Natural language dialogue system automatically continuing conversation on behalf of a user who does not respond

• US 6,397,188 B1
• Filed: 07/20/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Iwasawa, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Smits, Talivaldis Ivars
• Application Number:
  US09/357,663
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 704/257,275
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

A natural language conversation system is capable of making interaction between the user and the system smooth by continuing conversation with presenting guidance or with making the system to carry out speech for the user when user cannot response to presentation of the system to cause non-response, and can reduce load required for speech of user. The natural language conversation system includes conversation control portion for outputting data in a conversation scenario, and alternative conversation portion for alternatively inputting a preliminarily prepared natural language data to the conversation control means on behalf of a user when the user fails to input within a predetermined period.

Claims

1. A natural language conversation system comprising:

conversation control means for outputting data in a conversation scenario; and

alternative conversation means for automatically inputting a preliminarily prepared natural language data to said conversation control means on behalf of a user to continue an interactive computer-user conversation when said user fails to input within a predetermined time.

2. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conversation control means includes holding means for holding a current state data indicative where a current state is in said conversation scenario, and said alternative conversation means includes an alternative input list containing a plurality of preliminarily prepared natural language data corresponding to said conversation scenario and means for selecting one of said natural language data depending on said current state data held in said holding means.

3. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 2, wherein a plurality of said alternative input lists are provided to be used selectively depending upon instruction by the user.

4. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said current state data held in said holding means is updated depending upon content of input by the user.

5. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the natural language data input by the user is a character data input by means of a character input device.

6. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the natural language data input by the user is a speech data input by means of a speech input device, and said system further comprises character data conversion means for converting said speech data into a character data.

7. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conversation control means outputs data in said conversation scenario for displaying.

8. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said conversation control means also outputs the natural language data input by said alternative conversation means to said conversation control means for displaying.

9. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said data in said conversation scenario and the natural language data, which said alternative conversation means made said conversation control means to input, are displayed at different positions on a display screen relative to each other.

10. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conversation control means includes speech data converting means for converting data in said conversation scenario into a speech data for outputting speech data after conversion.

11. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said conversation control means also outputs the natural language data, which said alternative conversation means made said conversation control means to input, as a speech output.

12. A natural language conversation system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the speech data after conversion by said speech data converting means and said natural language data to be input to said conversation control means are output in mutually distinct voices.

13. A storage medium storing a natural language conversation program operating a computer as conversation control means for outputting data in a conversation scenario, and alternative conversation means for automatically inputting a preliminarily prepared natural language data to said conversation control means on behalf of a user to continue an interactive computer-user conversation when said user fails to input within a predetermined period.

14. A storage medium as set forth in claim 13, wherein said conversation control means holds a current state data indicative where a current state is in said conversation scenario, and said alternative conversation means includes an alternative input list using a plurality of preliminarily prepared natural language data corresponding to said conversation scenario and means for selectively inputting one of said plurality of natural language data to said conversation control means depending upon said current state data.

15. A storage medium as set forth in claim 14, wherein a plurality of said alternative input lists are provided to be selectively used depending upon instruction by the user.

16. A storage medium as set forth in claim 13, wherein the held current state data is updated depending upon the content of the input by the user.

17. A storage medium as set forth in claim 13, wherein the natural language data input by the user is a character data input by means of a character input device.

18. A storage medium as set forth in claim 13, wherein the natural language data input by the user is a speech data input by means of a speech input device, and said system further comprises character data conversion means for converting said speech data into a character data.