Methods for automatically focusing the attention of a virtual robot interacting with users

• US 6,615,111 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: NativeMinds, Inc. (Healthstream Incorporated)
• Inventors: Benson, Scott S., Tackett, Walter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Application Number:
  US10/014,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20020156551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 700/9, 700/17, 700/86, 700/215, 700/245, 700/246, 700/264, 702/182, 702/188, 704/9, 706/11
• US Class Current: 700/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/35 Discourse or dialogue representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]

Abstract

A virtual robot (or BOT) is disclosed that interfaces and automatically interacts with users desiring to be guided or informed about certain aspects or features of the entity with which they are interacting. Several mechanisms are further disclosed that aid the effectiveness of that interaction. Mechanisms to focus the attention of the BOT on certain aspects of the interaction or communication are disclosed. These mechanisms can be made explicitly or can be performed automatically. Mechanisms are disclosed to aid the BOT to automatically learn from its interactions with users to increase the effectiveness of the interaction.

Claims

1. In an automated interface program designed to interact and communicate with users, said program executing actions when a category among a set of predefined categories is activated, a method for focusing the attention of the automated interface progam, the steps of said method comprising:

defining a list of categories activatable by said program;

maintaining an attention focus list, said focus list comprising an ordered list of categories;

executing actions associated with categories that are activated;

re-ordering said attention focus list during the course of interaction, said re-ordering being dependent upon which categories were activated.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving input from a user;

examining a category in the list of categories; and

when the received input matches the examined category, activating the examined category.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a category includes a condition, and wherein the examined category is activated when the condition of the examined category matches the received input.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein defining a list of categories comprises:

defining a priority category type; and

defining a standard category type,

wherein in category in the priority category type is examined before any category in the standard category type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein defining a list of categories further comprises:

defining a default category type, wherein a category in the default category type is examined after any category in the standard category type.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein defining a list of categories comprises:

defining a sequence category type, wherein a category in the sequence category type is examined only when a request to examine the request category is executed in association with another category.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein when the received input does not match the examined category, examining another category in the list of categories, and wherein categories in the list of categories are examined in an order corresponding to the ordered list of categories.

8. The meted of claim 1, wherein re-ordering said attention focus list comprises:

moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence when the category has been activated.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the categories have subject commands with arguments and moving a category comprises:

moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when one or more arguments in the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match at least one of the arguments of the subject command of the category that has been activated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein re-ordering said attention focus list comprises:

moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence in response to a focus command.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the focus command identifies the category to be moved.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the focus command identifies a subject, wherein the categories have subject commands, and moving a category comprises:

moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match the subject identified by the focus command.

13. A system for automatically focusing the attention of an automated interface program designed to interact and communicate with users, said program executing actions when a category among a set of predefined categories is activated, said system comprising:

an interface for receiving input from a user;

a memory device having;

categories activatable by said program, and

an attention focus list, the focus list comprising an ordered list of categories; and

a processor configured to;

receiving input from the interface,

examine a category,

when a received input matches the examined category,

activate the examined category, and

execute actions associated with the activated category, and

re-order the attention focus list during the course of interaction, the re-ordering being dependent upon which categories were activated.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the categories comprises:

a priority category type; and

a standard category type,

wherein the processor examines a category in the priority category type before any category in the standard category type.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the categories further comprises:

a default category type, wherein the processor examines a category in the default category type after any category in the standard category type.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the categories further comprises:

a sequence category type, wherein the processor examines a category in the sequence category type only when a request to examine the request category is executed in association with another category.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein when the received input does not match the examined category, the processor examines another category in the list of categories, and wherein categories in the list of categories are examined in an order corresponding to the ordered list of categories.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor re-orders the attention focus list by:

moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence when the category has been activated.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the categories have subject commands with arguments, and moving a category comprises:

moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when one or more arguments in the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match at least one of the arguments of the subject command of the category that has been activated.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor re-orders the attention focus list by:

moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence in response to a focus command.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the focus command identifies the category to be moved.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the focus command identifies a subject, wherein the categories have subject commands, and moving a category comprises:

moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match the subject identified by the focus command.

23. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer executable code to focus the attention of an automated interface program designed to interact and communicate with users providing user input by instructing a computer to operate as follows:

defining a list of categories activatable by said program;

maintaining an attention focus list, said focus list comprising an ordered list of categories;

executing actions associated with categories that are activated;

re-ordering said attention focus list during the course of interaction, said re-ordering being dependent upon which categories were activated.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 further comprising:

receiving input from a user;

examining a category in the list of categories; and

when the received input matches the examined category, activating the examined category.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein a category includes a condition, and wherein the examined category is activated when the condition of the examined category matches the received input.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein defining a list of categories comprises:

defining a priority category type; and

defining a standard category type,

wherein a category in the priority category type is examined before any category in the standard category type.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein defining a list of categories further comprises:

defining a default category type, wherein a category in the default category type is examined after any category in the standard category type.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein defining a list of categories comprises:

defining a sequence category type, wherein a category in the sequence category type is examined only when a request to examine the request category is executed in association with another category.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein when the received input does not match the examined category, examining another category in the list of categories, and wherein categories in the list of categories are examined in an order corresponding to the ordered list of categories.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein re-ordering said attention focus list comprises:

moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence when the category has been activated.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the categories have subject commands with arguments, and moving a category comprises:

moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when one or more arguments in the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match at least one of the arguments of the subject command of the category that has been activated.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein re-ordering said attention focus list comprises:

moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence in response to a focus command.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the focus command identifies the category to be moved.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the focus command identifies a subject, wherein the categories have subject commands, and moving a category comprises:

moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match the subject identified by the focus command.