Conversation control apparatus

• US 7,805,312 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MyClerk LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ptopa, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Katukura, Hiroshi, Huang, Shengyang
• Primary Examiner(s): Sked; Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US11/582,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/35 Discourse or dialogue representation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/027 Concept to speech synthesisers; Generation of natural phrases from machine-based concepts generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text G10L13/08
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

To return a predetermined answer in a predetermined order, even in the event that user utterance contents differ from an original objective. A conversation control apparatus, which transmits an answer sentence in response to a user utterance, includes: a conversation data base storing a plurality of plans each including the answer sentence and next candidate prescription information which prescribes a next candidate answer sentence, which is an answer sentence due to be transmitted in an order succeeding the answer sentence; and a planned conversation processor which, in response to a first user utterance, selects a plan stored in the conversation data base, transmits an answer sentence included in the plan and, subsequently, in response to a second user utterance, based on next candidate prescription information included in the plan, transmits a next candidate answer sentence, wherein at least one portion of the plurality of plans, regardless of contents of a user utterance, includes an answer sentence and next candidate answer sentence in such a way as to transmit each question in a predetermined survey in a predetermined order.

Claims

1. A conversation control apparatus comprising:

a processor causing an execution of a control which transmits an answer sentence in response to a user utterance; and

a memory storing a plurality of plans each including the answer sentence and next candidate prescription information which prescribes a next candidate answer sentence, which is an answer sentence due to be transmitted in an order succeeding the answer sentence, wherein the processor;

in response to a first user utterance, selects a plan stored in the memory, causes the selected plan to transmit an answer sentence included in the plan and, subsequently, in response to a second user utterance, based on next candidate prescription information included in the plan, causes a transmission of a next candidate answer sentence;

regardless of contents of a user utterance, causes a transmission of a predetermined answer sentence and next candidate answer sentence in a predetermined order;

in the event that a user utterance letter string indicating the user utterance contents includes a symbol indicating all of the user utterance contents, a plan of a compulsory type scenario is managed, wherein the plan of the compulsory type scenario transmits answer sentences in such a way that predetermined answer sentences are caused to be output in a predetermined order; and

,

before starting the compulsory type scenario, the processor transmits answer sentences asking whether the compulsory type scenario may be started, and the processor starts the compulsory type scenario after getting a user utterance which is positive for answering the compulsory type scenario.