Bot creation with workflow development system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10025567-B2
Application number	US-201715482377-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2017
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A workflow development system is described that enables users to easily develop and deploy bots. The system provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that enables a user to select a plurality of steps for inclusion in a workflow and within which each user-selected step is represented as an interactive object. The plurality of steps includes at least one step of receiving a message directed to a bot or sending a message on behalf of the bot and at least one step of invoking an application to perform an action in response to receiving the message directed to the bot or to receive information upon which the sending of the message on behalf of the bot will be based. The system also receives information about each of the user-selected steps included in the workflow and generates workflow logic based on the received information that is executable to run the workflow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
at least one processor circuit; and
at least one memory that stores program code configured to be executed by the at least one processor circuit, the program code comprising:
a graphical user interface (GUI) generator configured to generate a workflow designer GUI that enables a user to select a plurality of workflow steps for inclusion in a workflow and within which each user-selected workflow step is represented as an interactive object, the plurality of workflow steps including:
at least one workflow step of receiving a message directed to a bot or sending a message on behalf of the bot and
at least one workflow step of invoking an application to perform an action in response to receiving the message directed to the bot or to obtain information upon which the sending of the message on behalf of the bot will be based; and

a workflow logic generator configured to receive constructed workflow information that indicates each of the user-selected workflow steps included in the workflow, any input parameter values associated therewith, and a sequencing thereof;
the workflow logic generator being further configured to generate workflow logic based on the received constructed workflow information, the workflow logic being executable in a runtime environment to run the workflow.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the workflow designer GUI enables the user to specify connection information for the at least one workflow step of receiving the message directed to the bot or sending the message on behalf of the bot, the connection information comprising information for establishing a connection to a bot framework that receives and sends messages over one or more communication channels on behalf of the bot.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bot comprises:
a software program that is configured to simulate intelligent conversation with one or more end users via auditory or textual methods.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one workflow step of receiving a message directed to a bot comprises a trigger workflow step for initiating execution of the workflow.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one workflow step of invoking the application to perform the action in response to receiving the message directed to the bot comprises:
invoking the application to perform one of the following in response to receiving the message directed to the bot:
sending an e-mail;
sending a push notification;
copying or moving a file;
creating or update an entry in a database or spreadsheet;
saving a document or file to a library;
posting content to a social network;
adding an event to a calendar;
adding a task to a to do list;
obtaining financial data;
obtaining news content;
obtaining a weather report; or
conducting an internet search.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one workflow step of invoking the application to receive information upon which the sending of the message on behalf of the bot will be based comprises:
invoking the application to receive one or more of:
stock information;
weather information;
news information;
enterprise-related information; or
health-related information.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the workflow designer GUI is further configured to presents as tokens items of information associated with a particular message received by the bot as part of a first workflow step, and in response to selection of a token by a user, to cause the corresponding item of information to be used as an input parameter of a second workflow step.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the items of information associated with the particular message received by the bot as part of the first workflow step comprise one or more items of information appended to the particular message by a bot framework.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the items of information associated with the particular message received by the bot as part of the first workflow step comprise one or more of:
a channel identifier that identifies a channel over which the particular message was received;
a conversation identifier that identifies a conversation of which the particular message is a part;
an identifier of an originator of the particular message;
an indicator that indicates whether or not the particular message is part of a private conversation or a group conversation;
a locale associated with the particular message;
a recipient identifier that identifies the bot that received the particular message;
an identifier of the particular message to which a response can be directed;
a service Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with a channel over which the particular message was received;
text of the particular message;
a format of the text of the particular message; or
a type of action associated with the particular message.

10. A method performed by a computer-implemented workflow development system for enabling a user to develop a bot, comprising:
providing a workflow designer graphical user interface (GUI) via which the user is enabled to select a plurality of workflow steps for inclusion in a workflow and within which each user-selected workflow step is represented as an interactive object, the plurality of workflow steps including:
at least one workflow step of receiving a message directed to a bot or sending a message on behalf of the bot; and
at least one workflow step of invoking an application to perform an action in response to receiving the message directed to the bot or to receive information upon which the sending of the message on behalf of the bot will be based; and

receiving constructed workflow information that indicates each of the user-selected workflow steps included in the workflow, any input parameter values associated therewith, and a sequencing thereof; and
generating workflow logic based on the received constructed workflow information, the workflow logic being executable in a runtime environment to run the workflow.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing the workflow designer GUI further comprises:
providing a GUI by which the user is enabled to specify connection information for the at least one workflow step of receiving the message directed to the bot or sending the message on behalf of the bot, the connection information comprising information for establishing a connection to a bot framework that receives and sends messages over one or more communication channels on behalf of the bot.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of workflow steps further includes:
receiving an indication that an originator of a message directed to the bot is typing.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one workflow step of receiving a message directed to a bot comprises a trigger workflow step for initiating execution of the workflow.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one workflow step of invoking the application to perform the action in response to receiving the message directed to the bot comprises:
invoking the application to perform one of the following in response to receiving the message directed to the bot:
sending an e-mail;
sending a push notification;
copying or moving a file;
creating or update an entry in a database or spreadsheet;
saving a document or file to a library;
posting content to a social network;
adding an event to a calendar;
adding a task to a to do list;
obtaining financial data;
obtaining news content;
obtaining a weather report; or
conducting an internet search.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Balasubramanian Barath
• Raghunathan Ashwin Sathya
• Naaman Jade D
• Kappes Daniel J

Classifications

• G06F8/38

  for implementing user interfaces · CPC title

• H04L51/02 Primary

  using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages · CPC title

• G06F9/546 Primary

  Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues · CPC title

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title

• G06F8/35 Primary

  model driven · CPC title