Digital assistant response system to overlapping requests using prioritization and providing combined responses based on combinability

1. A method for processing requests, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system via a network, overlapping requests from a plurality of different users using a shared client device, wherein the overlapping requests are the requests for which responses have not been sent to the shared client device;

determining, from request information derived from the overlapping requests, user identifications of the plurality of different users and identifying a tone of voice for each of the overlapping requests to determine at least one of an emotional state or an urgency;

determining, by the computer system, priorities for the overlapping requests based on a set of priority considerations for the overlapping requests and using the request information derived from the overlapping requests; and

processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests in an order based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests, wherein processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests comprises:

selecting an unprocessed request from the overlapping requests;

applying the request information to the set of priority considerations to obtain a set of scores for the set of priority considerations; and

combining the set of scores for the set of priority considerations for the unprocessed request to generate a priority for the unprocessed request;

wherein processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests for which responses have not been sent to the shared client device based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests comprises sending, by the computer system, responses to the overlapping requests to the shared client device based on the priorities for the overlapping requests; and

wherein the set of priority considerations includes a combinability of responses, and wherein processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests comprises combining, based on the set of priority considerations, at least two of the responses to the overlapping requests into a single combined response including the at least two of the responses to the overlapping requests that is sent by the computer system to the shared client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of priority considerations is a presence of a trusted user, wherein the overlapping requests are at least a first request from a first user and a second request from a second user, and wherein processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests comprises:

responding to the first request responsive to determining that the second user is a trusted user of the first user as designated by the first user, and not responding to the first request responsive to determining that the second user is not the trusted user of the first user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the requests for which responses have not been sent to the shared client device comprises a request that has been processed but a response thereto has not been sent to the shared client device such that a second response having a higher priority is sent to the shared client device before the response is sent to the shared client device even though the first response was generated earlier than the second response was generated.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, by a computer system, the overlapping requests from the users using the shared client device in which the overlapping requests are the requests for which responses have not been sent to the shared client device; determining, by the computer system, the priorities for the overlapping requests; and processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests are performed by a virtual assistant.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the virtual assistant uses an artificial intelligence system, and further comprising:

sending, by the computer system, the responses to the overlapping requests to the shared client device based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests such that both the processing of overlapping requests and the sending of the responses are both performed based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests.

6. A request processing system comprising:

a computer system that receives via a network overlapping requests from a plurality of different users using a shared client device, wherein the overlapping requests are requests for which responses have not been sent to the shared client device; determines, from request information derived from the overlapping requests, user identifications of the plurality of different users and identifying a tone of voice for each of the overlapping requests to determine at least one of an emotional state or an urgency; determines priorities for the overlapping requests based on a set of priority considerations and the request information for the overlapping requests; and processes the overlapping requests in an order based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests, wherein processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests comprises:

selecting an unprocessed request from the overlapping requests;

applying the request information to the set of priority considerations to obtain a set of scores for the set of priority considerations;

combining the set of scores for the set of priority considerations for the unprocessed request to generate a priority for the unprocessed request; and

sending the responses to the overlapping requests to the shared client device based on the priorities for the overlapping requests; and

wherein the set of priority considerations includes a combinability of responses, and wherein processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests comprises combining, based on the set of priority considerations, at least two of the responses to the overlapping requests into a single combined response including the at least two of the responses to the overlapping requests that is sent by the computer system to the shared client device.

7. The request processing system of claim 6 , wherein the set of priority considerations is a presence of a trusted user, wherein the overlapping requests are at least a first request from a first user and a second request from a second user, and wherein processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests comprises:

responding to the first request responsive to determining that the second user is a trusted user of the first user as designated by the first user, and not responding to the first request responsive to determining that the second user is not the trusted user of the first user.

8. The request processing system of claim 6 , wherein the requests for which the responses have not been sent to the shared client device comprises a request that has been processed but a response thereto has not been sent to the shared client device such that a second response having a higher priority is sent to the shared client device before the response is sent to the shared client device even though the first response was generated earlier than the second response was generated.

9. A computer program product for processing requests, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage media;

first program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for receiving via a network overlapping requests from a plurality of different users using a shared client device, wherein the overlapping requests are the requests for which responses have not been sent to the shared client device;

second program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for determining, from request information derived from the overlapping requests, user identifications of the plurality of different users and identifying a tone of voice for each of the overlapping requests to determine at least one of an emotional state or an urgency;

third program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for determining, by a computer system, priorities for the overlapping requests based on a set of priority considerations for the overlapping requests and using the request information derived from the overlapping requests; and

fourth program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for processing the overlapping requests in an order based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests, wherein processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests comprises:

selecting an unprocessed request from the overlapping requests;

applying the request information to the set of priority considerations to obtain a set of scores for the set of priority considerations; and

combining the set of scores for the set of priority considerations for the unprocessed request to generate a priority for the unprocessed request;

wherein the third program code comprises program code, stored on the computer-readable storage media, for sending the responses to the overlapping requests to the shared client device based on the priorities for the overlapping requests; and

wherein the set of priority considerations includes a combinability of responses, and wherein processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests comprises combining, based on the set of priority considerations, at least two of the responses to the overlapping requests into a single combined response including the at least two of the responses to the overlapping requests that is sent by the computer system to the shared client device.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the set of priority considerations is a presence of a trusted user, wherein the overlapping requests are at least a first request from a first user and a second request from a second user, and wherein processing, by the computer system, the overlapping requests based on the priorities determined for the overlapping requests comprises:

responding to the first request responsive to determining that the second user is a trusted user of the first user as designated by the first user, and not responding to the first request responsive to determining that the second user is not the trusted user of the first user.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the requests for which responses have not been sent to the shared client device comprises a request that has been processed but a response thereto has not been sent to the shared client device such that a second response having a higher priority is sent to the shared client device before the response is sent to the shared client device even though the first response was generated earlier than the second response was generated.