Facilitating conversations with automated location mapping

• US 10,375,129 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Stifelman, Lisa, Chinthakunta, Madhusudan, Odell, Julian James, Heck, Larry Paul, Dole, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia-Ching, Karina J
• Application Number:
  US14/307,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20150365448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 709204, 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3086 where the reporting involves the use of self describing data formats, i.e. metadata, markup languages, human readable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Individuals may utilize devices to engage in conversations about topics respectively associated with a location (e.g., restaurants where the individuals may meet for dinner). Often, the individual momentarily withdraws from the conversation in order to issue commands to the device to retrieve and present such information, and may miss parts of the conversation while interacting with the device. Additionally, the individual often explores such topics individually on a device and conveys such information to the other individuals through messages, which is inefficient and error-prone. Presented herein are techniques enabling devices to facilitate conversations by monitoring the conversation for references, by one individual to another (rather than as a command to the device), to a topic associated with a location. In the absence of a command from an individual, the device may automatically present a map alongside a conversation interface showing the location(s) of the topic(s) referenced in the conversation.

Claims

1. A method of automatically facilitating a conversation among a first individual using a first device having a first processor and a first display and a second individual using a second device having a second processor and a second display, comprising:

monitoring the conversation to automatically detect a topic referenced by the first individual, wherein the topic is detected by;

identifying, using a natural language parser, a domain of the conversation;

identifying, using the natural language parser, one or more entities referenced in the conversation; and

identifying, using the natural language parser, an action associated with the conversation;

determining, based at least in part, on the domain, the one or more entities and the action, a geographic location referenced in the conversation;

upon detecting a reference to the geographic location;

generating a route from a determined location of the first device to the geographical location; and

automatically displaying, on the first display, a map including the generated route to the geographical location;

determining, based at least in part, on one or more of the domain, the one or more entities and the action, whether the first individual has requested additional information about the geographic location; and

upon detecting that the first individual has requested additional information;

automatically performing a search for the additional information; and

automatically removing the map and the generated route from the first display and displaying the additional information on the first display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon detecting the topic, storing the topic in a conversation topic set;

presenting, on the first display and the second display, a list comprising the conversation topic set; and

upon receiving, from one of the first individual and the second individual, a selection of a topic in the list, presenting, on the map, an indicator representing a location of the selected topic.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

upon detecting a conversation end, storing the conversation topic set; and

after the conversation end and upon receiving a request from an individual to present the conversation topic set, presenting, on the display, a list comprising the conversation topic set.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

upon receiving a request from one of the first individual and the second individual to alter the conversation topic set, altering the conversation topic set according to the request from one of the first individual and the second individual.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the request comprises removal of a selected topic from the conversation topic set; and

after receiving the request for removal, removing the selected topic in the conversation topic set.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, after receiving the request for removal:

identifying an alternative topic; and

suggesting the alternative topic to at least one individual of the conversation.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein:

at least one of the first individual and the second individual of the conversation comprises a conversation leader of the conversation; and

not altering the conversation topic set upon receiving, from an individual who is not the conversation leader, a request to alter the conversation topic set.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising, displaying, on the first display, a set of actions associated with the topic.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising, detecting that the topic has changed to a second topic during the conversation.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for additional information is an indirect request for additional information.

8. A system for automatically facilitating a conversation among a first individual and a second individual, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform operations, comprising;

automatically monitoring the conversation to detect a topic in the conversation, wherein the topic is detected by;

identifying a domain of the conversation;

identifying one or more entities referenced in the conversation; and

identifying an action associated with the conversation;

determining, based at least in part, on the domain, the one or more entities and the action, a geographic location referenced in the conversation;

upon detecting a reference to the geographic location;

generating a route from a determined location of the first device to the geographical location; and

automatically displaying, on the first display, a map including the generated route to the geographical location;

determining, based at least in part, on one or more of the domain, the one or more entities and the action, whether the first individual has requested additional information about the geographic location; and

upon detecting that the first individual has requested additional information;

automatically performing a search for the additional information; and

automatically removing the map and the generated route from the first display and displaying the additional information on the first display.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions for:

identifying a topic group that is associated with the detected topic;

storing the detected topic in a conversation topic set associated with the identified topic group; and

presenting, on the first display, a list comprising;

the topic group; and

the topic associated with the topic group.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a selection of the topic;

identifying at least one advertisement associated with the selected topic; and

presenting, on the first display, the advertisement associated with the selected topic.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

identifying at least one suggested topic for the topic group; and

presenting the least one suggested topic to the first individual.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for:

presenting, to the first individual associated with the first device, an option to present the suggested topic and the topic group; and

upon receiving, from the first individual, a selection of the option, presenting the at least one suggested topic to the first individual.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for:

monitoring the conversation for at least one constraint; and

identifying at least one suggested topic that satisfies the at least one constraint.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising instructions for:

calculating a suggestion score that is associated with the at least one constraint; and

presenting the at least two suggested topics sorted according to the suggestion score.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for:

identifying at least one suggested topic for the topic group that is consistent with an individual profile of the first individual.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

identifying at least one suggested topic for the topic group that is consistent with the individual profile of the first individual and a second individual profile of the second individual.

17. A computer-readable memory device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device having a display, causes the computing device to automatically facilitate a conversation among at least two individuals by:

monitoring the conversation to automatically detect a topic referenced by a first individual, wherein the topic is detected by;

identifying, using a natural language parser, a domain of the conversation;

identifying, using the natural language parser, one or more entities referenced in the conversation; and

identifying, using the natural language parser, an action associated with the conversation;

determining, based at least in part, on the domain, the one or more entities and the action, a geographic location referenced in the conversation;

upon detecting a reference to the geographic location;

generating a route from a determined location of the first device to the geographical location; and

automatically displaying, on the first display, a map including the generated route to the geographical location;

determining, based at least in part, on one or more of the domain, the one or more entities and the action, whether the first individual has requested additional information about the geographic location;

and

upon detecting that the first individual has requested additional information;

automatically performing a search for the additional information; and

automatically removing the map and the generated route from the first display and displaying the additional information on the first display.