Method for serving user requests

• US 20040247281A1
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rapp, Stefan, Torge, Sunna
• Application Number:
  US10/845,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20040247281A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/46
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/913 Digital audio tape [DAT] format
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A method for serving user requests is proposed wherein for each device at least one abstract function model (33-1, . . . , 33-4) is generated. Further, a given user request is modeled and represented in an abstract way by generating an abstract task model thereof. Additionally, a plurality of abstract function models (33-1, . . . , 33-4) of distinct devices is combined and/or formally merged and/or modeled via a set of ordered external models, thereby yielding an abstract and virtual device model which models the functionalities of the combined single devices.

Claims

1. Method for serving user requests with respect to a network of devices and in particular for controlling said network of devices,

wherein for each device and/or for device classes in the network at least one abstract and individual function model (33-1, . . . , 33-4) is generated, provided, and/or employed for modeling for each of said devices and/or for each device class its functionalities in an abstract way,

wherein a given user request is in each case modeled and/or represented in an abstract way by generating, providing, and/or employing an abstract task model thereof, and

wherein a plurality of abstract and individual function models (33-1, . . . , 33-4) of distinct devices is

combined, in particular by using external models and/or

formally merged and/or

modeled via an ordered set of external models,

 

thereby yielding an abstract and virtual device model which models in an abstract way the functionalities of the combined models of the respective distinct and/or combined single devices.

2. Method according to claim 1,

wherein at least one step or one subprocess of deducing at least one functionality of at least one combination of single devices and/or of subsets thereof is performed, which is in particular not a functionality of one of the single devices.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein function models (33-1, . . . , 33-4) are employed, in particular for each device in the network, in global form and/or in steps of deriving (S3), storing and/or employing device information data (DID), said action information data (AID), and/or the like.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein each of said function models (33-1, . . . , 33-4) is chosen to be built up by and/or to contain at least one external model modeling and/or being descriptive for data being transmitted to a respective device or device class or for input data and/or for data being transmitted from a respective device or device class or for output data, in particular in dependence on the particular functionality which is employed and/or in particular for finding appropriate devices.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein each of said function models (33-1, . . . , 33-4) is chosen to be built up by and/or to contain an internal model, in particular as a finite state machine, finite state automaton, or the like and/or being descriptive for possible states, of possible transitions between states, of possible actions to initialize said state transitions of said respective device, device class and/or the like, in particular for generating plans for controlling respective devices or device classes.

6. Method according to claim 5,

wherein for at least one device or device class said internal model comprises states with preconditions and/or with post-conditions, which, in particular, describe necessities of employing at least one additional device and/or one additional device class.

7. Method according to an one of the preceding claims 4 to 6 claim 4,

wherein according to said input data and/or said output data a connection, an assignment, and/or the like between internal and external models is established.

8. Method according to claim 1,

wherein each of said function models (33-1, . . . , 33-4) is chosen to contain a connection model being representative for possible connections between involved devices.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein for each device a plurality of external models is generated, provided and/or employed.

10. Method according to claim 9,

wherein elementary external models are employed as said external models, at least comprising information on input data, on output data and/or on an elementary process or service connecting said input data to said output data.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein for each given task derived from a received user request at least one sequence of elementary tasks is generated, provided, and/or employed, in particular as a set of models for said given task and/or in particular connecting the input data of the given task with the output data of the given task.

12. Method according to claim 11,

wherein from a plurality of sequences of elementary tasks for a given task a member is chosen as a model for said given task which fulfills given complexity requirements and/or reliability requirements.

13. Method according to any one of the preceding claims claim 1, comprising the steps of:

receiving (S1) and/or processing (S1, S2) a user request (UR), thereby providing, generating and/or storing request information data (RID) being representative for said user request (UR),

providing, generating (S3), storing and/or employing device information data (DID) containing information at least of units and/or devices being necessary and/or appropriate with respect to said user request (UR) and/or being available for a man-machine-interface unit for said network and/or containing information of possible states of said units and/or devices,

providing, generating (S4, S5) and/or storing action information data (AID) containing information in accordance with said request information data (RID), said device information data (DID), and/or the like about sequences of actions being appropriate with respect to said user request (UR),

performing (S6) at least one of said sequences of actions in accordance with said action information data (AID), so as to adequately respond to said user request (UR).

14. Method according to claim 1, wherein a complex user request representing a user'"'"'s wish, a desired task, service, device and/or the like or sequence or set thereof is received as said user request (UR), in particular involving several necessary devices of said network.

15. Method according to claim 1, wherein a user utterance is received as an input (SI), in particular in multimodal form.

16. Method according to claim 1, wherein speech input (SI) is received as said user utterance, input (SI) or as said user request (UR).

17. Method according claim 13,

wherein said step of processing (S1, S2) said user request (UR) comprises a step of recognizing (S2) said user request (UR) and in particular a step of speech recognizing.

18. Method according to claim 13,

wherein said request information data (RID) is generated so as to contain primary data source information (PDSI), primary data target information (PDTI) and/or primary action information (PAI).

19. Method according to claim 18,

wherein said primary data source information (PDSI) is generated so as to contain information at least indicating possible or potential sources of requested data and/or services,

wherein said primary data target information (PDTI) is generated so as to contain information at least indicating possible or potential targets for potential or derived data and/or services, and/or

wherein said primary action information (PAI) is generated so as to contain information at least indicating possible or potential actions to be performed on requested and/or derived data and/or for said services.

20. Method according to claim 13,

wherein said device information data (DID) contain device functionality data (DFD), in particular describing and/or representing possible functionalities of each device, and/or device status data (DSD), in particular describing and/or representing initial, current, and/or final statuses or states of at least said necessary and/or appropriate devices.

21. Method according to claim 13,

wherein a dialogue system (30, 31), section, algorithm, or the like is employed, in particular in said steps of deriving (S3), storing and/or employing said device information data (DID), said action information data (AID), and/or the like.

22. Method according to claim 1, wherein a planning module (32), section, algorithm, or the like is employed, in particular as a part of said dialogue system (30, 31), section, algorithm, or the like, and/or in particular containing function models (33-1, . . . , 33-4), state models and/or a reasoning component (34).

23. Method according to claim 22,

wherein said planning module (32), section, algorithm, or the like is capable of generating plans by reasoning on abstract models of single devices and/or of device classes as well as on abstract and virtual device models for distinct and/or combined single devices.

24. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 13 to 3 claim 13,

wherein in the step of deriving (S3) said device information data (DID) a device search algorithm (DSA) is employed, in particular using said external models.

25. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 13 to 21 claim 13,

wherein in the step of deriving (S3) said device information data (DID) a state search algorithm (SSA) is employed, in particular using said internal models and/or said state models.

26. Method according to claim 24, wherein said device search algorithm (DSA) und/or said state search algorithm (SSA) are capable of and/or are employed for deducing functionalities of combined single devices in the network and/or for participating in the process of generating said virtual device models.

27. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 13 to 6 claim 13,

wherein in the step of deriving (S3) action information data (AID) an action search algorithm (ASA) is employed, in particular using said internal models and/or said reasoning component (34).

28. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 13 to 7 claim 13,

wherein in the step of performing one of the sequences of action an action performing algorithm (APA) is employed.

29. Network of devices, man-machine-interface unit or the like or system for operating the same which is capable of performing and/or realizing the method to claim 1 and/or the steps thereof.

30. Computer program product, comprising computer program means adapted to perform and/or to realize the method according to claim 1 and/or the steps thereof, when it is executed on a computer, a digital processing means and/or the like.