IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,641,049
Granted Patent B2
US 12,641,049 · App. 18/827,594 · Granted May 26, 2026

AI agent interfaces and controls for email and other electronic communications

Inventors: Sheila Rosari Kinsella (Sligo, IE); Evgeny Ivanov (Dublin, IE); Gerard Murphy (Wicklow, IE)
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
H04L51/42G06F3/0481G06F3/0482G06F3/0484G06F3/04847G06N5/043G06Q30/015
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,641,049
App. No.
18/827,594
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for managing AI (Artificial Intelligence) agents interactions with electronic communications that are displayed at an electronic communications interface, such as an email interface. The systems parse electronic communications to determine whether they correspond to new or existing requests and actions to be performed when responding to the request(s). The systems also generate notifications identifying the set of actions with visual identifiers that visually distinguish the set of actions based on whether they have been completed or not and whether they need authorization to be completed. The systems also display selectable controls for controlling how the AI agent performs the actions.

Claims (31)

1 . A method for managing AI (Artificial Intelligence) agent interactions with electronic communications that are displayed at an electronic communications interface, the method comprising:

parsing, via an AI agent, an electronic communication to determine whether the electronic communication corresponds to a new or existing request;

determining, via the AI agent, in response to determining if the electronic communication corresponds to the new or the existing request, a set of actions to be performed in response to the request;

causing the AI agent to determine whether any actions in the set of actions has been performed, where actions in the set of actions that have already been performed are a first group of actions;

causing, when the AI agent determines that there are one or more actions in the set of actions that have not been performed, the AI agent to determine which actions in the set of actions that have not yet been performed require additional user input or authorization before the AI agent can perform the action, where actions in the set of actions that have not yet been performed but require additional user input or authorization before the AI agent can perform the action are a second group of actions,

the AI agent further determining which actions in the set of actions that have not yet been performed do not require additional user input or authorization before the AI agent can perform the action, where actions in the set of actions that have not yet been performed but do not require additional user input or authorization before the AI agent can perform the action are a third group of actions;

generating a notification that is displayed at the electronic communication interface, the notification identifying the set of actions with visual identifiers that visually distinguishes the set of actions, such that the first group of actions, the second group of actions and the third group of actions are visually distinguished from each other; and

displaying with the notification a set of controls that include selectable controls for one or more actions in the set of actions.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , where the selectable controls include controls for causing modification to one or more actions in the set of actions.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , where the selectable controls include controls for authorizing the AI agent to perform one or more actions in the set of actions.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , where the visual identifiers include text descriptions of one or more actions in the set of actions.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , where the visual identifiers include labels for one or more of the actions in the set of actions.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , where the visual identifiers include colors, such that actions in the first group of actions are displayed in a first color, actions in the second group of actions are displayed in a second color different from the first color, and actions in the third group of actions are displayed in a third color different from the first color and different from the second color.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , where the electronic communication is an email communication.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , where the electronic communication is a user interaction with the AI agent.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , where the electronic communication is a message in a messaging application.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , where the request corresponds to an instruction to the AI agent to answer a question included in the electronic communication.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , where the request corresponds to an instruction to the AI agent to schedule a meeting.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , where when the AI agent performs one or actions in the set of actions, the AI agent generates a report notification regarding what one or more actions the AI agent has performed and what actions remain to be performed, the report notification being displayed on the electronic communications interface.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , where the report notification is displayed with selectable controls for providing user feedback to the AI agent, the selectable controls including controls for modifying the behavior or performance protocols of the AI agent in relation to the one or more actions performed by the AI agent in the report notification.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , the modification of the behavior or performance protocols of the AI agent further applying to future actions similar to the one or more actions performed by the AI agent in the report notification.

15 . A method for modifying an electronic communication interface to reflect AI (Artificial Intelligence) agent interactions with one or more electronic communications, the method comprising:

displaying, on the electronic communication interface, an electronic communication visualization representing an electronic communication that includes a new or existing request;

displaying on the electronic communication interface a notification generated in response to an AI agent processing the electronic communication, the notification including identification of a set of actions to be performed in response to the request, where actions in the set of actions that have already been performed are a first group of actions, actions that have not yet been performed but require additional user input or authorization before the AI agent can perform the actions are a second group of actions, and actions that have not yet been performed but do not require additional user input or authorization before the AI agent can perform the actions are a third group of actions, where the displayed notification includes visual identifiers that visually distinguishes the first group of actions, the second group of actions and the third group of actions from each other;

displaying the notification with a set of controls that include selectable controls for one or more actions in the set of actions; and

detecting a user input at one of the selectable controls, which when detected, triggers an instruction to the AI agent to be generated and sent to the AI agent.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , where the instruction to the AI agent is to modify the future behavior of the AI agent.

17 . The method according to claim 15 , where the instruction to the AI agent is to modify one or more protocols for how to perform a task.

18 . The method according to claim 15 , where the instruction to the AI agent is an authorization to perform one or more actions in the second group of actions.

19 . The method according to claim 15 , where the selectable controls include controls for causing a modification to one or more actions in the set of actions.

20 . The method according to claim 15 , where the selectable controls include controls for authorizing the AI agent to perform one or more actions in the set of actions.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2024
From: KINSELLA, SHEILA ROSARI; IVANOV, EVGENY; MURPHY, GERARD
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 068517/0718 →
Continuity (7)
Provisional Application 63647790 · May 15, 2024
Provisional Application 63647866 · May 15, 2024
Provisional Application 63647884 · May 15, 2024
Provisional Application 63647880 · May 15, 2024
Provisional Application 63647875 · May 15, 2024
Provisional Application 63647892 · May 15, 2024
Related Publication 20250358255A1 · Nov 20, 2025
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