System and method for third-party-service-assisted chatbot workflow execution

Abstract

The flexibility of a communication with a chatbot can be increased using a chatbot platform that can be integrated with a plurality of chat channels as well as facilitate communication between users of different chat channels. The platform can host chatbots that can leverage a plurality of resources, including internal and external natural language processors, machine learning, analytics services, and third party services to generate a response to user communications and take actions on behalf of the user. The use of the natural language processing and other additional information allows to generate an appropriate response to user queries, and to thus increase the speed with which user concerns are address. Further, the platform includes a chatbot creation program that allows a quick way to create a large number of customized chatbots without requiring advanced programming skills from the chatbot creator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for third-party-service-assisted chatbot workflow execution, comprising:
 a platform comprising a plurality of servers, each of the servers comprising a processor and a memory, the platform hosting a chatbot registered with a plurality of chat channels and associated with a workflow requiring an interaction with a third party service outside of the platform, the platform configured to:
 receive via one of the chat channels at one of the servers assigned as an endpoint for the chatbot one or more communications from a computing device of a user, wherein one of the communications is coupled with a token proving that the user has logged into the third party service; 
 analyze each of the communications and determine one or more steps in the workflow that need to be taken in response to that communication based on the analysis; 
 provide via the endpoint server the token to the third party service and perform one or more interactions with the third party service based on one or more of the determined steps; 
 generate a response to each of the communications based on the analysis of that communication, wherein one or more of the responses are further generated based on one or more of the interactions with the third party service; 
 format the responses for transmission via the one chat channel; and 
 send the responses via the endpoint server and the one chat channel to the computing device. 
   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the user is prompted to log into the third party service via the one chat channel. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , the platform further configured to provide to the third party service a portion of one or more of the communications. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , the platform further configured to receive from the third party service data and to include the received data in one of the response communications. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the chatbot comprises an application programming interface for interacting with the third party service. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1 , the platform further configured to determine an intent of the user associated with one or more of the communications, wherein the steps associated with those communications are determined based on the intent associated with those communications. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 6 , the platform configured to interact with one or more further services outside of the platform to determine the intent. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 7 , the platform configured to retrieve metadata necessary for interaction with one or more further services. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the platform interacts with one of the further services to obtain the metadata for the interaction with another one of the further services. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 8 , the platform configured to store the metadata in a local cache upon retrieving the metadata. 
     
     
         11 . A method for third-party-service-assisted chatbot workflow execution, comprising:
 receiving by a platform, the platform comprising a plurality of servers and hosting a chatbot interfaced to a plurality of chat channels, via one of the chat channels at one the servers assigned as an endpoint for the chatbot one or more communications from a computing device of a user, wherein each of the servers comprises a processor and a memory, the chatbot is associated with a workflow requiring an interaction with a third party service outside of the platform, and one of the communications is coupled with a token proving that the user has logged into the third party service;   analyzing by the platform each of the communications and determining by the platform one or more steps in the workflow that need to be taken in response to that communication based on the analysis;   providing by the platform via the endpoint server the token to the third party service and performing by the platform one or more interactions with the third party service based on one or more of the determined steps;   generating by the platform a response to each of the communications based on the analysis of that communication, wherein one or more of the responses are further generated based on one or more of the interactions with the third party service;   formatting by the platform the responses for transmission via the one chat channel; and   sending by the platform the responses via the endpoint server and the one chat channel to the computing device.   
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the user is prompted to log into the third party service via the one chat channel. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising providing by the platform to the third party service a portion of one or more of the communications. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising receiving by the platform from the third party service data and including by the platform the received data in one of the response communications. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the chatbot comprises an application programming interface for interacting with the third party service. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising determining an intent of the user associated with one or more of the communications, wherein the steps associated with those communications are determined based on the intent associated with those communications. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , further comprising interacting by the platform with one or more further services outside of the platform to determine the intent. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , further comprising retrieving by the platform metadata necessary for interaction with one or more further services. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the platform interacts with one of the further services to obtain the metadata for the interaction with another one of the further services. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 18 , further comprising storing by the metadata in a local cache upon retrieving the metadata.