Yes, but this patent is specifically directed towards instant messaging bots. I guess it just a question of how you define instant messaging.
>From the patent: A method and system for interactively responding to queries from a remotely located user includes a computer server system configured to receiving an instant message query or request from the user over the Internet. The query or request is interpreted and appropriate action is taken, such as accessing a local or remote data resource and formulating an answer to the user's query. The answer is formatted as appropriate and returned to the user as an instant message or via another route specified by the user. A method and system of providing authenticated access to a given web page via instant messaging is also disclosed. That description does specifically point to instant messaging, but whether other bots apply is up to a judge to decide. Cheers, bs. On Thu, 15 Aug 2002, Gallo, Felix S. wrote: > The University of Illinois PLATO system had chatbots in at > least 1982 -- probably more like 1978. > > Felix > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Ben Schumacher [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 1:26 PM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: [JDEV] Slashdot article on IM Bots patent > > > > > > On Thu, 15 Aug 2002, Peter Saint-Andre wrote: > > > The scary thing is, these people were actively applying their > > > technology to use over Jabber at one point (not sure if they still > > > are) -- talk about bad faith. > > > > > > Peter > > > > /me is pretty sure that ChatBot would serve as prior art -- > > if it was built before August of 2000 (which I believe it was). > > > > Cheers, > > > > bs. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > jdev mailing list > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://mailman.jabber.org/listinfo/jdev > > > > > ********************************************************************** > E-mail sent through the Internet is not secure. Western Asset therefore > recommends that you do not send any confidential or sensitive information to > us via electronic mail, including social security numbers, account numbers, > or personal identification numbers. Delivery, and or timely delivery of > Internet mail is not guaranteed. Western Asset therefore recommends that > you do not send time sensitive or action-oriented messages to us via > electronic mail. > ********************************************************************** > > _______________________________________________ jdev mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.jabber.org/listinfo/jdev
