Learning method and system based on questioning
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the method comprising the step of:
- presenting, by a first system, a response to the subject-related natural-language question entered by the user into the first system, with the response being generated by a second system connected through a network to the first system, the second system for generating the response, the response being generated by steps including;
analyzing the quesion to identify at least one component using at least one grammatical rule in the second system; and
transforming at least one component of the question into at least one instruction using at least one semantic rule in the second system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
if the quesion can have more than one responses, the method further comprises the step of having at least a second response available to be presented to the user; and
the network includes the Internet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and a system to teach a user a subject based on his questions. The system allows the user to control his learning process, and helps to fill in gaps of misunderstanding in the subject. In one embodiment, the system, including a database, presents study materials on the subject to the user. After working on the presented materials, the user enters his question into the system, which generates an answer to the question, and presents it to him. Then the system compares the question with one or more questions previously entered by the user to determine his understanding level in the subject. Based on the determination, the system may present to the user appropriate study materials. The user typically asks more than one question, and the process of answering his question by the system repeats.
383 Citations
120 Claims
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1. A method of providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the method comprising the step of:
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presenting, by a first system, a response to the subject-related natural-language question entered by the user into the first system, with the response being generated by a second system connected through a network to the first system, the second system for generating the response, the response being generated by steps including;
analyzing the quesion to identify at least one component using at least one grammatical rule in the second system; and
transforming at least one component of the question into at least one instruction using at least one semantic rule in the second system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
if the quesion can have more than one responses, the method further comprises the step of having at least a second response available to be presented to the user; and
the network includes the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
a word in the question has at least two meanings; and
the method further comprises the step of generating a response for each of the at least two meanings, if there is one.
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6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network includes a private network.
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7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network includes a public network.
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8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the responses does not depend on at least one word in the question.
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9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
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modifying, by the second system, the question; and
allowing, by the second system, the user to decide to have the modified question responded.
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10. A method of providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating, by a first system, a respones to the subject related natural-language question by steps including;
analyzing the question to identify at least one component using at least one grammatical rule in the first system; and
transforming at least one component of the question into at least one instruction using at least one semantic rule in the first system, for generating the response to be presented to the user by a second system, which is connected through a network to the first system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
if the question can have more than one responses, the method further comprises the step of having at least a second response available to be presented to the user; and
the network includes the internet. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
a word in the question has at least two meanings; and
the method further comprises the step of generating a response for each of the at least two meanings if there is one.
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15. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the network includes a public network.
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16. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the network includes a public network.
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17. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein at least one of the responses does not depend on at least one word in the question.
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18. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the steps of:
- modifying, by the first system, the question; and
allowing, by the first system, the user to decide to have the modified question responded.
- modifying, by the first system, the question; and
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19. A first system for providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the first system comprising:
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a presenter configured to present a response to the subject-related natural-language question entered by the user into the first system, with the response being generated by a second system connected through a network to the first system, the second system for generating the response, the response being generated by steps including;
analyzing the question to identify at least one component using at least one grammatical rule in the second system; and
transforming at least one component of the question into at least one instruction using at least one semantic rule in the second system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
if the question can have more than one responses, the second system is also confugured to have at least a second response available to be presented to the user; and
the network includes the internet. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
a word in the question has at least two meanings; and
a response is generated for each of the at least two meanings if there is one.
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24. A first system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a voice recognition system configured to recognize the question entered by the user.
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25. A first system as recited in claim 19 wherein the presenter further comprises a voice synthesizer configured to present the response to the user.
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26. A first system as recited in claim 19 wherein the network includes a private network.
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27. A first system as recited in claim 19 wherein the network includes a public network.
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28. A first system as recited in claim 19 wherein at least one of the responses does not depend on at least one word in the question.
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29. A first system as recited in claim 19 wherein the second system is configured to:
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modify the question; and
allow the user to decide to have the modified question responded.
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30. A first system for providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the first system comprising:
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a database; and
a generator coupled to the database, the generator configured to generate a response to the subject-related natural-language question by steps including;
analyzing the question to identify at least one component using at least one grammatical rule in the first system; and
transforming at least one component of the question into at least one instruction using at least one semantic rule in the first system, for generating the response to be presented to the user by a second system, which is connected through a network to the first system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
if the question can have more than one responses, the generator is configured to having at least a second response available to be presented to the user; and
the network includes the internet. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
a word in the question has at least two meanings; - and
a response is generated for each of the at least two meanings if there is one.
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35. A first system as recited in claim 30 wherein the network includes a private network.
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36. A first system as recited in claim 30 wherein the network includes a public network.
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37. A first system as recited in claim 30 wherein at least one of the responses does not depend on at least one word in the question.
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38. A first system as recited in claim 30 wherein the first system is configured to:
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modify the question; and
allow the user to decide to have the modified question responded.
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39. A computer readable media containing computer program code that is useful for providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, said code when executed by a first computer, causing the first computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:
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generating a response to the subject-related natural-language question by steps including;
analyzing the question to identify at least one component using at least one grammatical rule in the code; and
transforming at least one component of the question into at least one instruction using at least one semantic rule in the code, for generating the response to be presented to the user by a second computer, which is connected through a network to the first computer, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
if the question can have more than one responses, the method further comprises the step of having at least a second response available to be presented to the user; and
the network includes the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
modifying the question; and
allowing the user to decide to have the modified question responded.
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43. A method of providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the method comprising the steps of:
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retrieving, by a first system, a subject-related natural-language question entered by the user into a second system, which is connected through a network to the first system; and
generating, by the first system, a response to the question to be presented to the user by the second system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
the method further comprises the step of having, by the first system, at least a second response available to be presented to the user if the question can have more than one responses;
the first system has materials on the subject available to be presented to the user by the second system to inform the user about the subject;
the materials on the subject include an answer for a commonly-asked question;
the network includes the Internet; and
at least one of the responses does not depend on at least one word in the question. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
modifying, by the first system, the question; and
allowing, by the first system, the user to decide to have the modified question responded.
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45. A method as recited in claim 44, wherein the modification includes correcting the spelling of a word in the question.
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46. A first system for providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the first system comprising:
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a retriever configured to retrieve a subject-related natural-language question entered by the user into a second system, which is connected through a network to the first system; and
a generator configured to generate a response to the question to be presented to the user by the second system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
if the question can have more than one responses, the generator is further configured to having at least a second response available to be presented to the user;
the first system has materials on the subject available to be presented to the user by the second system to inform the user about the subject;
the materials on the subject include an answer for a commonly-asked question;
the network includes the Internet; and
at least one of the responses does not depend on at least one word in the question. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
modify the question; and
allow the user to decide to have the modified question responded.
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48. A first system as recited in claim 47, wherein the modification includes correcting the spelling of a word in the question.
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49. A method of providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the method comprising the steps of:
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presenting, by a first system, a response to the subject-related natural-language question entered by the user into the first system, with the response being generated by a second system connected through a network to the first system, the second system for generating the response, the response being generated by steps including;
analyzing the question to identify at least one component using at least one grammatical rule in the second system; and
transforming at least one component of the question into at least one instruction using at least one semantic rule in the second system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
the second system also retrieves material on the subject to be presented by the first system so as to inform the user about the subject; and
the network includes the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method of providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating, by a second system, a response to the subject-related natural-language question, entered into a first system, by steps including;
analyzing the question to identify at least one component using at least one grammatical rule in the second system; and
transforming at least one component of the question into at least one instruction using at least one semantic rule in the second system for generating the response to be presented to the user by the first system, which is connected through a network to the second system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
the second system also retrieves materials on the subject to be presented by the first system so as to inform the user about the subject; and
the network includes the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method of providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the method comprising the steps of:
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presenting, by a first system, a response to the subject-related natural-language question entered by the user into the first system; and
generating the response by a second system connected through a network to the first system, the response being generated by steps including analyzing the question using at least one grammatical rule and at least one semantic rule in the second system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
the first system also presents materials on the subject retrieved from the second system so as to inform the user about the subject; and
the network includes the Internet.
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62. A method of providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating, by a second system, a response to the subject-related natural-language question, entered into a first system, by steps including analyzing the question using at least one grammatical rule and at least one semantic rule in the second system, with the response to be presented to the user by the first system, which is connected through a network to the second system, so as to inform the user about the subject;
wherein;
the second system also retrieves materials on the subject to be presented by the first system so as to inform the user about the subject; and
the network includes the Internet.
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63. A method of providing a user with information on a subject depending on a user asking subject-related natural-language questions, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a first system, a request to respond to a subject-related natural-language question entered by a user, the subject-related natural-language question being entered by the user at a second system, and the subject-related natural language question being associated with a subject;
determining, at the first system, a response to the subject-related natural-language question, said determining operates to at least analyze the subject-related natural-language question using at least one grammatical rule and at least one semantic rule;
sending the response to the subject-related natural-language question from the first system to the second system via a network so as to inform the user about the subject; and
sending materials on the subject of the subject-related natural language question from the first system to the second system via the network so as to inform the user about the subject. - View Dependent Claims (64, 66)
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65. a method as recited in calim 63, wherein the first system comprises a database.
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67. A method of assisting a user in obtaining information about a subject in response to the user asking one or more subject-related questions at a first system, said method comprising:
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providing, at a second system, an information database about at least a first subject, the second system be coupleable to the first system via a network;
determining, at the second system, a response to a natural-language question requested by the user at the first system, the natural-language question being associated with the first subject, said determining operating at least to analyze the natural-language question to identify at least one component using at least one grammatical rule, transform at least one component of the natural-language question into at least one instruction using at least one semantic rule, and then use the instruction for obtaining the response from the information database. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
sending the response from the second system to the first system so as to facilitate presentation of the response to the user, thereby informing the user about the first subject.
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69. A method as recited in claim 67, wherein the response is an answer to the natural-language question.
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70. A method as recited in claim 67, wherein the response comprises a question about the first subject.
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71. A method as recited in claim 67, wherein the first system comprises a client computer, and wherein the second system comprises a server computer.
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72. A method as recited in claim 67, wherein said determining operates to determine a plurality of responses to the natural-language question.
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73. A method as recited in claim 67, wherein the network comprises the Internet.
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74. A first computing system for providing a user with information on a subject depending on the user asking a subject-related natural-language question, the first computing system comprising:
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a database;
a generator coupled to the database, the generator configured to generate a response to the subject-related natural-language question by at least;
analyzing the question to identify at least one component using at least one grammatical rule; and
transforming at least one component of the question into at least one instruction using at least one semantic rule in the first completing system, for generating the response to be presented to the user by a second computing system, which is connected through a network to the first computing system, so as to inform the user about the subject; and
a materials retriever configured to retrieves materials on the subject that are to be presented to the user at the second system so as to inform the user about the subject; and
wherein the network includes the Internet.
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75. A computer-implemented method for providing a user with information, said method comprising:
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sending informational materials from a first system to a second system via the Internet so as to inform a user of the second system about a subject;
subsequently receiving, at the first system, a request to respond to a natural-language question asked by the user, the natural language question being asked by the user at the second system, and the natural language question being associated with the subject;
determining, at the first system, a response to the natural-language question, said determining operating to at least analyze the natural-language question using at least grammatical and semantic processing; and
sending the response to the natural-language question from the first system to the second system via the Internet, wherein said determining is independent of at least one word in the natural-language question; and
the subject relates to a product that the user can obtain.- View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120)
referring the natural language question to a human representative to respond to the natural language question.
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77. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 76, wherein said determining produces a plurality of responses, and
wherein said sending operates to send the plurality of responses from the first system to the second system. -
78. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 77, wherin said determining operates to transform at least a portion of the natural-language question into at least one instruction.
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79. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 78, wherein the first system has a database coupled thereto, and wherein the instruction is a query for the database.
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80. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 79, wherein at least one other question asked by the user is considered in determining the response.
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81. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 80, wherein said method further comprises:
adapting in real-time considering at least one additional input.
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82. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 81, wherein said method further comprises:
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identifying additional informational materials related to the natural-language question; and
sending the additional informational materials from the first system to the second system via the Internet.
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83. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 82, wherein said sending of the additional informational materials is performed when requested by the user.
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84. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 82, wherein said sending of the additional informational materials is automatically performed with said sending of the response.
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85. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 82, wherein the natural language question is sent to the human representative without the need for the user to re-enter the question into the second system.
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86. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 85, wherein the human representative is specifically for the subject, and a different human representative may be enabled for a different subject.
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87. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 82, wherein the subject relates to a product that the user is interested in obtaining.
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88. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 81, wherein said method further comprises receiving an identifier associated with and entered by the user, and the informational materials depend on the user identifier.
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89. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 79, wherein said method further comprises receiving an identifier associated with and entered by the user.
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90. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 89, wherein the informational materials depend on the user identifier.
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91. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 79, wherein the question was entered through a voice recognition system at the second system.
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92. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 77, wherein said method further comprises considering at least one additional input entered by the user in determining at least one of the responses.
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93. A computer-implement method as recited in claim 92, wherein the additional input is a response to an inquiry from the first system.
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94. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 93, wherein the additional input is also a question from the user.
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95. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 93, wherein said method further comprises:
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identifying additional informational materials related to the natural-language question; and
sending the additional informational materials from the first system to the second system via the Internet.
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96. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 95, wherein the first system keeps track of an identifier associated with and entered by the user.
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97. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 96, wherein the natural language question is sent to the human representative without the need for the user to re-enter the question into the second system.
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98. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 97, wherein the human representative is specifically for the subject, and a different human representative may be enabled for a different subject.
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99. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 96, wherein the subject relates to a product that the user is interested in obtaining.
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100. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 92, wherein the additional input is clarifying the natural language question.
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101. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 92, wherein said method further comprises:
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sending a plurality of questions to the second system, and receiving, at the first system, at least an indication of a selection by the user of one of the plurality of questions to be utilized as the natural language question being asked by the user.
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102. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 101, wherein said method further comprises:
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identifying additional informational material related to the natural-language question; and
sending the additional informational materials from the first system to the second system via the Internet.
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103. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 102, wherein the natural language question is sent to the human representative without the need for the user to re-enter the question into the second system.
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104. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 103, wherein the human representative is specifically for the subject, and a different human representative may be enabled for a different subject.
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105. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 102, wherein the subject relates to a product that the user is interested in obtaining.
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106. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 76, wherein said method further comprises considering at least one additional input entered by the user in determining the response.
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107. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 106, wherein the additional input is a response to an inquiry from the first system.
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108. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 107, wherein said method further comprises:
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identifying additional informational materials related to the natural-language question; and
sending the additional informational materials from the first system to the second system via the Internet.
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109. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 108, wherein the question was entered through a voice recognition system at the second system.
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110. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 107, wherein the question was entered through a voice recognition system at the second system.
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111. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 107, wherein the informational materials depend on the user identifier.
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112. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 76, wherein said method further comprises receiving an identifier associated with and entered by the user.
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113. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 112, wherein said method further comprises:
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identifying additional informational materials related to the natural-language question; and
sending the additional informational materials from the first system to the second system via the Internet.
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114. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 113, wherein the quesion was entered through a voice recognition system at the second system.
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115. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 112, wherein the informational materials depend on the user identifier.
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116. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 76, wherein the question was entered through a voice recognition system at the second system.
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117. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 75, wherein the question was entered through a voice recognition system at the second system.
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118. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 75, wherein said method further comprises:
referring the natural language quesion to a person to respond to the natural language question.
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119. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 118, wherein the natural language question is sent to the person without the need for the user to re-enter the question into the second system.
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120. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 119, wherein the person is specifically for the subject, and a different person may be enabled for different areas of the subject.
Specification