System and method for logical agent engine

• US 20030023572A1
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logic Junction
• Original Assignee: Logic Junction
• Inventors: Kessock, Hans Christopher, Jowell, Mark Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition

Abstract

A method of providing information through an intelligent agent with human appearance. The method comprises: executing a script for providing the intelligent agent to a user; receiving queries directed to the intelligent agent by the user; querying a knowledge base associated with the intelligent agent to determine an appropriate response to the query; should the knowledge base associated with the intelligent agent fail to provide an appropriate response to the query, querying a general knowledge base to determine an appropriate response to the query; and providing the appropriate response to the query to the user via the intelligent agent.

Claims

1. A method of providing information through an intelligent agent, comprising:

executing a script for providing the intelligent agent to a user;

receiving queries directed to the intelligent agent by the user;

querying a knowledge base associated with the intelligent agent to determine an appropriate response to the query;

should the knowledge base associated with the intelligent agent fail to provide an appropriate response to the query, querying a general knowledge base to determine an appropriate response to the query; and

providing the appropriate response to the query to the user via the intelligent agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the script further comprises:

loading the script into the memory of a computer;

parsing the script; and

executing the script within a thread on the computer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein executing the script within a thread further comprises:

pushing the script, as first script, onto a stack within the computer;

loading a referenced script into the memory of the computer;

parsing the referenced script;

executing the referenced script; and

upon completion of the referenced script, popping the first script off of the stack and continuing execution of the first script.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein executing the script further comprises:

displaying a multimedia object on a display for the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the appropriate response further comprises:

animating the intelligent agent to convey the appropriate response to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing information about the user in a database.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising retrieving the stored information about the user from the database if the user has information previously stored.

8. A machine readable medium for storing instruction for operating a computer, the instructions comprising:

executing a script for providing the intelligent agent to a user;

receiving queries directed to the intelligent agent by the user;

querying a knowledge base associated with the intelligent agent to determine an appropriate response to the query;

should the knowledge base associated with the intelligent agent fail to provide an appropriate response to the query, querying a general knowledge base to determine an appropriate response to the query; and

providing the appropriate response to the query to the user via the intelligent agent.

9. The machine readable medium of claim 8, wherein instructions for executing the script further comprises instructions for:

loading the script into the memory of a computer;

parsing the script; and

executing the script within a thread on the computer.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein instructions for executing the script within a thread further comprises instructions for:

pushing the script, as first script, onto a stack within the computer;

loading a referenced script into the memory of the computer;

parsing the referenced script;

executing the referenced script; and

upon completion of the referenced script, popping the first script off of the stack and continuing execution of the first script.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein instructions for executing the script further comprises instructions for:

displaying a multimedia object on a display for the user.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 8, wherein instructions for providing the appropriate response further comprises instructions for:

animating the intelligent agent to convey the appropriate response to the user.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for storing information about the user in a database.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for retrieving the stored information about the user from the database if the user has information previously stored.

15. A system for providing an intelligent agent to interact with a user, comprising:

a database for storing a general knowledge base and a knowledge base associated with the intelligent agent;

memory;

a display for displaying the intelligent agent;

an input device for receiving input from the user; and

a processor coupled to the database, the memory, the display and the input device, wherein said processor is operable to;

execute a script for providing the intelligent agent to the user on the display;

receive queries directed to the intelligent agent by the user from the input device;

query the knowledge base associated with the intelligent agent to determine an appropriate response to the query;

should the knowledge base associated with the intelligent agent fail to provide an appropriate response to the query, query the general knowledge base to determine an appropriate response to the query; and

provide the appropriate response to the query to the user via the intelligent agent on the display.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein executing the script further comprises:

loading the script into the memory of a computer;

parsing the script; and

executing the script within a thread on the computer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein executing the script within a thread further comprises:

pushing the script, as first script, onto a stack within the computer;

loading a referenced script into the memory of the computer;

parsing the referenced script;

executing the referenced script; and

upon completion of the referenced script, popping the first script off of the stack and continuing execution of the first script.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein executing the script further comprises:

displaying a multimedia object on a display for the user.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein providing the appropriate response further comprises:

animating the intelligent agent to convey the appropriate response to the user.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising storing information about the user in a database.