Temporary Slots for Storing Chat Data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019236138-A1
Application number	US-201815885355-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 31, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	Aug 1, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure relates to configuration tools for interactive agents, sometimes referred to as bots, chatbots, virtual robots, or talkbots. Such interactive agents utilize slots for organizing and storing data received as inputs and displayed as outputs. These slots can be configured such that a slot is temporary and does not persist beyond its source dialog. Slots can also be configured such that a slot is pre-populated with information contain in incoming passed parameters.

First claim

1 . A computer-implemented method for configuring an interactive agent, comprising:
storing, by an interactive agent framework, an interactive agent configuration comprising a dialog, wherein the dialog comprises an action that the interactive agent performs in a conversation with a user; receiving, by the interactive agent framework, a slot definition; adding, by the interactive agent framework, a slot to the interactive agent configuration based on the slot definition; determining, by the interactive agent framework, a value based on the conversation to store in the slot, wherein the value is an option provided in the slot definition; determining, by the interactive agent framework, a scope for the slot in the interactive agent at runtime based on a scope indicator in the slot definition wherein the scope is either temporary or permanent; and storing, by the interactive agent framework, the value in the slot.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
setting, by the interactive agent framework, the slot to null when the dialog ends if the scope is temporary; and maintaining, by the interactive agent framework, the input in the slot when the dialog ends if the scope is permanent.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving, by the interactive agent framework, the input as text; and applying, by the interactive agent framework, natural language processing to the text.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
initializing, by the interactive agent framework, the slot to null at runtime if a passed parameters indicator in the slot definition is false and setting, by the interactive agent framework, the slot to a matched value if the passed parameters indicator is true, wherein the matched value is determined by: receiving, by the interactive agent framework, a parameter from a referrer comprising a parameter name and the parameter value; matching, by the interactive agent framework, the parameter to the slot using the parameter name, wherein the parameter name is identical to a name of the slot; and setting, by the interactive agent framework, the matched value to the parameter value.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the referrer is a messaging tool from which the interactive agent is launched.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
populating, by the interactive agent framework, at runtime the slot with a value received from an ancillary system; displaying, by the interactive agent framework, at runtime the slot as output.

7 . The method of claim 2 wherein the receiving an input further comprises:
storing, by the interactive agent framework, a set of mutually exclusive options for the slot;
receiving, by the interactive agent framework, the input using a graphical control element that allows selection of one of the mutually exclusive options.

8 . A system, comprising:
a memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
store an interactive agent configuration comprising a dialog in an interactive agent framework, wherein the dialog comprises an action that the interactive agent performs in a conversation with a user;
receive a slot definition;
add a slot to the interactive agent configuration based on the slot definition;
determine a value based on the conversation to store in the slot, wherein the value is an option provided in the slot definition;
determine a scope for the slot in the interactive agent at runtime based on a scope indicator in the slot definition wherein the scope is either temporary or permanent; and
store the value in the slot.

9 . The system of claim 8 , the at least one processor further configured to:
set the slot to null when the dialog ends if the scope is temporary; and maintain the input in the slot when the dialog ends if the scope is permanent.

10 . The system of claim 9 , the at least one processor further configured to:
receive the input as text; and apply natural language processing to the text.

11 . The system of claim 8 , the at least one processor further configured to:
initialize the slot to null at runtime if a passed parameters indicator in the slot definition is false and set the slot to a matched value if the passed parameters indicator is true, wherein the matched value is determined by: receiving a parameter from a referrer comprising a parameter name and the parameter value; matching the parameter to the slot using the parameter name, wherein the parameter name is identical to the name of the slot; and setting the matched value to the parameter value.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the referrer is a messaging tool from which the interactive agent is launched.

13 . The system of claim 8 , the at least one processor further configured to:
populate at runtime the slot with a value received from an ancillary system; display at runtime the slot as output.

14 . The system of claim 9 , the at least one processor further configured to:
store a set of mutually exclusive options for the slot; receive the input using a graphical control element that allows selection of one of the mutually exclusive options.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:
storing an interactive agent configuration comprising a dialog in an interactive agent framework, wherein the dialog comprises an action that the interactive agent performs in a conversation with a user; receiving a slot definition; adding a slot to the interactive agent configuration based on the slot definition; determining a value based on the conversation to store in the slot, wherein the value is an option provided in the slot definition; determining a scope for the slot in the interactive agent at runtime based on a scope indicator in the slot definition wherein the scope is either temporary or permanent; and storing the value in the slot.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 15 the operations further comprising:
setting the slot to null when the dialog ends if the scope is temporary; and
maintaining the input in the slot when the dialog ends if the scope is permanent.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 16 , the operations further comprising:
receiving the input as text; and applying natural language processing to the text.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
initializing the slot to null at runtime if a passed parameters indicator in the slot definition is false and setting the slot to a matched value if the passed parameters indicator is true, wherein the matched value is determined by: receiving a parameter from a referrer comprising a parameter name and the parameter value; matching the parameter to the slot using the parameter name, wherein the parameter name is identical to the name of the slot; and setting the matched value to the parameter value.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
populating at runtime the slot with a value received from an ancillary system; displaying at runtime the slot as output.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 16 , the operations further comprising:
storing a set of mutually exclusive options for the slot; receiving the input using a graphical control

Assignees

• Salesforce Com Inc

Inventors

• Mahar Molly
• Morales Jonathan Rico
• Mumm Jacob
• Miller Karson

Classifications

• G06F40/30 Primary

  Semantic analysis · CPC title

• H04L51/02 Primary

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

• G06F17/2785 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title