Shared and per-user bot group messaging method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10965623-B2
Application number	US-201815936898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Mar 27, 2017
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computing systems are provided for bot messaging. In an implementation, a method may include one or more of receiving, by a group messaging service coupled to the internet and a group including one or more user nodes, a message including a message address and a first group identifier, determining that the group includes a bot, the bot including a software application for performing one or more tasks over the internet. The method also includes determining whether the bot is a user bot responsive to one user node in the group or a group bot responsive to each of the one or more user nodes. In response to determining the bot is a group bot, the method also includes identifying that the message address corresponds to the group bot and sending, by the group messaging service, the message to the group bot.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising: receiving, by a group messaging service coupled to the internet and a group comprising one or more user nodes, a message comprising a bot identifier and a first group identifier; determining, by the group messaging service, whether the group comprises a bot based on accessing a first group data structure corresponding to the first group identifier, the first group data structure identifying which user nodes and bots are members of the group, the bot comprising a software application for performing one or more tasks over the internet; determining, at the group messaging service based on accessing a bot data structure incorporated into the first group data structure, whether the bot is a group bot responsive to each of the one or more user nodes; in response to determining the bot is a group bot: identifying that the bot identifier corresponds to the group bot; and sending, by the group messaging service, the message to the group bot.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to receiving the message, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the group messaging service, a request to add the bot to the group, the request comprising an indication if the bot is a user bot or a group bot;
verifying the bot is available over the internet;
configuring the bot into the group; and
providing a notification that the bot is configured into the group.

3. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
sending the message to the one or more user nodes, in response to one of:
determining the group comprises no bots; and
determining the group comprises one or more bots and the bot identifier does not correspond to the one or more bots.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the bot is a user bot responsive to fewer than all user nodes in the group based on identifying that the bot identifier corresponds to the user bot; and
sending, by the group messaging service, the message to the user bot.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises recorded audio, wherein the first group identifier uniquely identifies a group that a user node that transmits the message to the group messaging service belongs to.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the group messaging service comprises a plurality of data structures for a plurality of groups, the plurality of data structures each comprising a unique group identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining that the group comprises a bot comprising:
selecting the first group data structure from the plurality of data structures, the first group data structure having a corresponding unique group identifier matching the first group identifier;
reviewing the first group data structure for at least one bot data structure, each comprising a unique bot identifier and a bot designation; and
determining the first group data structure comprises at least one bot data structure.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining whether the bot is a user bot or a group bot comprises:
reviewing the at least one bot data structure for the bot data structure comprising a unique bot identifier corresponding to the bot identifier from the message;
determining the bot data structure corresponds to a user bot if the bot designation for the bot data structure is a user node identifier; and
determining the bot data structure corresponds to a group bot if the bot designation for the bot data structure is a group identifier.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein identifying that the bot identifier corresponds to the user bot or the group bot comprises:
identifying the bot data structure in the first group data structure comprising a unique bot identifier corresponding to the bot identifier from the message.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least one other data structure of the plurality of data structures does not include the bot data structure.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store computer instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform: receiving, by a group messaging service comprising the processor and coupled to the internet and a group comprising one or more user nodes, a message comprising a bot identifier and a first group identifier; determining that the group comprises a bot based on accessing a first group data structure corresponding to the first group identifier, the first group data structure identifying which user nodes and bots are members of the group, the bot comprising a software application for performing one or more tasks over the internet; determining, based on accessing a bot data structure incorporated into the first group data structure, whether the bot is a group bot responsive to each of the one or more user nodes; in response to determining the bot is a group bot: identifying that the bot identifier corresponds to the group bot; and sending, by the group messaging service, the message to the group bot.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein in response to sending the message to the group bot, sending, by the group messaging service, the message to the one or more user nodes.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , determining the bot is a user bot responsive to fewer than all user nodes in the group based on identifying that the bot identifier corresponds to the user bot; and sending, by the group messaging service, the message to the user bot.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the group messaging service comprises a plurality of data structures for a plurality of groups, the plurality of data structures each comprising a unique group identifier.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein determining that the group comprises a bot comprises:
selecting the first group data structure from the plurality of data structures, the first group data structure having a corresponding unique group identifier matching the first group identifier;
reviewing the first group data structure for at least one bot data structure, each comprising a unique bot identifier and a bot designation; and
determining the first group data structure comprises at least one bot data structure.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein identifying that the bot identifier corresponds to the user bot or the group bot comprising:
identifying the bot data structure in the first group data structure comprising a unique bot identifier corresponding to the bot identifier.

17. A computing system, comprising: a processing system configured to execute a group messaging service coupled to the internet and a group comprising one or more user nodes; and a storage system comprising program instructions that, when executed, cause the processing system to: receive a message comprising a bot identifier and a first group identifier; determine that the group comprises a bot based on accessing a first group data structure corresponding to the first group identifier, the first group data structure identifying which user nodes and bots are members of the group, the bot comprising a software application for performing one or more tasks over the internet; determine, based on accessing a bot data structure incorporated into the first group data structure, whether the bot is a group bot responsive to each of the one or more user nodes; in response determining that the bot is a group bot: identify that the bot identifier corresponds to the group bot; and send, by the gro

Assignees

• Orion Labs
• Orion Labs Inc

Inventors

• Robbins Jesse
• Albrecht Greg
• Juhlin Ellen

Classifications

• H04L61/5069

  for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication · CPC title

• H04L12/1813

  for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms (instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04L51/10

  Multimedia information · CPC title

• H04L51/02 Primary

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

• H04W4/08

  User group management · CPC title