Interactive system and method of controlling same

• US 20030220793A1
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Hiroki, Nakagawa, Kenichiro, Kosaka, Tetsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

Disclosed are an interactive system and method of controlling the same for achieving a task more efficiently. Items of data to be searched are stored in a memory (107) in a form classified according to prescribed classes, and a dialog controller (102) decides the order in which questions are presented to a user in order to narrow down the object of a search to data in a specific class. The questions are then presented to the user in the decided order by a question generator (103).

Claims

1. An interactive system for achieving a prescribed task by conducting a data search based upon information exchanged interactively, comprising:

voice recognition means for recognizing voice entered as the information exchanged interactively;

storage means for storing each item of data, as an object of a search, classified to prescribed classes on the basis of a plurality of classification criteria;

decision means for deciding an order in which questions are presented for the purpose of narrowing down the object of a search to data in a specific class; and

presentation means for presenting questions in the order that has been decided by said decision means.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said decision means includes entropy calculation means for calculating entropy after the classification based on each classification criteria;

said decision means deciding the order in which questions are presented based on the calculated entropy.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said decision means includes distance calculation means for calculating pronunciation distance after the classification based on each classification criteria;

said decision means deciding the order in which questions are presented based on the calculated pronunciation distance.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said decision means includes:

entropy calculation means for calculating entropy after the classification based on each classification criteria;

distance calculation means for calculating pronunciation distance after the classification based on each classification criteria; and

weighting addition means for weighting and adding the calculated entropy and pronunciation distance;

said decision means deciding the order in which questions are presented using the result weighting and addition performed by said weighting addition means.

5. A method of controlling an interactive system for achieving a prescribed task by conducting a data search based upon information exchanged interactively, comprising:

a voice recognition step for recognizing voice entered as the information exchanged interactively;

a storage step of storing each item of data, as an object of a search, classified to prescribed classes on the basis of a plurality of classification criteria;

a decision step of deciding an order in which questions are presented for the purpose of narrowing down the object of a search to data in a specific class; and

a presentation step of presenting questions in the order that has been decided at said decision step.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said decision step includes an entropy calculation step of calculating entropy after the classification based on each classification criteria;

said decision step deciding the order in which questions are presented based on the calculated entropy.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said decision step includes a distance calculation step of calculating pronunciation distance after the classification based on each classification criteria;

said decision step deciding the order in which questions are presented based on the calculated pronunciation distance.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein said decision step includes:

an entropy calculation step of calculating entropy after the classification based on each classification criteria;

a distance calculation step of calculating pronunciation distance after the classification based on each classification criteria; and

a weighting addition step of weighting and adding the calculated entropy and pronunciation distance;

said decision step deciding the order in which questions are presented using the result weighting and addition performed at said weighting addition step.

9. A program for controlling an interactive system for achieving a prescribed task by conducting a data search based upon information exchanged interactively, comprising:

a voice recognition step for recognizing voice entered as the information exchanged interactively;

a storage step of storing each item of data, as an object of a search, classified to prescribed classes on the basis of a plurality of classification criteria;

a decision step of deciding an order in which questions are presented for the purpose of narrowing down the object of a search to data in a specific class; and

a presentation step of presenting questions in the order that has been decided at said decision step.

10. The program according to claim 9, wherein said decision step includes an entropy calculation step of calculating entropy after the classification based on each classification criteria;

said decision step deciding the order in which questions are presented based on the calculated entropy.

11. The program according to claim 9, wherein said decision step includes a distance calculation step of calculating pronunciation distance after the classification based on each classification criteria;

said decision step deciding the order in which questions are presented based on the calculated pronunciation distance.

12. The program according to claim 9, wherein said decision step includes:

an entropy calculation step of calculating entropy after the classification based on each classification criteria;

a distance calculation step of calculating pronunciation distance after the classification based on each classification criteria; and

a weighting addition step of weighting and adding the calculated entropy and pronunciation distance;

said decision step deciding the order in which questions are presented using the result of weighting and addition performed at said weighting addition step.