Assigning tasks and monitoring task performance based on context extracted from a shared contextual graph

• US 10,679,192 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2017
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Khan, Omar Zia, Agarwal, Vipul, Zitouni, Imed
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett, Scott L
• Application Number:
  US15/605,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20180341928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• 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 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for task identification and tracking using shared conversational context. In one implementation, a first communication from a first user is received within a communication session. The first communication is processed to identify a first content element within the first communication. A second communication is received within the communication session. The second communication is processed to identify a second content element within the second communication. The first content element is associated with the second content element. Based on an association between the first content element and the second content element, a task is identified. An action is initiated with respect to the task.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processing device; and

a memory coupled to the processing device and storing instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the system to perform operations that monitor communications sent or received by a computing device over a network, the operations comprising;

receiving, within a first communication session, a first electronic communication from a first user device via an electronic communications application;

processing, by the processing device using natural language processing, the first electronic communication to identify a first content element within the first electronic communication;

receiving, within the first communication session, a second electronic communication over the network via the electronic communications application;

processing, by the processing device using natural language processing, the second electronic communication to identify a second content element within the second electronic communication;

associating the first content element with the second content element in a knowledge base that reflects a shared conversational context between at least two users;

based on an association between the first content element and the second content element and based on a current state of the knowledge base, identifying a task for a user and an applicable time to present respective actions corresponding to the task to the user;

comparing, using the applicable time, the actions corresponding to the task to historical actions by the user; and

selecting an action with respect to the task based on the comparison and initiating the action with respect to the task by initiating a communication with an application or service external to the electronic communications application in response to receiving a selection of a link corresponding to the action.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving the second electronic communication comprises receiving the second electronic communication from a second user within the first communication session.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving the second electronic communication comprises receiving the second electronic communication from a first user within the first communication session.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein associating the first content element with the second content element comprises associating the first content element with the second content element based on one or more relationships between content elements.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying the task comprises identifying a parameter associated with the task.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying the task comprises identifying the task based on a weight associated with a first user, the weight determined based on the historical actions by the first user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein initiating the action comprises assigning the task to a first user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein initiating the action further comprises reassigning the task from the first user to a second user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein reassigning the task comprises reassigning the task based on a third communication.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein initiating the action comprises assigning the task to a second user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein initiating the action comprises providing, with respect to the first communication session, a selectable item associated with the task.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions for causing the system to perform operations comprising tracking performance of the task.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein tracking performance of the task comprises providing a notification to a first user with respect to the task.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein tracking performance of the task comprises providing a notification to a first user with respect to performance of the task by a second user.

15. A computer-implemented method that monitors communications sent or received by a computing device over a network, the method comprising:

receiving, within a communication session, a first electronic communication from a first user device via an electronic communications application;

processing, by one or more processors using natural language processing, the first electronic communication to identify a first content element within the first electronic communication;

associating the first content element with a second content element included within a second electronic communication received during the communication session and received via the electronic communications application, the association occurring in a knowledge base that represents a shared conversational context between at least two users;

based on an association between the first content element and the second content element and based on a current state of the knowledge base, identifying a task for a first user and an applicable time to present respective actions corresponding to the task to the first user;

comparing, using the applicable time, the actions corresponding to the task to historical actions by the first user; and

selecting an action corresponding to the task on the comparison and initiating the action corresponding to the task by initiating a communication with an application or service external to the electronic communications application based on receiving a response from a link corresponding to the action.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising tracking performance of the task by the first user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein tracking performance of the task comprises providing a notification to the first user with respect to the task.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising reassigning the task from the first user to a second user based on a third communication.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations that monitor communications sent or received by a computing device over a network, the operations comprising:

receiving, within a first communication session, a first electronic communication from a first user via an electronic communications application;

processing, by the processing device using natural language processing, the first electronic communication to identify a first content element within the first electronic communication;

associating the first content element with a second content element included within a second electronic communication received during the first communication session and received via the electronic communications application, the association occurring in a knowledge base that represents a shared conversational context between at least two users;

based on an association between the first content element and the second content element and based on a current state of the knowledge base, identifying a task for the first user and an applicable time to present respective actions corresponding to the task to the first user;

comparing, using the applicable time, the actions corresponding to the task to historical actions by the first user; and

selecting an action corresponding to the task based on the comparison and tracking performance of the action corresponding to the task by the first user by determining that the action has been initiated based on a selection of a link to an external application or service, and communicating that the action has been initiated with an external computing device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the medium further stores instructions for causing the processing device to perform operations comprising reassigning the task from the first user to a second user based on a third communication received during the first communication session.