System and method for an N-best list interface

• US 8,914,401 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROMELL, ALEXANDRIA Y
• Application Number:
  US12/650,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 707/769, 704/9, 704/200
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for providing an N-best list interface. A system practicing the method receives a search query formatted according to a standard language for containing and annotating interpretations of user input, the search query being based on a natural language spoken query from a user and retrieves an N-best list of recognition results based on the search query. The system then transmits the N-best list of recognition results to a user device, receives multimodal disambiguation input from the user, the input indicating an entry in the N-best list, and transmits to the user device additional information associated with the selected entry. The additional information can be a map indicating an address for the selected entry. The standard language can be XML-based Extensible MultiModal Annotation (EMMA) markup language from W3C.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a search query, wherein the search query is;

formatted according to a standard language for containing and annotating interpretations of user input, the standard language being different than a language the search query was recorded in; and

based on a natural language spoken query from a user;

retrieving an N-best list of recognition results based on the search query;

transmitting the N-best list of recognition results to a plurality of user devices comprising a first user device and a second user device;

after presenting the N-best list on the plurality of user devices, receiving disambiguation input from the first user device, the disambiguation input comprising a vocal disambiguation input and a gesture disambiguation input, the disambiguation input indicating an entry in the N-best list; and

transmitting to the second user device additional information associated with the entry based on the disambiguation input;

wherein the additional information is a map indicating an address for the entry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional information is a set of instructions to trigger the user device to perform certain steps.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the standard language is an extensible multimodal annotation markup language from a consortium.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional information is retrieved from a corporate personnel directory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the disambiguation input is from a portable computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the search query is received from a first user associated with the first user device and a second user associated with the second user device.

7. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a search query, wherein the search query is;

formatted according to a standard language for containing and annotating interpretations of user input, the standard language being different than a language the search query was recorded in; and

based on a natural language spoken query from a user;

retrieving an N-best list of recognition results based on the search query;

transmitting the N-best list of recognition results to a plurality of user devices comprising a first user device and a second user device;

after presenting the N-best list on the plurality of user devices, receiving disambiguation input from the first user device, the disambiguation input comprising a vocal disambiguation input and a gesture disambiguation input, the disambiguation input indicating an entry in the N-best list; and

transmitting to the second user device additional information associated with the entry based on the disambiguation input;

wherein the additional information is a map indicating an address for the entry.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the additional information is a set of instructions to trigger the user device to perform certain steps.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the standard language is an extensible multimodal annotation markup language from a consortium.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the additional information is retrieved from a corporate personnel directory.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the disambiguation input is from a portable computing device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the search query is received from a first user associated with the first user device and a second user associated with the second user device.

13. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a search query, wherein the search query is;

formatted according to a standard language for containing and annotating interpretations of user input, the standard language being different than a language the search query was recorded in; and

based on a natural language spoken query from a user;

retrieving an N-best list of recognition results based on the search query;

transmitting the N-best list of recognition results to a plurality of user devices comprising a first user device and a second user device;

after presenting the N-best list on the plurality of user devices, receiving disambiguation input from the first user device, the disambiguation input comprising a vocal disambiguation input and a gesture disambiguation input, the disambiguation input indicating an entry in the N-best list; and

transmitting to the second user device additional information associated with the entry based on the disambiguation input;

wherein the additional information is a map indicating an address for the entry.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the additional information is a set of instructions to trigger the user device to perform certain steps.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the standard language is an extensible multimodal annotation markup language from a consortium.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the additional information is retrieved from a corporate personnel directory.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the disambiguation input is from a portable computing device.