VOICE ASSISTANT

• US 20170293610A1
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IP3 2017, Series 200 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: IP3 2017, Series 200 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Inventors: Tran, Bao
• Application Number:
  US15/624,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20170293610A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/35 Discourse or dialogue representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/53 Processing of non-Latin text kana-to-kanji conversion G06F40/129; vowelisation G06F40/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1815 Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing automated assistance for a user by receiving a user request for assistance from an appliance with a microphone and speaker and plugged into an electrical grid; translating the request to a language and determining semantics of the user request and identifying at least one domain, at least one task, and at least one parameter for the user request; searching a semantic database on the Internet for the at least one matching domain, task, and parameter; and accessing semantic data and services having one or more triples including subject, predicate, and object available over the Internet; and responding to the user request.

Claims

1. A method for providing voice assistance, comprising:

receiving a user request for assistance from an appliance with a microphone and speaker and plugged into an electrical grid;

translating the request to a language and determining semantics of the user request and identifying at least one domain, at least one task, and at least one parameter for the user request;

searching a semantic database on the Internet for the at least one matching domain, task, and parameter; and

accessing semantic data and services having one or more triples including subject, predicate, and object available over the Internet; and

responding to the user request.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising searching for the at least one matching domain, task and parameter in one of:

a semantic hotel database, a semantic restaurant database, a semantic local event database, semantic concert database, a semantic media database, a semantic book database, a semantic music database, a semantic travel database, and a semantic flight database.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving user voice with the user request spoken in a first language;

translating the user request spoken in the first language to the second language;

generating a response in the second language; and

translating the response to the first language and rendering the response to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising forwarding the request to a call center agent for handling.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising ordering an item, a service, a ticket, a pass or a reservation based on user voice request.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising accessing one or more semantic web services, each service accessed through an application program interface (API) to retrieve data matching the domain, task, and parameter;

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the appliance comprises automobile voice control device, a telephone system, an answering machine, an audio voicemail on integrated messaging services, a consumer appliance with voice input, a clock radio, a home entertainment system, or a game console.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the semantic database comprises user generated reviews or recommendations.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying options available from a third party computer for the user and requesting from the third party computer available options that match the user request.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising presenting available options to the user to confirm.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising presenting available time or location options to the user to confirm.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising automatically making a reservation for an available option on behalf of the user.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising eliciting more information on the user request and restating the user request as a confirmation to the user.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising disambiguating alternative parsing by identifying at least two competing semantic interpretations of the user request;

and receiving clarification from the user to resolve ambiguity.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising processing the user input using at least one selected from the group consisting of:

data from a short term memory describing at least one previous interaction in a current session; and

data from a long term memory describing at least one characteristic of the user.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising scheduling meetings, create reminders, check stocks, sports scores, and the weather.

17. The method of claim 1, comprising managing emails by filtering important emails and responding to the rest on the user'"'"'s behalf, wherein a user provides guidance on how to pick out key emails and a virtual assistant copies the user before sending out any responses to reduce the risk of errors.

18. The method of claim 1, comprising inferencing personal information including calendar entries and completes a task based on the personal information or performing social chores for the user including writing notes on behalf of the user.

19. The method of claim 1, comprising performing travel research including finding hotels, booking airfares and mapping out trip itineraries.

20. An appliance, comprising:

a microphone and one or more speakers;

a processor coupled to the Internet, microphone and one or more speakers and receiving power from a power grid and communicating with a cloud server running voice assistant code to;

receive a user request for assistance from an appliance with a microphone and speaker and plugged into an electrical grid;

translate the request to a language and determining semantics of the user request and identifying at least one domain, at least one task, and at least one parameter for the user request;

search a semantic database on the Internet for the at least one matching domain, task, and parameter; and

accessing semantic data and services having one or more triples including subject, predicate, and object available over the Internet; and

respond to the user request.