Personalization of queries, conversations, and searches

• US 9,858,343 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Heck, Larry Paul, Chinthakunta, Madhusudan, Mitby, David, Stifelman, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Neway, Samuel G
• Application Number:
  US13/077,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20120253790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,469 Days
• Field of Search: 704 9, 704257, 704260
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/36 Creation of semantic tools, e.g. ontology or thesauri
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

Personalization of user interactions may be provided. Upon receiving a phrase from a user, a plurality of semantic concepts associated with the user may be loaded. If the phrase is determined to comprise at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the user, a first action may be performed according to the phrase. If the phrase is determined not to comprise at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the user, a second action may be performed according to the phrase.

Claims

1. A computer-readable data storage device which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing a personalized user interaction with a computing device, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving a phrase from a user, wherein the received phrase is associated with a conversation between the user and at least one second user;

translating the received phrase into an initial agent action by scanning the received phrase to a search domain associated with a search action;

loading, by a spoken dialog system, an ontology associated with the user, wherein the ontology comprises a plurality of semantic concepts associated with at least one of the following;

a workplace associated with the user, a contacts database associated with the user, a calendar associated with the user, a previous action associated with the user, a previous communication associated with the user, a context associated with the user, and a profile associated with the user;

selecting at least one pre-defined shared ontology based on a context associated with the user, the at least one pre-defined shared ontology comprising a plurality of semantic concepts and a plurality of semantic connections between the semantic concepts that are usable to determine intents of phrases associated with the context;

merging the ontology associated with the user with the at least one pre-defined shared ontology to generate a merged ontology;

determining whether the phrase comprises at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the merged ontology;

in response to determining that the phrase comprises the at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the merged ontology;

modifying the initial agent action according to the merged ontology to generate a modified agent action, the modified agent action being different than the initial agent action,

performing the modified agent action,

displaying at least one result associated with the performed agent action to the user;

receiving a second phrase from the at least one second user;

loading a second ontology associated with the at least one second user;

merging the second ontology with the ontology associated with the user;

determining whether the second phrase comprises a response to the received phrase;

in response to determining that the second phrase comprises the response to the received phrase, determining whether the second phrase comprises at least one second semantic concept associated with the merged ontologies; and

in response to determining that the second phrase comprises the at least one second semantic concept associated with the merged ontologies;

updating the agent action,

performing the updated agent action, and

displaying at least one result associated with the performed updated agent action to the user and the at least one second user.

2. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 1, wherein the agent action comprises a search query.

3. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 2, wherein modifying the agent action comprises adding a search term to the search query.

4. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 2, wherein modifying the action comprises replacing at least one term of the search query with a synonym of the at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the ontology.

5. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 1, wherein the agent action comprises performing a task within an application.

6. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the ontology comprises a shortcut synonym associated with performing the task within the application.

7. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 1, wherein the context associated with the user comprises at least one of the following:

a location of the user, a time the phrase was received, and a date the phrase was received.

8. A computer-readable data storage device which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing a personalized user interaction, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving a phrase from a user, wherein the received phrase is associated with a conversation between the user and at least one second user;

translating the received phrase into an agent action;

loading an ontology associated with the user, wherein the ontology comprises a plurality of semantic concepts associated with at least one of the following;

a workplace associated with the user, a contacts database associated with the user, a calendar associated with the user, a previous action associated with the user, a previous communication associated with the user, a context associated with the user, and a profile associated with the user;

determining whether the phrase comprises at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the ontology;

in response to determining that the phrase comprises the at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the ontology;

modifying the agent action according to the ontology,

performing the modified agent action, and

displaying at least one result associated with the performed agent action to the user;

receiving a second phrase from the at least one second user;

loading a second ontology associated with the at least one second user;

merging the second ontology with the ontology associated with the user;

determining whether the second phrase comprises a response to the received phrase;

in response to determining that the second phrase comprises the response to the received phrase, determining whether the second phrase comprises at least one second semantic concept associated with the merged ontologies; and

in response to determining that the second phrase comprises the at least one second semantic concept associated with the merged ontologies;

updating the agent action,

performing the updated agent action, and

displaying at least one result associated with the performed updated agent action to the user and the at least one second user.

9. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 8, wherein the agent action comprises a search query.

10. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 9, wherein modifying the agent action comprises adding a search term to the search query.

11. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 9, wherein modifying the action comprises replacing at least one term of the search query with a synonym of the at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the ontology.

12. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 8, wherein the agent action comprises performing a task within an application.

13. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the ontology comprises a shortcut synonym associated with performing the task within the application.

14. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 8, wherein the context associated with the user comprises at least one of the following:

a location of the user, a time the phrase was received, and a date the phrase was received.

15. A system for providing a personalized user interaction with a computing device, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

receive a phrase from a user, wherein the received phrase is associated with a conversation between the user and at least one second user;

translate the received phrase into an agent action;

load an ontology associated with the user, wherein the ontology comprises a plurality of semantic concepts associated with at least one of the following;

a workplace associated with the user, a contacts database associated with the user, a calendar associated with the user, a previous action associated with the user, a previous communication associated with the user, a context associated with the user, and a profile associated with the user;

determine whether the phrase comprises at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the ontology;

in response to determining that the phrase comprises the at least one of the plurality of semantic concepts associated with the ontology;

modify the agent action according to the ontology,

perform the modified agent action, and

display at least one result associated with the performed agent action to the user;

receive a second phrase from the at least one second user;

load a second ontology associated with the at least one second user;

merge the second ontology with the ontology associated with the user;

determine whether the second phrase comprises a response to the received phrase;

in response to determining that the second phrase comprises the response to the received phrase, determine whether the second phrase comprises at least one second semantic concept associated with the merged ontologies; and

in response to determining that the second phrase comprises the at least one second semantic concept associated with the merged ontologies;

update the agent action,

perform the updated agent action, and

display at least one result associated with the performed updated agent action to the user and the at least one second user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the phrase comprises a natural language phrase.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the natural language phrase comprises a spoken phrase.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further operative to convert the spoken phrase to a text-based phrase.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the natural language phrase comprises a typed phrase.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing unit is configured to translate the received phrase by abstracting at least one word of the phrase into a plurality of synonyms.