Creation of an interface for constructing conversational policies

• US 8,266,517 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Foreman, Paul Evan, Greene, David Perry, Light, Philip Edward, Loghin, Razvan, Srinivasan, Anand
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, TIONNA M
• Application Number:
  US12/131,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20080235670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 715/211
• US Class Current: 715/211
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for taking a visual or verbal representation of a conversational policy and translating the representation into an XML file. The XML file can then be output in one or more formats, such as code used in a policy, a Word version of the XML file, or a visual representation of the XML file.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a conversation policy, said method comprising the computer-performed steps of:

receiving a conversational policy that has been created in a graphical or verbal form;

identifying elements of said conversational policy by identifying a plurality of states of a conversation and a plurality of actions;

creating a table, wherein each entry in said table includes a beginning state field, an action field, an ending state field, and a performer field;

locating a first one of said plurality of states;

identifying a first plurality of said plurality of actions that will move said conversation out of said first one of said plurality of states;

for each one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions;

creating a separate entry in said table;

storing a name of said first one of said plurality of states in a beginning state field in said separate entry;

storing a name of said one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions in an action field in said separate entry;

storing a name of a second one of said plurality of states to which said conversation is moved in response to an occurrence of said one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions in an ending state field in said separate entry; and

storing a name of a performer of said one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions in a performer field in said separate entry;

locating a second one of said plurality of states, wherein said second one of said plurality of states is a termination point of said conversation;

storing a name of said second one of said plurality of states in a beginning state field of a particular entry in said table, wherein nothing is stored in an action field of the particular entry, an ending state field of the particular entry, and a performer field of the particular entry; and

using said table to construct a file in an extensible machine language that describes the conversational policy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting said file into a format other than an extensible machine language.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said conversational policy is received in a format created by a program chosen from a group consisting of a word processor, a presentation graphics program, a drawing program, and a software development platform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying elements step uses a second table of standard elements having associated meanings.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying elements step recognizes a first shape as representing a third one of said plurality of states and a second shape as representing a second one of said plurality of actions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying elements step recognizes a first pattern as representing a third one of said plurality of states and a second pattern as representing a second one of said plurality of actions.

7. A computer system, comprising:

a processor, connected to receive input and to write output;

memory, connected to said processor; and

a set of instructions stored in said memory and connected to be executed by said processor, said set of instructions containing instructions for receiving a conversational policy that has been created in a graphical or verbal form;

second instructions for identifying elements of said conversational policy by identifying a plurality of states of a conversation and a plurality of actions;

instructions for creating a table, wherein each entry in said table includes a beginning state field, an action field, an ending state field, and a performer field;

instructions for locating a first one of said plurality of states;

instructions for identifying a first plurality of said plurality of actions that will move said conversation out of said first one of said plurality of states;

for each one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions;

instructions for creating a separate entry in said table;

instructions for storing a name of said first one of said plurality of states in a beginning state field in said separate entry;

instructions for storing a name of said one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions in an action field in said separate entry;

instructions for storing a name of a second one of said plurality of states to which said conversation is moved in response to an occurrence of said one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions in an ending state field in said separate entry; and

instructions for storing a name of a performer of said one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions in a performer field in said separate entry;

instructions for locating a second one of said plurality of states, wherein said second one of said plurality of states is a termination point of said conversation;

instructions for storing a name of said second one of said plurality of states in a beginning state field of a particular entry in said table, wherein nothing is stored in an action field of the particular entry, an ending state field of the particular entry, and a performer field of the particular entry; and

instructions for using said table to construct a file in an extensible machine language that describes the conversational policy.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said set of instructions further comprises instructions for converting said file into a format other than an extensible machine language.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said conversational policy is received in a format created by a program chosen from a group consisting of a word processor, a presentation graphics program, a drawing program, and a software development platform.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said instructions for identifying elements recognize a first shape as representing a third one of said plurality of states and a second shape as representing a second one of said plurality of actions.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said instructions for identifying elements recognize a first pattern as representing a third one of said plurality of states and a second pattern as representing a second one of said plurality of actions.

12. A computer program product on a non-transitory computer-readable media, said computer program product comprising:

instructions for receiving a conversational policy that has been created in a graphical or verbal form;

instructions for identifying elements of said conversational policy by identifying a plurality of states of a conversation and a plurality of actions;

instructions for creating a table, wherein each entry in said table includes a beginning state field, an action field, an ending state field, and a performer field;

instructions for locating a first one of said plurality of states;

instructions for identifying a first plurality of said plurality of actions that will move said conversation out of said first one of said plurality of states;

for each one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions;

instructions for creating a separate entry in said table;

instructions for storing a name of said first one of said plurality of states in a beginning state field in said separate entry;

instructions for storing a name of said one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions in an action field in said separate entry;

instructions for storing a name of a second one of said plurality of states to which said conversation is moved in response to an occurrence of said one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions in an ending state field in said separate entry; and

instructions for storing a name of a performer of said one of said first plurality of said plurality of actions in a performer field in said separate entry;

locating a second one of said plurality of states, wherein said second one of said plurality of states is a termination point of said conversation;

instructions for storing a name of said second one of said plurality of states in a beginning state field of a particular entry in said table, wherein nothing is stored in an action field of the particular entry, an ending state field of the particular entry, and a performer field of the particular entry; and

instructions for using said table to construct a file in an extensible machine language that describes the conversational policy.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, instructions for converting said file into a format other than an extensible machine language.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said said conversational policy is received in a format created by a program chosen from a group consisting of a word processor, a presentation graphics program, a drawing program, and a software development platform.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said instructions for identifying elements recognizes a first shape as representing a third one of said plurality of states and a second shape as representing a second one of said plurality of actions.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said instructions for identifying elements recognizes a first pattern as representing a third one of said plurality of states and a second pattern as representing a second one of said plurality of actions.