MANAGING ENGAGEMENT METHODS OF A DIGITAL ASSISTANT WHILE COMMUNICATING WITH A USER OF THE DIGITAL ASSISTANT

1 . A method for proactively engaging a user by a digital assistant operating on an input/output (I/O) device, the method comprising:

collecting, via at least one sensor coupled to the I/O device, a dataset related to the user, the dataset including real-time data and historical data related to past activity of the user;

determining, based on the collected dataset, a current state of at least one of: the user or an environment near the user;

detecting, based on the determined current state, a change in activity of the user indicating that the user has become available for interaction;

determining, based on the detected change in activity and the historical data, that conditions are now suitable for proactive engagement with the user; and

initiating, by the digital assistant, an action directed to the user upon the detected change in activity, via the I/O device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting an engagement method from a plurality of engagement methods based on the determined current state of at least one of: the user or the environment near the user, and the action to be executed.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

generating a customized plan for executing the action based on at least the selected engagement method.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

executing the generated customized plan by employing the I/O device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the change in activity comprises detecting that the user has transitioned from a first activity to a second activity, wherein the second activity is associated with higher availability for interaction than the first activity.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the I/O device is at least one of: a robot, a social robot, a smart TV, a smartphone, a wearable device, a vehicle, a computer, or a smart appliance.

7 . A system for proactively engaging a user by a digital assistant, the system comprising:

a processing circuitry; and

a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the system to:

collect, via at least one sensor coupled to an input/output (I/O) device on which the digital assistant is operating, a dataset related to the user, the dataset including real-time data and historical data related to past activity of the user;

determine, based on the collected dataset, a current state of at least one of: the user or an environment near the user;

detect, based on the determined current state, a change in activity of the user indicating that the user has become available for interaction;

determine, based on the detected change in activity and the historical data, that conditions are now suitable for proactive engagement with the user; and

initiate an action directed to the user upon the detected change in activity, via the I/O device.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the system is further configured to:

select an engagement method from a plurality of engagement methods based on the determined current state of at least one of: the user or the environment near the user, and the action to be executed.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the system is further configured to:

generate a customized plan for executing the action based on at least the selected engagement method.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is further configured to:

execute the generated customized plan by employing the I/O device.

11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein detecting the change in activity comprises detecting that the user has transitioned from a first activity to a second activity, wherein the second activity is associated with higher availability for interaction than the first activity.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the I/O device is at least one of: a robot, a social robot, a smart TV, a smartphone, a wearable device, a vehicle, a computer, or a smart appliance.