Computer-assisted conversation using addressible conversation segments

• US 10,565,981 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2017
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sarkar, Angshuman, Taylor, John Anthony, Nielsen, Henrik Frystyk
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharma, Neeraj
• Application Number:
  US15/716,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20190096391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/06 Creation of reference templates; Training of speech recognition systems, e.g. adaptation to the characteristics of the speaker's voice G10L15/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/221 Announcement of recognition results

Abstract

At least some embodiments described herein relate to computer-assisted conversation. The set of available conversation segments is updated by addressing conversation segments at the granularity of a conversation segment or a group of conversation segments. For instance, an entire class of conversation segments may be addressed to add, delete, turn on, or turn off, the class of conversation segments. Groups of class of conversation segments may also be similarly addressed. Thus, as the scope of a conversation changes, the available set of conversation segments may likewise change with fine-grained control. Accordingly, rather than pre-plan every set of possible conversations, the context and direction of the conversation may be evaluated by code to thereby determine what new sets of conversation segments should be added, deleted, turned on, or turned off. New conversation segments may even be generated dynamically, taking into account the values of parameters that then exist.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform a method for computer-assisted conversation, the method comprising;

updating an available set of conversation segments, each conversation segment of the available set of conversation segments comprising at least one correlation between statement data and at least one computerized response, the available set of conversation segments being used by a computing system to audibly emit a response when correlated statement data is matched against a user statement, the updating comprising the following;

determining a conversation segment on which to perform an update operation;

instructing that the determined conversation segment have the update operation performed thereon to thereby cause the available set of conversation segments to be updated with respect to the determined conversation segment, the instructing including providing an addressing identifier of the determined conversation segment;

determining a plurality of additional conversation segments on which to perform corresponding update operations; and

instructing that the plurality of determined additional conversation segments have the corresponding update operations performed thereon to thereby cause the available set of conversation segments to be updated with respect to the plurality of determined additional conversation segments, a corresponding update operation for at least one of the plurality of determined additional conversation segments being different than a corresponding update operation for least one other of the plurality of additional conversation segments.

2. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, the updating comprising turning off the determined conversation segment so that the determined conversation segment is not thereafter part of the available set of conversation segments.

3. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, the updating comprising turning on the determined conversation segment so that the determined conversation segment is thereafter part of the available set of conversation segments.

4. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, the updating comprising deleting the determined conversation segment so that the determined conversation segment cannot thereafter be turned on absent the determined conversation segment being provided again to the computing system that uses the available set of conversation segments to audibly emit responses to user statements.

5. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, the updating further comprising generating the determined conversation segment.

6. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, the addressing identifier of the determined conversation segment being a class identifier to which the determined conversation segment belongs.

7. A method for computer-assisted conversation, the method comprising:

updating an available set of conversation segments, each conversation segment of the available set of conversation segments comprising at least one correlation between statement data and at least one computerized response, the available set of conversation segments being used by a computing system to audibly emit a response when correlated statement data is matched against a user statement, the updating comprising the following;

determining a conversation segment on which to perform an update operation;

instructing that the determined conversation segment have the update operation performed thereon to thereby cause the available set of conversation segments to be updated with respect to the determined conversation segment, the instructing including providing an addressing identifier of the determined conversation segment;

determining a plurality of additional conversation segments on which to perform corresponding update operations; and

instructing that the plurality of determined additional conversation segments have the corresponding update operation performed thereon to thereby cause the available set of conversation segments to be updated with respect to the plurality of determined additional conversation segments, the corresponding update operation for at least one of the plurality of determined additional conversation segments being different than the corresponding update operation for least one other of the plurality of additional conversation segments.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7, the updating comprising turning off the determined conversation segment so that the determined conversation segment is not thereafter part of the available set of conversation segments.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7, the updating comprising turning on the determined conversation segment so that the determined conversation segment is thereafter part of the available set of conversation segments.

10. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform a method for computer-assisted conversation, the method comprising;

maintaining an available set of conversion segments at the computing system, each conversation segment of the available set of conversation segments comprising at least one correlation between statement data and at least one computerized response;

using the available set of conversation segments to perform computer-assisted conversation by, upon determining that a user statement has been made, determining whether the user statement matches statement data of a conversation segment of the available set of conversation segments, and audibly emitting the response of that conversation segment to the user; and

updating the available set of conversation segments, the updating comprising;

determining a first conversation segment on which to perform an update operation; and

instructing that the determined conversation segment have the update operation performed thereon to thereby cause the available set of conversation segments to be updated with respect to the determined conversation segment, the instructing including providing an addressing identifier of the determined conversation segment;

determining a plurality of additional conversation segments on which to perform corresponding update operations; and

instructing that the plurality of determined additional conversation segments have the corresponding update operation performed thereon to thereby cause the available set of conversation segments to be updated with respect to the plurality of determined additional conversation segments, the corresponding update operation for at least one of the plurality of determined additional conversation segments being different than the corresponding update operation for least one other of the plurality of additional conversation segments.

11. The computing system in accordance with claim 10, the updating comprising turning off the determined conversation segment so that the determined conversation segment is not thereafter part of the available set of conversation segments.

12. The computing system in accordance with claim 10, the updating comprising turning on the determined conversation segment so that the determined conversation segment is thereafter part of the available set of conversation segments.

13. The computing system in accordance with claim 10, the updating comprising deleting the determined conversation segment so that the determined conversation segment cannot thereafter be turned on absent the determined conversation segment being provided again to the computing system.

14. The computing system in accordance with claim 10, the updating comprising receiving the determined conversation segment by the computing system so that the determined conversation segment is thereafter added to the available set of conversation segments.

15. The computing system in accordance with claim 10, the updating further comprising generating the determined conversation segment.

16. The computing system in accordance with claim 10, the addressing identifier of the determined conversation segment being a class identifier to which the determined conversation segment belongs.