Application initiated conversations for chatbots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020344186-A1
Application number	US-202016857766-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 24, 2020
Priority date	Apr 26, 2019
Publication date	Oct 29, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for described for invoking a chatbot in a chatbot system, in response to an event notification from a software application. The event notification can be sent to the chatbot system based on the software application determining that one or more conditions associated with an event are satisfied. In certain embodiments, the event notification contains information indicating a dialog flow state for starting a new conversation between a particular chatbot and a user. The event notification can also identify the user and/or the particular chatbot. In some instances, a prompt is output to the user requesting the user to confirm a start of the new conversation. Whether the prompt is output or not can depend on whether there is an existing conversation between the user and a chatbot in the chatbot system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a computer-implemented chatbot system, an event notification from a software application, wherein the event notification is generated based on the software application determining that one or more conditions associated with an event are satisfied; determining, by the chatbot system and based on information contained in the event notification, a dialog flow state for starting a new conversation between a first chatbot in the chatbot system and a user; determining, by the chatbot system, whether to output to the user a prompt requesting the user to confirm a start of the new conversation, wherein determining whether to output the prompt includes determining whether there is an existing conversation between the user and a chatbot in the chatbot system; and starting, by the chatbot system, the new conversation in the determined dialog flow state.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the new conversation is a conversation relating to the event.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the software application is executed on a computer system remote from the chatbot system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by the chatbot system, the first chatbot based on a chatbot identifier included in the event notification or based on a communication channel through which the event notification was received by the chatbot system, the communication channel being a channel created for sending communications between the first chatbot and the software application.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
outputting the prompt to the user based on determining that there is an existing conversation between the user and a chatbot in the chatbot system.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving, by the chatbot system, a response to the prompt from the user, the response indicating that the user does not wish to start the new conversation; based on the response, permitting the user to continue the existing conversation; and outputting a second prompt to the user at an end of the existing conversation, the second prompt requesting the user to confirm the start of the new conversation.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving, by the chatbot system, a response to the prompt from the user, the response indicating that the user wishes to start the new conversation; based on the response, suspending the existing conversation and starting the new conversation; and outputting a second prompt to the user at an end of the new conversation, the second prompt requesting the user to confirm whether to resume the suspended conversation.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by the chatbot system, the user based on a user identifier included in the notification.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the dialog flow state includes determining the dialog flow state based on a stored association between the dialog flow state and an event identifier included in the event notification.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the chatbot system, a value of a variable from the event notification; and providing, by the chatbot system, the value of the variable as an input to the first chatbot, wherein the dialog flow state includes an action to be performed by the first chatbot or a message from the first chatbot to the user, and wherein the action to be performed or the message to the user depends on the value of the variable.

11 . A computer system comprising:
one or more chatbots, the one or more chatbots including a first chatbot; one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform processing comprising:
receiving an event notification from a software application, wherein the event notification is generated based on the software application determining that one or more conditions associated with an event are satisfied;
determining, based on information contained in the event notification, a dialog flow state for starting a new conversation between the first chatbot and a user;
determining whether to output to the user a prompt requesting the user to confirm a start of the new conversation, wherein determining whether to output the prompt includes determining whether there is an existing conversation between the user and a chatbot in the computer system; and
starting the new conversation in the determined dialog flow state.

12 . The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the new conversation is a conversation relating to the event.

13 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform processing comprising:
identifying the first chatbot based on a chatbot identifier included in the event notification or based on a communication channel through which the event notification was received by the computer system, the communication channel being a channel created for sending communications between the first chatbot and the software application.

14 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform processing comprising:
outputting the prompt to the user based on determining that there is an existing conversation between the user and a chatbot in the computer system.

15 . The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform processing comprising:
receiving a response to the prompt from the user, the response indicating that the user does not wish to start the new conversation; based on the response, permitting the user to continue the existing conversation; and outputting a second prompt to the user at an end of the existing conversation, the second prompt requesting the user to confirm the start of the new conversation.

16 . The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform processing comprising:
receiving a response to the prompt from the user, the response indicating that the user wishes to start the new conversation; based on the response, suspending the existing conversation and starting the new conversation; and outputting a second prompt to the user at an end of the new conversation, the second prompt requesting the user to confirm whether to resume the suspended conversation.

17 . The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform processing comprising:
identifying the user based on a user identifier included in the notification.

18 . The computer system of claim 11 , wherein determining the dialog flow state includes determining the dialog flow state based on a stored association between the dialog flow state and an event identifier included in the event notification.

19 . The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform processing comprising:
determining a value of a variable from the event notification; and providing the value of the variable as an input to the first chatbot, wherein the dialog flow state includes an action to be performed by the first chatbot or a message from the first chatbot to the user, and wherein the action to be performed or the message to the user depends on the value of th

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Parekh Manish
• Lee King-Hwa

Classifications

• H04L51/224

  providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages · CPC title

• H04L51/212

  using filtering or selective blocking · CPC title

• H04L51/216

  Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads · CPC title

• H04L51/02 Primary

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

• H04L51/046

  Interoperability with other network applications or services · CPC title