This sounds like a useful feature and if you look at the patent in more detail you will see that Microsoft envisages storing different goodbye messages then using them in different situations:
When the user terminates a conversation with the converser, such as by closing a conversation window of the messaging application, the facility automatically sends the goodbye message to the converser. The user can configure the messaging application with multiple goodbye messages, such as to personalize goodbye messages based on conversers, select goodbye messages based on time of day or randomly, and so forth.
Also, goodbye messages could even be recorded voice messages for automatically saying goodbye in a voice or webcam conversation:
A user can configure a messaging application to store a goodbye message having various types of content, such as in textual, graphical, iconic, or even multimedia (e.g., including voice or video)
View the patent application Source: The Register (via Neowin)
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