Method and system for modeless operation of a multi-modal user interface through implementation of independent decision networks

• US 6,799,169 B1
• Filed: 08/13/1999
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Coffman, Daniel M., Gopalakrishnan, Popani, Ramaswamy, Ganesh N., Kleindienst, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US09/374,744
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 706/11, 706/12, 706/45
• US Class Current: 706/11
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A method and system for modeless operation of a multi-modal user interface through implementation of independent decision networks includes presenting a command to a dialog manager and comparing the command to a table of decision networks to determine if a corresponding decision network entry exists. The dialog manager creates a new instance of a decision network when a corresponding decision network entry is found. The new instance of the decision network is traversed in an isolated thread of execution such that a plurality of decision networks of a same instance or different instances may be active simultaneously. The new instance of the decision network is executed responsive to the command.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for continuous process operation of user initiated interruptible tasks through implementation of independent automata with supporting applications, comprising the steps of:

presenting a request for the completion of a task to a dialog manager;

comparing the task to a table of available automata to determine if a corresponding automaton is defined;

creating an instance of the corresponding automaton when a corresponding table entry is found;

executing the instance of the corresponding automaton responsive to the task such that a plurality of other automata corresponding to a plurality of other tasks may be active simultaneously, wherein the plurality of other tasks are of the same type as and/or different type from the task; and

completing the task, completing other running tasks, or interrupting the task, with the option to return and continue, while presenting a new request to the dialog manager.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein executing the instance of the corresponding automaton responsive to the task, comprises the steps of:

providing instructions to the instance of the corresponding automaton of how to accomplish the task through a specifically crafted decision network; and

executing these instructions independently of the plurality of other automata.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

querying a user to provide input to resolve discrepancies and ambiguities and input additional information.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

requesting an instance of an automaton be created to provide a service, the requesting being initiated by another automaton.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

requesting a plurality of instances of automata be created to provide a service, the requesting being initiated by the dialog manager.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating a record of activity by an automaton for the activity of that automaton.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the task is presented in a formal language such that a plurality of human utterances represents a set of tasks to be taken.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of interfacing with at least one application to respond to the command, the interfacing being initiated by at least one automaton.

9. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for continuous process operation of user initiated interruptible tasks through implementation of independent automata with supporting applications, the method steps comprising:

presenting a request for the completion of a task to a dialog manager;

comparing the task to a table of available automata to determine if a corresponding automaton is defined;

creating an instance of the corresponding automaton when a corresponding table entry is found;

executing the instance of the corresponding automaton responsive to the task such that a plurality of other automata corresponding to a plurality of other tasks may be active simultaneously, wherein the plurality of other tasks are of the same type as and/or different type from the task; and

completing the task, completing other, running tasks, or interrupting the task, with the option to return and continue, while presenting a new request to the dialog manager.

10. The program storage device as recited in claim 9, wherein executing the instance of the corresponding automaton responsive to the task, comprises the steps of:

providing instructions to the instance of the corresponding automaton of how to accomplish the task through a specifically crafted decision network; and

executing these instructions independently of the plurality of other automata.

11. The program storage device as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

querying a user to provide input to resolve discrepancies and ambiguities and input additional information.

12. The program storage device as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

requesting an instance of an automaton be created to provide a service, the requesting being initiated by another automaton.

13. The program storage device as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

requesting a plurality of instances of automata be created to provide a service, the requesting being initiated by the dialog manager.

14. The program storage device as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

generating a record of activity by an automaton for the activity of that automaton.

15. The program storage device as recited in claim 9, wherein the task is presented in a formal language such that a plurality of human utterances represents a set of tasks to be taken.

16. The program storage device as recited in claim 9, further comprising the step of interfacing with at least one application to respond to the command, the interfacing being initiated by at least one automaton.

17. A system for continuous process operation of user initiated interruptible tasks through implementation of independent automata with supporting applications comprising:

a user interface adapted for receiving commands for the completion of a task;

a dialog manager adapted to receive the commands from the user interface;

a table of automata stored in a memory, the table providing cross-references between commands and automata; and

a plurality of automata responsive to the dialog manager, the dialog manager instantiating automata based on the table of automata to respond to the commands to complete the task;

wherein the task is completed, other running tasks are completed, or the task is interrupted, with the option to return and continue, while a new command is presented to the dialog manager.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the commands include formal language commands.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of automata includes states and transitions between states.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, further comprising a plurality of decision networks for instructing the plurality of automata to transition between the states, wherein the states initiate interface with the supporting applications.

21. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the dialog manager is adapted to query and receive query responses pursuant to information needed by the automata.

22. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the plurality of automata include an active state within an isolated thread of execution wherein a plurality of automata are capable of simultaneously being in the active state.

23. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the commands include human utterances.