Method, system, and apparatus for natural language mixed-initiative dialogue processing

• US 7,974,835 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Balchandran, Rajesh, Boyer, Linda
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth; David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spooner; Lamont M
• Application Number:
  US12/112,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/9, 704/275, 707706-708
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1822 Parsing for meaning understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

In a natural language, mixed-initiative system, a method of processing user dialogue can include receiving a user input and determining whether the user input specifies an action to be performed or a token of an action. The user input can be selectively routed to an action interpreter or a token interpreter according to the determining step.

Claims

1. A natural language, mixed-initiative system comprising:

a main menu detector for receiving a user input, said main menu detector configured to distinguish a user input specifying a requested action from a user input specifying a token for performing an action, wherein if the user input specifies a requested action, said main menu detector routes the user input to an action interpreter, and wherein if the user input specifies a token, said main menu detector routes the user input to an action router;

a classifier configured to distinguish user inputs specifying context dependent data from user inputs specifying context independent data, wherein said classifier routes user inputs specifying context dependent data to said main menu detector and user inputs specifying context independent data to an action interpreter;

an action interpreter configured to determine an action from the user input;

an action router configured to route the user input to one of a plurality of token interpreters determined by the action router to be suited for interpreting the user input if the user input specifies a token; and

at least one token interpreter configured to determine a token from a user input to be used in performing an action.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said action interpreter further determines a token from the user input provided to said action interpreter.

3. A natural language, mixed-initiative system comprising:

an action interpreter configured to determine actions from user inputs;

a plurality of token interpreters configured to determine tokens from user inputs to be used in performing an action;

an action router configured to receive actions and tokens and selectively route actions and tokens to one of said plurality of token interpreters;

a main menu detector configured to process context dependent data to distinguish user inputs specifying requested actions from user inputs specifying tokens for performing actions, wherein said main menu detector routes user inputs specifying actions to said action interpreter and user inputs specifying tokens to said action router; and

a classifier configured to distinguish user inputs specifying context dependent data from user inputs specifying context independent data, wherein said classifier routes user inputs specifying context dependent data to said main menu detector and user inputs specifying context independent data to said action interpreter;

wherein said action interpreter forwards actions to said action router.

4. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program for implementing a natural language, mixed-initiative system, said computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving user inputs at a main menu detector, the main menu detector determining whether a user input specifies an action to be performed or a token of information for an action, wherein user inputs specifying context dependent data are routed to the main menu detector by a classifier configured to distinguish user inputs specifying context dependent data from user inputs specifying context independent data, and wherein the classifier routes user inputs specifying context independent data to an action interpreter;

for a user input determined by the main menu detector to be an action, routing the user input to the action interpreter; and

for a user input determined to be a token, routing the user input to an action router that routes the user input to one of a plurality of token interpreters that is determined by the action router to be suited for interpreting the user input.

5. The machine readable storage of claim 4, further comprising:

classifying a token determined from the user input if the user input is determined to be a token; and

routing the token to one of a plurality of token interpreters according to said classifying step.

6. The machine readable storage of claim 5, wherein the classifying step identifies the token according to an action identified by the system, an action corresponding to a current state of a system, a category of the user input, a particular domain, or sub-domain.

7. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program for implementing a natural language, mixed-initiative system, said computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving at a main menu detector a first user input specifying an action, wherein user inputs specifying context dependent data are routed to the main menu detector by a classifier configured to distinguish user inputs specifying context dependent data from user inputs specifying context independent data, and wherein the classifier routes user inputs specifying context independent data to an action interpreter;

routing said first user input to an action interpreter configured to determine the action from the received first user input and to provide the action to an action router;

receiving a second user input;

determining whether the second user input specifies an action or a token corresponding to an action; and

providing the second user input to a processor configured to determine an action or to a processor configured to determine a token from the received second user input according to said determining step.

8. The machine readable storage of claim 7, further causing the machine to perform the step of performing the action specified by the first user input.

9. The machine readable storage of claim 7, further causing the machine to perform the step of determining that the second user input specifies a second action to be performed.

10. The machine readable storage of claim 7, further causing the machine to perform the step of, after said step of routing the first user input to an action interpreter, determining that a token is required to perform the action specified by the first user input and querying a user for the token.