Intelligent conversational systems

• US 10,148,600 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2018
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progressive Casualty Insurance Company (Progressive Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Progressive Casualty Insurance Company (Progressive Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Matthew T., Surtz, Brian J., Cox, Callen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Paulinho E
• Application Number:
  US15/982,881
• Time in Patent Office: 201 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/56 Natural language generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/041 Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages

Abstract

A system and method simulates conversation with a human user. The system and method receive media, convert the media into a system-specific format, and compare the converted media to a vocabulary. The system and method generate a plurality of intents and a plurality of sub-entities and transform them into a pre-defined format. The system and method route intents and the sub-entities to a first selected knowledge engine and a second knowledge engine. The first selected knowledge engine selects the second knowledge engine and each active grammar in the vocabulary uniquely identifies each of the knowledge engines.

Claims

1. A system that simulates conversation with a human user, comprising:

a recognition processor that receives media and converts the media into a system-specific format;

a first natural language processing engine that compares the converted media to a vocabulary and generates a plurality of intents and a plurality of sub-entities; and

a controller that transforms the plurality of intents and the plurality of sub-entities into a predefined format and routes the plurality of intents and the plurality of sub-entities to a first selected knowledge engine and a second knowledge engine; and

an exchange manager in communication with the controller that identifies the human user'"'"'s generation from the converted media;

where the first selected knowledge engine selects the second knowledge engine and each active grammar in the vocabulary uniquely identifies each of the plurality of knowledge engines; and

where the exchange manager renders a plurality of words or a phrase to a user display device in response to the received media.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a knowledge base accessible to the first selected knowledge engine and the second knowledge engines that includes a plurality of attributes that identify the human user'"'"'s intention.

3. The system of claim 2 where the knowledge base comprises a plurality of downloadable profiles.

4. The system of claim 1 where the active grammars comprise a plurality of words and phrases to be recognized.

5. The system of claim 1 where the first selected knowledge engine and the second knowledge engines comprise an insurance quoting knowledge engine, a claims processing knowledge engine, or an on-line insurance servicing knowledge engine.

6. The system of claim 1 where the exchange manager identifies a plurality of words or a phrase associated with the identified human user'"'"'s generation and renders the plurality of words or the phrase on a social media technology in response to the received media.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second natural language processing engine that compares a second converted media to the vocabulary and generates a second plurality of intents and a second plurality of sub-entities.

8. The system of claim 7 where the first and the second natural processing engines comprises an automatic speech recognition service.

9. A system that simulates conversation with a human user, comprising:

a recognition processor that receives media and converts the media into a system-specific format;

a first natural language processing engine that compares the converted media to a vocabulary and generates a plurality of intents and a plurality of sub-entities; and

a controller that transforms the plurality of intents and the plurality of sub-entities into a pre-defined format and routes the plurality of intents and the plurality of sub-entities to a first selected knowledge engine and a second knowledge engine; and

a vision engine that transmits a location and an identification of a physical object to the controller;

where the first selected knowledge engine selects the second knowledge engine and each active grammar in the vocabulary uniquely identifies each of the plurality of knowledge engines; and

where the controller transmits a plurality of words or a phrase to a user display device in response to the received media.

10. A computer implemented method that simulates conversation with a human user, comprising:

receiving media and converting the media into a system-specific format;

comparing the converted media to a vocabulary and generating a plurality of intents and a plurality of sub-entities; and

transforming the plurality of intents and the plurality of sub-entities into a pre-defined format and routing the plurality of intents and the plurality of sub-entities via a controller to a first selected knowledge engine and a second knowledge engine; and

identifying the human user'"'"'s generation from converted media through an exchange engine in communication with the controller;

where the first selected knowledge engine selects the second knowledge engine and each active grammar in the vocabulary uniquely identifies each of the plurality of knowledge engines;

transmitting a plurality of words or a phrase to a user display device in response.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10 further comprising accessing a plurality of attributes that identify the human user'"'"'s intention.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 where the plurality of attributes are stored in a plurality of downloadable profiles.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 10 where the active grammars comprise a plurality of words or phrases to be recognized.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 10 where the first selected knowledge engine and the second knowledge engines comprise an insurance quoting knowledge engine, a claims processing knowledge engine, or an on-line insurance servicing knowledge engine.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 10 where the exchange manager identifies the plurality of words or the phrase associated with the identified user'"'"'s generation and renders the plurality of words and the phrases on a social media technology in response to the received media.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 10 further comprising comparing a second converted media to the vocabulary and generating a second plurality of intents and a second plurality of sub-entities.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16 where the first and the second plurality of intents and the first and the second plurality of sub-entities identify speech included in the media.

18. A computer implemented method that simulates conversation with a human user, comprising:

receiving media and converting the media into a system-specific format;

comparing the converted media to a vocabulary and generating a plurality of intents and a plurality of sub-entities; and

transforming the plurality of intents and the plurality of sub-entities into a pre-defined format and routing the plurality of intents and the plurality of sub-entities via a controller to a first selected knowledge engine and a second knowledge engine; and

transmitting a location and an identification of a physical object via a vision engine to the controller;

wherein the first selected knowledge engine selects the second knowledge engine and each active grammar in the vocabulary uniquely identifies each of the plurality of knowledge engines;

transmitting a plurality of words or a phrase in response to the received media to a user display device.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 18 further comprising accessing a plurality of attributes that identify a user'"'"'s intention.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 19 where the plurality of attributes are stored in a plurality of downloadable profiles.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 18 where the first selected knowledge engine and the second knowledge engine are exclusive of one another and comprise at least two of an insurance quoting knowledge engine, a claims processing knowledge engine, or an on-line insurance servicing knowledge engine.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 18 where an exchange manager identifies the plurality of words or the phrase associated with an identified human user'"'"'s generation and renders the plurality of words and the phrase on a social media technology in response to the received media.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 18 further comprising comparing a second converted media to the vocabulary and generating a second plurality of intents and a second plurality of sub-entities.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 23 where the first plurality of intents and the second plurality of intents and the first plurality of sub-entities and the second plurality of sub-entities identify speech included in the media.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 18 further comprising a knowledge base accessible to the first selected knowledge engine and the second knowledge engine that includes a plurality of attributes that identify a human user'"'"'s intention.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 25 where the knowledge base comprises a plurality of downloadable profiles.

27. The computer implemented method of claim 18 where the first selected knowledge engine and the second knowledge engine differ and comprise at least one of an insurance quoting knowledge engine, a claims processing knowledge engine, or an on-line insurance servicing knowledge engine.

28. The computer implemented method of claim 18 where an exchange manager identifies a plurality of words or a phrase associated with an identified human user'"'"'s generation and renders the plurality of words or the phrase on a social media device in response to the received media.

29. The computer implemented method of claim 18 further comprising a second natural language processing engine that compares a second converted media to the vocabulary and generates a second plurality of intents and a second plurality of sub-entities.

30. The computer implemented method of claim 24 where the first natural processing engine and the second natural processing engine comprises an automatic speech recognition service.