Patent ID: 6907571
Filing Date: 2005-06-14
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of processing messages transmitted and received during an electronic chat session, the chat session having a plurality of participants, each message including the identity of the source of the message, each source being a participant in the chat session that is either a human user or a software controlled agent associated with the human user, the software controlled agent mimicking human conversation, the method comprising: (a) a first software controlled agent automatically generating a first text message, the first agent being associated with a first human user; (b) automatically generating a first source identifier for the first text message and attaching it to the first text message, the first source identifier including the identities of the first human user and the first agent; (c) transmitting the first source identifier and the first text message to at least one other participant in the chat session; and (d) allowing the first human user associated with the first software controlled agent to enter text messages and transmit any such entered text messages in the same chat session as the chat session that the first software controlled agent generates and transmits messages, the first human user being identified as a different entity than the first software controlled agent.