SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A NATURAL LANGUAGE VOICE USER INTERFACE IN AN INTEGRATED VOICE NAVIGATION SERVICES ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130211710A1
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Inc.
• Original Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kennewick, Michael R., Cheung, Catherine, Baldwin, Larry, Salomon, Ari, Tjalve, Michael, Guttigoli, Sheetal, Armstrong, Lynn, DiChristo, Philippe, Zimmerman, Bernie, Menaker, Sam
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/419
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/04 Segmentation; Word boundary detection
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/19 Grammatical context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word sequence rules
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/193 Formal grammars, e.g. finite state automata, context free grammars or word networks
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

A conversational, natural language voice user interface may provide an integrated voice navigation services environment. The voice user interface may enable a user to make natural language requests relating to various navigation services, and further, may interact with the user in a cooperative, conversational dialogue to resolve the requests. Through dynamic awareness of context, available sources of information, domain knowledge, user behavior and preferences, and external systems and devices, among other things, the voice user interface may provide an integrated environment in which the user can speak conversationally, using natural language, to issue queries, commands, or other requests relating to the navigation services provided in the environment.

Claims

1. A method for providing a natural language voice user interface, comprising:

receiving a natural language utterance from an input device associated with a navigation device, wherein the natural language utterance relates to navigation;

determining a current location of the computing device;

selecting, from among a plurality of sets of location-specific grammar information, a set of location-specific grammar information based on proximity between the current location and a location associated with the set of location-specific grammar information;

generating a recognition grammar with the set of location-specific grammar information;

generating one or more interpretations of the natural language utterance using the recognition grammar;

determining, from the one or more interpretations, a destination having a first full or partial address;

determining a route from the current location associated with the navigation device to the first full or partial address of the destination;

receiving subsequent natural language utterances from the input device;

determining a second full or partial address from the subsequent natural language utterances; and

updating the destination with the second full or partial address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting a user for the subsequent natural utterances to refine the destination.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the one or more interpretations of the natural language utterance includes:

recognizing one or more words in the natural language utterance that define a navigation command;

recognizing one or more additional words in the natural language utterance that define the destination associated with the navigation command; and

generating the recognition grammar based on the destination associated with the navigation command.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically recalculating the route in response to one or more subsequent interactions with a user refining the destination.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein dynamically recalculating the route includes generating directions from the current location associated with the navigation device to the refined destination.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more subsequent interactions resolve the destination substantially later in time relative to initially calculating the route to the destination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the route comprises:

identifying multiple destinations having addresses that correspond to the full or partial address;

ranking the multiple identified destinations according to proximities to the current location associated with the navigation device or the full or partial address; and

selecting one of the multiple identified destinations having a highest ranking.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of sets of location-specific grammar information corresponds to a different subdivision, neighborhood, city, or county, and wherein the selected set of location-specific grammar information corresponds to a subdivision, neighborhood, city, or county that is most proximal, among the plurality of sets, to the current location of the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating dynamic directions to provide a guide on the route from the current location associated with the navigation device to the destination using a navigation-specific information source.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically recalculating the route in response to a managed dialogue resolving the destination, wherein dynamically recalculating the route includes generating directions from the current location associated with the navigation device to the resolved destination.

11. A system for providing a natural language voice user interface, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

receive a natural language utterance from an input device associated with a navigation device, wherein the natural language utterance relates to navigation;

determine a current location of the computing device;

select, from among a plurality of sets of location-specific grammar information, a set of location-specific grammar information based on proximity between the current location and a location associated with the set of location-specific grammar information;

generate a recognition grammar with the set of location-specific grammar information;

generate one or more interpretations of the natural language utterance using the recognition grammar;

determine, from the one or more interpretations, a destination having a first full or partial address;

determine a route from the current location associated with the navigation device to the first full or partial address of the destination;

receive subsequent natural language utterances from the input device;

determine a second full or partial address from the subsequent natural language utterances; and

update the destination with the second full or partial address.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to prompt a user for the subsequent natural language utterances to refine the destination.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a multi-pass speech recognition module configured to:

recognize one or more words in the natural language utterance that define a navigation command;

recognize one or more additional words in the natural language utterance that define the destination associated with the navigation command; and

generate the recognition grammar based on the destination associated with the navigation command.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to dynamically recalculate the route in response to one or more subsequent interactions refining with a user refining the destination.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate directions from the current location associated with the navigation device to the refined destination.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more subsequent interactions resolve the destination substantially later in time relative to when the one or more processors initially calculated the route to the destination.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the route by:

identifying multiple destinations having addresses that correspond to the full or partial address;

ranking the multiple identified destinations according to proximities to the current location associated with the navigation device or the full or partial address; and

selecting select one of the multiple identified destinations having a highest ranking.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of sets of location-specific grammar information corresponds to a different subdivision, neighborhood, city, or county, and wherein the selected set of location-specific grammar information corresponds to a subdivision, neighborhood, city, or county that is most proximal, among the plurality of sets, to the current location of the computing device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

generate dynamic directions to provide a guide on the route from the current location associated with the navigation device to the destination; and

drive the dynamic directions using a navigation-specific information source.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

dynamically recalculate the route in response to a managed dialogue resolving the destination; and

generate directions from the current location associated with the navigation device to the resolved destination to dynamically recalculate the route.