaging bot by an alias with which to address messages sent during the messaging conversation to the messaging client.

17. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media for operating a messaging client on a computing device that, when executed by a processing system on the computing device, direct the computing device to at least;

report a location of the computing device to an access control service that associates a plurality of messaging bots with a plurality of geographic areas;

receive a list of suggested messaging bots from the access control service that are associated with the location of the computing device;

present the list of the suggested messaging bots in a user interface to the messaging client;

in response to a selection of a suggested messaging bot from the list of suggested messaging bots in the user interface, identify the suggested messaging bot to the access control service to grant the suggested messaging bot with access to the messaging client in order to initiate engagement with an end-user in a messaging conversation;

determine a level of engagement by the end-user with the messaging bot in the messaging conversation;

determine whether to grant the messaging bot with subsequent access to the messaging client based at least in part on the level of engagement by the end-user with respect to the messaging conversation; and

when the end-user neglects to engage with the messaging bot in the messaging conversation, prevent the messaging bot from communicating with the messaging client upon re-entry of the messaging client into the geographic area.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the program instructions further direct the computing device to add a contact for the suggested messaging bot to a set of contacts in response to the selection of the suggested messaging bot.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the program instructions further direct the computing device to present an option in the user interface to prevent subsequent access to the messaging client by the messaging bot.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein, prevent the messaging bot from communicating with the messaging client upon re-entry of the messaging client into the geographic area is limited by timers, wherein the timers are set to re-grant access to the messaging bot once a period of time has elapsed.