A newly published patent application from Apple now hints at the possibility of the integration of the company's virtual assistant into iOS 10's iMessage app. The use of virtual assistants within the operating system itself isn't something new, but the use of one within messages will be the first one for Apple.
The patent describes the integration of Siri within group messages and chats allowing it to plot schedules and make payments. If the technology does make it to future operating system updates, then users may be able to perform a gesture or tap a button to instantly include Siri in the conversation.
US Patent #: US20160335532 published in the United States Patent and Trademark Office further explains that "participants in a conversation can choose to bring in Siri to assist people with tasks." Several examples are also included in the patent filing. One example shows a user in a group conversation asking the virtual assistant to check all of their schedules for a date where all of them would be free for lunch. Siri then responds by giving the participants in the conversation several choices of possible times all based on their matching availabilities.
Other examples that were outlined in the patent includes making peer to peer payments within the messaging app with the assistance of Siri. Siri will apparently be able to utilize different third-party apps including Venmo, Paypal, and Square Cash, to initiate payments among individuals within the conversation.
As of the moment, majority of the functionalities that have been described within the patent are actually already available features on Google's own virtual assistant, which it has integrated into its text-chat only app, Allo. Google's assistant has also been revealed to be more extensive in terms of functions as it will be able to go through more information that includes addresses, movie show times, restaurants, flights, and hotels from within Allo. As of the moment, Apple may still be playing around with the concept, which means that more features are still likely to come out.
