Management of conversations

• US 8,000,973 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, David, Zieman, Yuri, Hill, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US12/364,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• 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 15/1822 Parsing for meaning understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

An embodiment of a method is disclosed wherein a natural language communication is received from a user. A concept recognition process is applied to automatically derive a representation of concepts embodied in the natural language communication. A collection of information likely to be useful in responding to the natural language communication is selected based on correspondence to the representation of concepts. The collection of information is provided to a human agent through an interface. Through the interface, an identification of a particular item of information from the collection is received. The particular item is illustratively a sub-set of the collection of information, the sub-set being a particular proposed response to the natural language communication. The particular proposed response is delivered to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a natural language communication from a user;

utilizing a processing component that is a functional component of the computer to apply a concept recognition process to automatically derive a representation of concepts embodied in the natural language communication;

selecting a collection of information likely to be useful in responding to the natural language communication, wherein selecting comprises identifying the collection of information as corresponding to said representation of concepts;

providing, through an interface that is a functional component of the computer, the collection of information to a human agent;

receiving, through an input device that is a functional component of the computer, an identification of a particular item of information from the collection of information, the particular item being a sub-set of the collection of information, the sub-set being a particular proposed response to the natural language communication; and

delivering the particular proposed response to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selection a collection of information comprises applying a matching process so as to automatically determine a cluster of similar communications to which the representation of concepts corresponds.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a dialog with the user by sending an initial communication to the user, wherein said natural language communication is provided in response to the initial communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection of information provided to the human agent includes an audible playback of a recorded version of at least a portion of the natural language communication received from the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the audible playback is compressed in time relative to the natural language communication received from the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection of information provided to the human agent includes a display of text indicative of at least a portion of the natural language communication received from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection of information provided to the human agent includes a record of additional communication from the user received prior to said receiving of the natural language communication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said record of additional communication from the user is a record of a number of additional communications from the user received prior to said receiving of the natural language communication, and wherein said number is a value determined at least in part based on which concepts are included in the representation of concepts.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the natural language communication is received by way of a first mode of communication and the particular proposed response is delivered by way of a second mode of communication, the first mode of communication being different than the second mode of communication.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the human agent, an edit to the particular proposed response; and

applying the edit to the particular proposed response before the particular proposed response is delivered to the user, wherein applying the edit comprises altering content of the particular proposed response.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a server, a communication from a user;

processing the communication at the server to identify a concept associated with the communication;

presenting to an agent a set of candidate responses based on the identified concept, wherein the set of candidate responses is limited to responses that are identified by the server as being consistent with the identified concept;

presenting the set of candidate responses to an agent for selection of a response to the received communication;

receiving, from the agent, a selection from the set of candidate responses generated by the server; and

delivering to the user the response to the communication selected by the agent from the set of candidate responses.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication is received by way of a first mode of communication and the response is delivered by way of a second mode of communication, the first mode of communication being different than the second mode of communication.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein only one of the first and second modes of communications is a speech mode of communication.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein only one of the first and second modes of communications is a text-based mode of communication.