Method and apparatus for performing dialog management in a computer conversational interface
First Claim
1. A computerized interface for managing a dialog between a computer and a user of the computer, the computer having an audio input device, a text input device, a visual output device, and an audio output device, the computerized interface comprising:
- a prioritized speak queue for retaining responses generated by the computer in response to spoken input from the user asynchronously received by the computer through the audio input device, the responses including responses that can be spoken by a text to speech device, the spoken input being interpreted by a reasoning facility which enables the spoken input to include questions by the user, the computer running multiple applications and the reasoning facility interpreting the spoken input in a manner that at least one of the multiple applications recognizes the interpreted spoken input;
a dialog manager for placing the generated responses in the prioritized speak queue; and
a turn manager for managing audible rendering of the responses from the prioritized speak queue through the audio output device, the turn manager prioritizing audible rendering of the responses according to rules other than the order in which the responses are added to the prioritized speak queue and according to corresponding contexts in a context priority queue so that the user receives each response as part of an asynchronous dialog between the computer and the user, the turn manager conducting the dialog in a polite non-interruptive manner that is subject to control by the user including allowing the user to change subjects and allowing the user to interrupt the dialog but not allowing the audible rendering of a response to interrupt the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dialog management system functions to manage the dialog between a user of a computer system and one or more speech enabled software applications. The user provides spoken input to a microphone connected to the computer system, and hears responses from one or more applications through a speaker connected to the computer system. The dialog management system includes a dialog manager, a turn manager, a speak queue, dialog contexts, and dialog state. The dialog manager provides top-level control of the dialog and stores responses based on the user'"'"'s spoken input in a speak queue for later output to the user. The turn manager controls delivery of the responses to the user based on the dialog context and the dialog state, to provide a polite dialog with the user that enables the user to be in control of the dialog. The dialog context provides information about each dialog. The dialog state provides information about whose turn it is (computer or user) to speak.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computerized interface for managing a dialog between a computer and a user of the computer, the computer having an audio input device, a text input device, a visual output device, and an audio output device, the computerized interface comprising:
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a prioritized speak queue for retaining responses generated by the computer in response to spoken input from the user asynchronously received by the computer through the audio input device, the responses including responses that can be spoken by a text to speech device, the spoken input being interpreted by a reasoning facility which enables the spoken input to include questions by the user, the computer running multiple applications and the reasoning facility interpreting the spoken input in a manner that at least one of the multiple applications recognizes the interpreted spoken input; a dialog manager for placing the generated responses in the prioritized speak queue; and a turn manager for managing audible rendering of the responses from the prioritized speak queue through the audio output device, the turn manager prioritizing audible rendering of the responses according to rules other than the order in which the responses are added to the prioritized speak queue and according to corresponding contexts in a context priority queue so that the user receives each response as part of an asynchronous dialog between the computer and the user, the turn manager conducting the dialog in a polite non-interruptive manner that is subject to control by the user including allowing the user to change subjects and allowing the user to interrupt the dialog but not allowing the audible rendering of a response to interrupt the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for managing a dialog between a computer and a user of the computer, the computer having an audio input device, a text input device, a visual output device, and an audio output device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
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receiving responses generated by the computer, the responses including responses that can be spoken by a text to speech device, in response to spoken input from the user asynchronously received by the computer through the audio input device; placing the generated responses in a prioritized speak queue, the spoken input being interpreted by a reasoning facility which enables the spoken input to include questions by the user, the computer running multiple applications and the reasoning facility interpreting the spoken input in a manner that at least one of the multiple applications recognizes the interpreted spoken input; and managing audible rendering of the responses from the prioritized speak queue through the audio output device, prioritizing the audible rendering of the responses according to rules other than the order in which the responses are added to the prioritized speak queue and according to corresponding contexts in a context priority queue so that the user receives each response as part of an asynchronous dialog between the computer and the user, the dialog conducted in a polite non-interruptive manner that is subject to control by the user including allowing the user to change subjects and allowing the user to interrupt the dialog but not allowing the audible rendering of a response to interrupt the user. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer program product comprising:
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a tangible computer usable program product for managing a dialog between a computer and a user of the computer; and a set of computer program instructions embodied on the tangible computer usable program product, including instructions to; receive responses generated by the computer, the responses including responses that can be spoken by a text to speech device, in response to spoken input from the user asynchronously received by the computer through the audio input device; place the generated responses in a prioritized speak queue, the spoken input being interpreted by a reasoning facility which enables the spoken input to include questions by the user, the computer running multiple applications and the reasoning facility interpreting the spoken input in a manner that at least one of the multiple applications recognizes the interpreted spoken input; and manage audible rendering of the responses from the prioritized speak queue through the audio, output device, prioritizing the audible rendering of the responses according to rules other than the order in which the responses are added to the prioritized speak queue and according to corresponding contexts in a context priority queue so that the user receives each response as part of an asynchronous dialog between the computer and the user, the dialog conducted in a polite non-interruptive manner that is subject to control by the user including allowing the user to change subjects and allowing the user to interrupt the dialog but not allowing the audible rendering of a response to interrupt the user. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computerized interface for managing a dialog between a computer and a user of the computer, the computer having an audio input device, a text input device, a visual output device, and an audio output device, the computerized interface comprising:
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a prioritized speak queue for retaining responses generated by the computer the responses including responses that can be spoken by a text to speech device, in response to spoken input from the user asynchronously received by the computer through the audio input device, the spoken input being interpreted by a reasoning facility which enables the spoken input to include questions by the user, the computer running multiple applications and the reasoning facility interpreting the spoken input in a manner that at least one of the multiple applications recognizes the interpreted spoken input; means for placing the generated responses in the prioritized speak queue; and means for managing audible rendering of the responses from the prioritized speak queue through the audio output device, the turn manager prioritizing audible rendering of the responses according to rules other than the order in which the responses are added to the prioritized speak queue and according to corresponding contexts in a context priority queue so that the user receives each response as part of an asynchronous dialog between the computer and the user, the dialog conducted in a polite non-interruptive manner that is subject to control by the user including allowing the user to change subjects and allowing the user to interrupt the dialog but not allowing the audible rendering of a response to interrupt the user.
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Specification