Apple patent details deep Siri integration with Messages

PanARMENIAN.Net - Apple in a patent application published Thursday, May 11 details a method of integrating an intelligent virtual assistant — Siri — into a messaging environment, allowing users to participate in text-based exchanges with the AI, while opening up automation and helper tools to traditional Messages conversations with friends, AppleInsider reveals.

As published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple's patent application for an "Intelligent automated assistant in a messaging environment" describes a method of meshing Siri with a graphical user interface designed for text messaging. Importantly, the integration would grant Siri the ability to not only converse with a single user, but also act as a third party in group chats.

The proposed system appears much more advanced than current Siri implementations that rely largely on speech recognition. As detailed in today's document, Siri integration would enable users to "talk" to the virtual assistant using any form of communication supported by Messages, which at this time includes text, audio, images and video.

Currently, Siri accepts voice commands via device microphones in a dedicated Siri UI. While the assistant can parse natural language input with a high degree of accuracy, mistakes do occur. In such cases, users can modify their query by tapping or selecting confirmation text and typing in the correct information. Siri also lacks the ability to process images in its current form.

As noted in the patent application, moving Siri to a messaging environment fosters all-new interactions. For example, a text-based UI is preferable in noisy environments or in quiet locations where audio interactions are not desired, like a library or movie theater.

Since Messages, and other messaging apps, present information in a chronological format, users would be able to review previous Siri interactions as traditional text histories. Additionally, Siri can reference available chat histories for contextual clues as it attempts to answer user queries. Currently, the Siri UI deletes a query thread once a session is complete.

Like existing implementations, contextual information can go beyond conversation history. For example, device location can be leveraged to answer a question like, "How did the Giants do?" A generated task flow first detects user intent, which in this case is an inquiry into a sports score. Depending on the location of the device, time and team schedule, Siri might return a score for the San Francisco Giants or New York Giants.

Subsequent messages can include links to internet websites relating to the sports score, or internal links to other apps.