Intercom Service Layer for Multi-Modal Chatbot Context Preservation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing chatbot technologies require developers to code functionality for each communication channel, limiting a chatbot's functionality to the specific channel it is designed for, and lack seamless multi-modal interaction capabilities.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of a central service, referred to as an intercom, which enables agents to provide dialog-based services across multiple channels by collecting necessary information, providing language translation, fidelity management, and session tracking, allowing for dynamic communication and interaction across various modes without recoding for each channel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If chatbot functionality is coded into each communication channel, then the chatbot can operate in that specific channel, but the chatbot's functionality is limited to that channel and developers must recode for each channel

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel compatibilityVSAvoidcoding complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary service layer (intercom) between the chatbot and communication channels. This intercom collects information from the agent, provides language translation, fidelity management, and modal constraint conformation, allowing the agent to communicate via any mode without being coded for each specific channel. The intercom acts as a mediator that handles channel-specific requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a universal agent framework that can operate across multiple communication channels (text, voice, video, etc.) without requiring separate coding for each channel. The agent writes once and deployes everywhere, with the intercom handling the channel-specific adaptations through services like language translation and fidelity management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a chatbot is designed for a specific communication channel, then it can provide optimized functionality for that channel, but it cannot seamlessly interact across multiple modes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-modal interactionVSAvoidcontext preservation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The intercom serves as a mediator that maintains conversation context across mode changes. When a user switches from text to voice or video, the intercom preserves the conversation state and ensures continuous context, making the transition transparent to both the user and the agent.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adapts to different communication modes while maintaining consistent context. The intercom provides dynamic services including language translation, fidelity upgrading/downgrading, and modal constraint conformation that adjust to the current communication mode while preserving conversation continuity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of manufacture

If developers code chatbot functionality for each communication channel, then the chatbot can be optimized for that channel, but developer workload increases and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel-specific optimizationVSAvoiddeployment efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The intercom handles all channel-specific optimizations as a service layer, including language translation, fidelity management, and modal constraint conformation. Developers only need to write the agent once and deploy it universally, with the intercom handling channel-specific requirements automatically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides self-service capabilities where the intercom automatically adapts the agent's output to different channels without manual recoding. Services like language translation and fidelity management are handled automatically by the intercom based on the communication mode.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4009610B1Multi-modal conversational intercom
Publication Date: 2024.08.14 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP4009610B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4009610B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4009610B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3D

AI summary

The techniques discussed herein allow an agent that provides dialog-based services to converse with a user via any mode. A central service programmed to be able to communicate via any mode collects information from agents necessary to act on the agents' behalf. In order to ensure that an agent has a maximal presence across modes, the central service provides auxiliary services such as language translation, fidelity upgrading and/or downgrading, modal constraint conformation, etc. Moreover, the central service provides session tracking via user profiles stored at the intercom so that if a user changes a mode by which the user is conversing with an agent, the central service can keep the context of the conversation across the new mode. Furthermore, agents can communicate with other agents via the central service, allowing other agents to provide services to agents or to add their services to an ongoing dialog with a user.