Interacting with a user of a messaging client

• US 20080089490A1
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tieto Oyj
• Original Assignee: TietoEnator Oyj
• Inventors: Mikkonen, Jussi, Sorsa-Leslie, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems

Abstract

The invention discloses a method, computer system and computer program of interacting with a user of a messaging client. In the method a transactive engine engages via an agent, a natural language interaction with a user of a messaging client in order to initiate a transaction and determines, based on an adaptive script of the agent, the semantics of natural language input from the user. The existing form of the script is adapted to take into account historical interaction between the agent and the user and historical interaction between other users and the agent. The transactive engine constructs at least one command necessary to execute the transaction and transmitting the at least one command to at least one information system in order to execute the transaction. Furthermore, the transactive engine receives information about the executed transaction from the at least one information system, processes the received information relating to the executed transaction to form a natural language response to the user of the messaging client, and sends the natural language response to the messaging client.

Claims

1. A method of interacting with a user of a messaging client, wherein the method comprises:

engaging, with a transactive engine via an agent, a natural language interaction with a user of a messaging client in order to initiate a transaction;

determining, based on an adaptive script of the agent, the semantics of natural language input from the user, wherein the existing form of the script is adapted to take into account historical interaction between the agent and the user and historical interaction between other users and the agent;

constructing at least one command necessary to execute the transaction;

transmitting the at least one command to at least one information system in order to execute the transaction;

receiving information about the executed transaction from the at least one information system;

processing the received information relating to the executed transaction to form a natural language response to the user of the messaging client; and

sending the natural language response to the messaging client.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the script comprises conversational elements, logic functions and needed data objects.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

requesting further information, based on the adaptive script, from the user when all data objects of the script cannot be determined.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing at least one action before relaying the at least one command to the at least one information system or after receiving the information about the executed transaction from the at least one information system.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one action comprises at least one of the following:

assessing authority of the user to conduct the transaction;

informing the user when the user does not have authority to conduct the transaction;

assessing the charge for processing the transaction based on at least one of the type of the transaction, frequency of the transaction, time, date, user and enterprise;

storing the transaction request;

logging user activity relating to the transaction request;

authenticating that the user has been granted access to the agent;

applying an appropriate charge to an appropriate account for collection from the beneficiary of the transaction;

creating a report for the beneficiary of the transaction; and

checking the beneficiary that the user is transacting with.

6. The method according to claim 1, when the transaction fails:

informing the user about the failure of the transaction; and

requesting additional information from the user via the agent.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using at least one of user information, user status information, historical interaction data between the agent and the user, and the adaptive script of the user to determine when and/or how to initiate interaction with the user.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating a master agent that combines scripts of multiple other agents.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

contacting, with the agent, a third party during the natural language interaction with the user.

10. A computer program, wherein the computer program comprises program code, which when executed on a data processing device, is adapted to perform the method according to claim 1.

11. The computer program according to claim 10, wherein the computer program is embodied on a computer-readable medium.

12. A computer system of interacting with a user (100) of a messaging client (102), wherein the computer system comprises a transactive engine (106, 300) configured to engage, via an agent (104, 314), a natural language interaction with the user (100) in order to initiate a transaction, to determine, based on an adaptive script (308) of the agent (104, 314), the semantics of natural language input from the user (100), wherein the existing form of the script (308) is adapted to take into account historical interaction between the agent (104, 314) and the user (100) and historical interaction between other users and the agent (104, 314), and to construct at least one command necessary to execute the transaction, to transmit the at least one command to at least one information system (108) in order to execute the transaction, and to receive information about the executed transaction from the at least one information system (108), to process the received information relating to the executed transaction to form a natural language response to the user (100), and to send the natural language response to the user (100).

13. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the adaptive script (308) comprises conversational elements, logic functions and needed data objects.

14. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the transactive engine (106, 300) is configured to request further information, based on the adaptive script (308), from the user (100) when all data objects of the adaptive script (308) cannot be determined.

15. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the transactive engine (106, 300) is configured to perform at least one action before relaying the at least one command to the at least one information system (108) or after receiving the information about the executed transaction from the at least one information system (108).

16. The computer system according to claim 15, wherein the transactive engine (106, 300) is configured to perform at least one of the following:

assess authority of the user (100) to conduct the transaction;

inform the user (100) when the user (100) does not have authority to conduct the transaction;

assess the charge for processing the transaction based on at least one of the type of the transaction, frequency of the transaction, time, date, user and enterprise;

store the transaction request;

log user (100) activity relating to the transaction request;

authenticate that the user (100) has been granted access to the agent (104, 314);

apply an appropriate charge to an appropriate account for collection from the beneficiary of the transaction;

create a report for the beneficiary of the transaction; and

check the beneficiary that the user (100) is transacting with.

17. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the transactive engine (106, 300) is configured to inform the user (100) about the failure of the transaction, and to request additional information from the user (100) via the agent (104, 314).

18. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the transactive engine (106, 300) is configured to use at least one of user (100) information, user (100) status information, historical interaction between the agent (104, 314) and the user (100), and the adaptive script (308) of the user (100) to determine when and/or how to initiate interaction with the user (100).

19. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the transactive engine (106, 300) comprises a master script for a master agent, wherein the master script combines scripts of multiple other agents.

20. A method of updating a script of an agent in a transactive engine, the method comprising:

storing historical natural language interaction between the agent and a user;

storing historical natural language interaction between other users and the agent; and

adapting the script to take into account the stored historical interaction between the agent and the user and the stored historical interaction between other users and the agent.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the script comprises conversational elements, logic functions and needed data objects.

22. A computer program, wherein the computer program comprises program code, which when executed on a data processing device, is adapted to perform the method according to claim 20.

23. The computer program according to claim 21, wherein the computer program is embodied on a computer-readable medium.

24. A semantic engine configured to update a script of an agent, wherein the semantic engine is configured to:

store historical natural language interaction between the agent and a user;

store historical natural language interaction between other users and the agent; and

adapt the script to take into account the stored historical interaction between the agent and the user and the stored historical interaction between other users and the agent.

25. The semantic engine according to claim 24, wherein the script comprises conversational elements, logic functions and needed data objects.