Method and system for instant messaging Bots specification using state transition methodology and XML

• US 7,454,469 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shu, Chen, Zhou, Nianjun, Meliksetian, Dikran S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E
• Application Number:
  US10/744,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-206, 709217-219, 704 1- 10
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A framework for creating instant messaging Bots that autonomously operate within an instant messaging sessions to respond to requests from other user(s) or Bot(s). Bot operation is defined by a state machine with one or more states that are described in XML documents. These XML documents abide by the grammar of a Bot Transition Definition Language (BTDL) that is defined in an XML schema. A Bot developer creates a state transition diagram via a Graphical User Interface. The state transition diagram defines states, transitions between states, and conditions for each of those state transitions and methods to be performed upon each state transition. An XML document that conforms to BTDL format is created from the state transition definition diagram. Both stateful and stateless Bots are defined using XML documents abiding to a BTDL format. A runtime environment implements the Bots, accepts runtime inputs and generates responses.

Claims

1. A method for defining an instant messaging Bot process, the method comprising:

accepting at least one XML schema that defines elements of a Bot transition definition language to be used in specifying instant messaging Bots, the elements of the Bot transition definition language adapted for use in XML documents that define instant messaging Bots that accept at least one natural language text runtime input created by human users and provide at least one response in response to the at least one natural language text runtime input,

wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises definitions for elements that correspond to;

at least one state definition,

at least one state transition definition, and

at least one condition definition for each of the at least one state transition, the at least one condition definition defining a condition based upon a respective received natural language text runtime input;

creating a state transition definition diagram for an instant messaging Bot, the state transition definition diagram comprising at least one state, at least one state transition, and at least one condition that is based upon a respective received natural language text runtime input received from a respective human user for each of the at least one state transition; and

generating an XML document that abides to the at least one XML schema and comprises elements of the Bot transition definition language, the XML document defining the state transition definition diagram.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises at least one state transition definition that supports specifying legitimate natural language text runtime input formats and the XML document defines a set of legitimate natural language text runtime input formats in accordance with the Bot transition definition language.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instant messaging Bot is able to participate with a plurality of clients in a plurality of instant messaging sessions.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the creating the state transition definition diagram comprises defining at least a portion of the state transition definition diagram with a graphical user interface, and wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises at least one state transition definition that supports specifying legitimate natural language text runtime input formats,

the method further comprising:

entering, into the graphical user interface, a respective format for at least one natural language text runtime input that corresponds to at least one of the at least one condition, the respective format complying with the Bot transition definition language; and

validating the format.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the XML schema further specifies that the Bot transition definition language has an attribute definition that defines a description of a handler object class comprising software methods used by the instant messaging Bots, and the method further comprises submitting the XML document to a runtime environment that processes the XML document in order to implement the instant messaging Bot and the runtime environment further executes software methods within the at least one object class in conjunction with the instant messaging Bot defined by the XML document.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the state transition definition diagram comprises at least one help message that is to be displayed in response to satisfaction of a corresponding help condition, and wherein the runtime environment displays the help message upon satisfaction of the help condition.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the runtime environment implements the instant messaging Bot within physical communications sessions, and wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises elements that define the at least one state transition definition to include a timeout value, wherein the runtime environment continues to implement, in response to the XML document defining a at least one state transition with a timeout value, the instant messaging Bot after a physical communication session associated with the instant messaging Bot terminates.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one XML schema comprises a stateless XML schema and a stateful XML schema, the stateless XML schema defining a Bot transition definition language that defines the instant messaging Bots to have only one state, and the stateful XML schema defining a Bot transition definition language that defines the instant messaging bots to have a plurality of states.

9. An instant messaging Bot development system, comprising:

an XML schema repository for storing at least one XML schema, each of the at least one XML schema defining elements of a Bot transition definition language to be used in specifying instant messaging Bots, the elements of the Bot transition definition language adapted for use in XML documents that define instant messaging Bots that accept at least one natural language text runtime input created by human users and provide at least one response in response to the at least one natural language text runtime input,

wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises definitions for elements that correspond to;

at least one state definition,

at least one state transition definition, and

at least one condition definition for each of the at least one state transition, the at least one condition definition defining a condition based upon a respective received natural language text runtime input;

creating a state transition definition diagram for an instant messaging Bot, the state transition definition diagram comprising at least one state, at least one state transition, and at least one condition that is based upon a respective received natural language text runtime input received from a respective human user for each of the at least one state transition;

a state transition definition diagram definition tool for creating a state transition definition diagram for an instant messaging Bot, the state transition definition diagram comprising at least one state, at least one state transition, and at least one condition that is based upon a respective received natural language text runtime input received from a respective human user for each of the at least one state transition; and

an XML document generator for generating an XML document that abides to the at least one XML schema and comprises elements of the Bot transition definition language, the XML document defining the state transition definition diagram.

10. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 9, wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises at least one state transition definition that supports specifying legitimate natural language text runtime input formats, and wherein the state transition definition diagram definition tool further accepts a set of legitimate natural language text runtime input formats, and the XML document defines the set of legitimate natural language text runtime input formats in accordance with the Bot transition definition language.

11. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 9, wherein the instant messaging Bot is able to participate with a plurality of clients in a plurality of instant messaging sessions.

12. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 9, wherein the state transition definition diagram definition tool comprises a graphical user interface for defining at least a portion of the state transition definition diagram.

13. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 12, wherein the graphical user interface further supports entry of a respective format for at least one natural language text runtime input that corresponds to at least one of the at least one condition, the respective format complying with the Bot transition definition language, and wherein the instant messaging Bot development system further comprises a format checker for validating the format.

14. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 9, wherein the XML schema further specifies that the Bot transition definition language has an attribute definition that defines a description of a handler object class comprising software methods used by the instant messaging Bots, and the instant messaging Bot development system further comprises a runtime environment that processes the XML document in order to implement the instant messaging Bot and the runtime environment further executes software methods within the at least one object class in conjunction with the instant messaging Bot defined by the XML document.

15. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 14, wherein the state transition definition diagram comprises at least one help message that is to be displayed in response to satisfaction of a corresponding help condition, and wherein the runtime environment displays the help message upon satisfaction of the help condition.

16. The instant messaging Bot development system according to claim 15, wherein the runtime environment implements the instant messaging Bot within physical communications sessions, and wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises elements that define the at least one state transition definition to include a timeout value, wherein the runtime environment continues to implement, in response to the XML document defining a at least one state transition with a timeout value, the instant messaging Bot after a physical communication session associated with the instant messaging Bot terminates.

17. A processor configured to execute an instant messaging Bot runtime system, comprising:

a runtime environment for processing an XML document in order to implement an instant messaging Bot in conjunction with at least one object class, wherein the XML document conforms to an XML schema that defines a Bot Transition Definition Language for use in developing instant messaging Bots, the elements of the Bot transition definition language adapted for use in the XML document defining instant messaging Bots that accept at least one natural language text runtime input created by human users and provide at least one response in response to the at least one natural language text runtime input,

wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises definitions for elements that correspond to;

at least one state element; and

at least one state transition element,

wherein at least one of the at least one state transition element comprises at least one condition for the at least one of the at least one state transition, the at least one condition definition defining a condition based upon a respective received natural language text runtime input.

18. A computer program product for defining an instant messaging Bot process, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing by being tangibly encoded with instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

accepting at least one XML schema that defines elements of a Bot transition definition language to be used in specifying instant messaging Bots, the elements of the Bot transition definition language adapted for use in XML documents that define instant messaging Bots that accept at least one natural language text runtime input created by human users and provide at least one response in response to the at least one natural language text runtime input,

wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises definitions for elements that correspond to;

at least one state definition,

at least one state transition definition, and

at least one condition definition for each of the at least one state transition, the at least one condition definition defining a condition based upon a respective received natural language text runtime input;

creating a state transition definition diagram for an instant messaging Bot, the state transition definition diagram comprising at least one state, at least one state transition, and at least one condition that is based upon a respective received natural language text runtime input received from a respective human user for each of the at least one state transition; and

generating an XML document that abides to the at least one XML schema and comprises elements of the Bot transition definition language, the XML document defining the state transition definition diagram.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises at least one state transition definition that supports specifying legitimate natural language text runtime input formats and the XML document defines a set of legitimate natural language text runtime input formats in accordance with the Bot transition definition language.

20. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the instant messaging Bot is able to participate with a plurality of clients in a plurality of instant messaging sessions.

21. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the instructions for creating the state transition diagram comprise instructions for defining at least a portion of the state transition definition diagram with a graphical user interface.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, further comprising instructions for:

entering, into the graphical user interface, a respective format for at least one natural language text runtime input that corresponds to at least one of the at least one condition, the respective format complying with the Bot transition definition language; and

validating the legitimate format.

23. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the XML schema further specifies that the Bot transition definition language has an attribute definition that defines a description of a handler object class comprising software methods used by the instant messaging Bots, the computer program product further comprising instructions for submitting the XML document to a runtime environment that performs functions of the instant messaging Bot and the runtime environment further executes software methods within the at least one object class in conjunction with the instant messaging Bot defined by the XML document.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the state transition definition diagram comprises at least one help message that is to be displayed in response to satisfaction of a corresponding help condition, and wherein the runtime environment displays the help message upon satisfaction of the help condition.

25. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the runtime environment performs the functions of the instant messaging Bot within physical communications sessions, and wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises elements that define the at least one state transition definition to include a timeout value, wherein the runtime environment continues to perform, in response to the XML document defining a at least one state transition with a timeout value, the functions after a physical communication session associated with the instant messaging Bot terminates.

26. A method for defining an instant messaging Bot process, the method comprising:

accepting at least one XML schema that defines elements of a Bot transition definition language to be used in specifying instant messaging Bots, the elements of the Bot transition definition language adapted for use in XML documents that define instant messaging Bots that accept at least one natural language text runtime input created by human users and provide at least one response in response to the at least one natural language text runtime input,

wherein the Bot transition definition language comprises definitions for elements that correspond to;

a state machine specification comprising;

a specification that the state machine is one of stateful and stateless,

a specification of a handler class able to indicate a software object class comprising software methods used by the instant messaging Bot,

a specification of a Bot state class able to indicate an object class that identifies the states of the Bot, and

at least one state definition, and

at least one state transition definition, the at least one state transition definition comprising;

at least one condition definition for each of the at least one state transition, the at least one condition definition defining a condition based upon a respective received natural language text runtime input that is to be satisfied prior to implementing the at least one state transition,

a method attribute definition able to specify a software method to be executed upon satisfaction of the condition,

an arguments attribute definition able to define arguments to be provided to the software method to be executed upon satisfaction of the condition,

a timeout attribute definition able to specify a timeout period for the at least one state transition,

an event attribute definition that is able to specify an event that will cause the at least one state transition to execute, and

a state attribute definition that is able to specify a final state to which the at least one state transition definition will end upon execution;

creating a state transition definition diagram for an instant messaging Bot, the state transition definition diagram comprising at least one state, at least one state transition, and at least one condition that is based upon a respective received natural language text runtime input received from a respective human user for each of the at least one state transition; and

generating an XML document that abides to the at least one XML schema and comprises elements of the Bot transition definition language, the XML document defining the state transition definition diagram.