SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING FOLLOW-UP RESPONSES TO PRIOR NATURAL LANGUAGE INPUTS OF A USER

• US 20170345417A1
• Filed: 08/18/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Inc.
• Original Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kennewick, JR., Michael R., Kennewick, SR., Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,229,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/18 using natural language modelling

Abstract

In certain implementations, follow-up responses may be provided for prior natural language inputs of a user. As an example, a natural language input associated with a user may be received at a computer system. A determination of whether information sufficient for providing an adequate response to the natural language input is currently accessible to the computer system may be effectuated. A first response to the natural language input (that indicates that a follow-up response will be provided) may be provided based on a determination that information sufficient for providing an adequate response to the natural language input is not currently accessible. Information sufficient for providing an adequate response to the natural language input may be received. A second response to the natural language input may then be provided based on the received sufficient information.

Claims

1. A method for providing follow-up responses to prior natural language inputs of a user, the method being implemented on a computer system having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions which, when executed, programs the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computer system, a first natural language input;

determining, by the computer system, that a first response to the first natural language input is unable to be provided at a first time;

receiving, by the computer system, a second natural language input at a second time after the first time;

providing, by the computer system, a second response to the second natural language input;

obtaining, by the computer system, without a further user request to obtain a response to the first natural language input, information for responding to the first natural language input after the second response has been provided;

generating, by the computer system, the first response based on the information for responding to the first natural language input; and

providing, by the computer system, the first response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the natural language input comprises a natural language utterance, the method further comprising:

providing, by the computer system, the natural language utterance as an input to an automated speech recognition engine;

receiving, by the computer system, as an output of the automated speech recognition engine, one or more words or phrases of the natural language utterance;

processing, by the computer system, using a natural language processing engine, the one or more words or phrases; and

determining, by the computer system, an intent of the natural language utterance based on the processing, wherein the first response is based on the intent of the natural language utterance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the intent relates to a query to be performed, and wherein determining that the first response to the first natural language input is unable to be provided at the first time comprises:

identifying, by the computer system, a source from which a result of the query is to be obtained; and

determining, by the computer system, that the source is unavailable.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the source is unavailable comprises:

determining, by the computer system, that the source is not responding to the query.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the source is unavailable comprises:

determining, by the computer system, that a network connection used to connect to the source is unavailable.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the intent relates to a command to be executed at a device remote from the computer system, and wherein determining that the first response to the first natural language input is unable to be provided at the first time comprises:

identifying, by the computer system, the device; and

determining, by the computer system, that the device is unavailable.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the device is unavailable comprises:

determining, by the computer system, that the device is not responding to the command.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the device is unavailable comprises:

determining, by the computer system, that a network connection used to connect to the device is unavailable.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the device comprises a thermostat device, the method further comprising:

generating, by the computer system, the command, wherein the command comprises an instruction to adjust a temperature setting of the thermostat device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the device comprises a media device, the method further comprising:

generating, by the computer system, the command, wherein the command comprises an instruction to play media.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first response based on the information for responding to the first natural language input further comprises:

determining, by the computer system, a context of the second natural language input; and

customizing, by the computer system, the first response based on the context of the second natural language input and the information for responding to the first natural language input.

12. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, that the natural language input includes a request for information relating to a topic;

obtaining, by the computer system, without receiving a further user request to obtain updates relating to the topic, second information comprising an update relating to the topic; and

providing, by the computer system, without receiving the further user request to obtain updates relating to the topic, an updated response based on the second information after the first response and the second response has been provided.

13. A system for providing follow-up responses to prior natural language inputs of a user, the system comprising:

a computer system having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions which, when executed, programs the computer system to;

receive a first natural language input;

determine that a first response to the first natural language input is unable to be provided at a first time;

receive a second natural language input at a second time after the first time;

provide a second response to the second natural language input;

obtain, without a further user request to obtain a response to the first natural language input, information for responding to the first natural language input after the second response has been provided;

generate, the first response based on the information for responding to the first natural language input; and

provide the first response.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the natural language input comprises a natural language utterance, and wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

provide the natural language utterance as an input to an automated speech recognition engine;

receive as an output of the automated speech recognition engine, one or more words or phrases of the natural language utterance;

process using a natural language processing engine, the one or more words or phrases; and

determine an intent of the natural language utterance based on the processing, wherein the first response is based on the intent of the natural language utterance.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the intent relates to a query to be performed, and wherein to determine that the first response to the first natural language input is unable to be provided at the first time, the computer system is further programmed to:

identify a source from which a result of the query is to be obtained; and

determine that the source is unavailable.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein to determine that the source is unavailable, the computer system is further programmed to:

determine that the source is not responding to the query.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein to determine that the source is unavailable, the computer system is further programmed to:

determine that a network connection used to connect to the source is unavailable.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the intent relates to a command to be executed at a device remote from the computer system, and wherein to determine that the first response to the first natural language input is unable to be provided at the first time, the computer system is further programmed to:

identify the device; and

determine that the device is unavailable.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein to determine that the device is unavailable, the computer system is further programmed to:

determine that the device is not responding to the command.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein to determine that the device is unavailable, the computer system is further programmed to:

determine that a network connection used to connect to the device is unavailable.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the device comprises a thermostat device, and wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

generate the command, wherein the command comprises an instruction to adjust a temperature setting of the thermostat device.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the device comprises a media device, and wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

generate the command, wherein the command comprises an instruction to play media.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein to generate the first response based on the information for responding to the first natural language input, the computer system is further programmed to:

determine a context of the second natural language input; and

customize the first response based on the context of the second natural language input and the information for responding to the first natural language input.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

determine that the natural language input includes a request for information relating to a topic;

obtain without receiving a further user request to obtain updates relating to the topic, second information comprising an update relating to the topic; and

provide, without receiving the further user request to obtain updates relating to the topic, an updated response based on the second information after the first response and the second response has been provided.