Method for serving complex user requests

• US 20050234726A1
• Filed: 04/05/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Torge, Sunna, Emele, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

A Method of operating a dialogue system for serving complex user requests by appropriately controlling a network of devices (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or applications, wherein each device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application and its functionality are modeled by a finite state machine (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3), which is using a plan language, wherein a reasoning component (1) is used in order to determine a plan (P) using said plan language for serving a received complex user request, wherein said reasoning component (1) is adapted for determining said plan (P) using said finite state machines (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3) of said devices (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or applications, wherein a plan processing module (2) is used in order to perform a determined plan (P) for serving a received user request, and wherein said plan language is designed in order to enable the determination of conditional plans by said reasoning component (1), in particular by providing conditional planning commands.

Claims

1. Method for operating a dialogue system for serving complex user requests by appropriately controlling a network of devices (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or applications,

wherein each device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application is modeled by a finite state machine (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3), said finite state machine (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3) being descriptive for the functions and states of a respective device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application,

wherein transitions and/or states of said finite state machine (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3) are annotated with statements of a plan language,

wherein a reasoning component (1) is used in order to determine a determined plan (P), said reasoning component (1) being adapted for using said finite state machines (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3) in order to determine said determined plan (P), said determined plan (P) being based on said plan language (P),

wherein a plan processing module (2) is used in order to perform said determined plan (P) for serving a received user request, and

wherein said plan language is designed in order to enable the determination of conditional plans by said reasoning component (1), in particular by providing conditional planning commands (EXPECT).

2. Method according to claim 1,

wherein said plan processing module (2) is adapted for realizing one sub-process or any combination of sub-processes of the following group of sub-processes consisting of:

serving different tasks in parallel,

scheduling tasks at given certain times, and

interrupting tasks with respect to user and/or application interrupts.

21. Dialogue system,

which is capable of and which has means for performing or realizing a method for serving complex user requests according to claim 1 and/or the steps thereof.

22. Computer program product,

comprising computer program means adapted to perform and/or to realize a method for serving complex user requests according to claim 1 and/or the steps thereof, when it is executed on a computer, a digital signal processing means, and/or the like.

23. Computer readable storage medium,

comprising a computer program product according to claim 22.

3. Method for operating a dialog system for serving complex user requests by appropriately controlling a network of devices (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or applications:

wherein each device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application is modeled by a finite state machine (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3), said finite state machine (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3) being descriptive for the functions and states of a respective device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application,

wherein transitions and/or states of said finite state machine (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3) are annotated with statements of a plan language,

wherein a reasoning component (1) is used in order to determine a determined plan (P), said reasoning component (1) being adapted for using said finite state machines (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3) in order to determine said determined plan (P), said determined plan (P) being based on said plan language (P),

wherein a plan processing module (2) is used in order to perform said determined plan (P) for serving a received user request, and

wherein said plan processing module (2) is adapted to realize one sub-process or any combination of sub-processes of the following group of sub-processes;

serving different tasks in parallel,

scheduling tasks at given certain times, and

interrupting tasks with respect to user and/or application interrupts.

4. Method according to claim 3,

wherein said plan language is designed in order to enable the determination of conditional plans by said reasoning component (1), in particular by providing conditional planning commands (EXPECT).

5. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said method comprises

a planing stage, wherein said determined plan (P) or at least one further plan is determined or said determined plan (P) is modified by said reasoning component (1),

an executing stage, wherein said determined plan (P) and/or said at least one further plan is executed by said plan processing module (2), and

at least one switching step for switching back and forth between said planning stage and said executing stage, in particular when processing a conditional plan or serving different tasks in parallel.

6. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said plan language comprises a WAIT-statement and said reasoning component (1) plans at least one further plan (FP) in case said plan processing module (2) is executing or previously has executed a WAIT-statement and is thus in a waiting state,

wherein said at least one further plan (FP) is executed by said plan processing module (2), such that said at least one further plan (FP) is executed in parallel to said determined plan.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that said plan language comprises a REPEAT_WHILE_PENDING-statement that describes an undefined number of WAIT-statements, thus realizing a determined plan (P) of an undefined length comprising an unknown number of statements.

8. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that

said reasoning component (1) determines a conditional plan as determined plan (P) by using at least one EXPECT-statement which corresponds to an expected feedback of a device and/or application, and

said plan processing module (2) receives a current feedback (FD-1, . . . , FD-n) from a device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application when said at least one EXPECT-statement within said conditional plan is executed, wherein

in case said current feedback (FD-1, . . . , FD-n) corresponds to said expected feedback, said conditional plan is further executed by said plan processing module (2), and

in case said current feedback (FD-1, . . . , FD-n) does not correspond to said expected feedback, an alternative plan is executed by said plan processing module (2).

9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that said alternative plan is loaded by said plan processing module (2), or said alternative plan is newly generated by said reasoning component (1).

10. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that said alternative plan is newly generated by said reasoning component (1) based on a current state of said dialogue system and/or based on current states of said devices and/or applications.

11. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that

said reasoning component (1) and/or said plan processing module (2) comprise an internal state data base (DB) with a data base entry for each device, said data base entry being descriptive for a current state of a respective device,

said plan language comprises a GOAL-statement describing a goal state of a certain device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application and a REACHED-statement for setting said data base entry of said certain device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application to said goal state,

wherein, when said REACHED-statement is processed by said plan processing module (2), the data base entry for said certain devcie (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application within the internal state data (DB) base is updated and set to said goal state.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that,

said determined plan comprises said GOAL-statement followed by following statements, followed by said REACHED-statement,

wherein said GOAL-statement is processed by said plan processing module (2), and

in case said certain device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application is already in said goal state, said following statements are skipped and said REACHED-statement is processed directly after said GOAL-statement, and

in case said certain device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application is not in said goal state, said following statements are processed, and

wherein said REACHED-statement is processed by said plan processing module (2) thereby setting said data base entry for said certain device and/or application to said goal state.

13. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that certain functionalities are described by virtual devices (VD) that are modeled by a respective finite state machine (FSM-1, FSM-2, FSM-3).

14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that said virtual devices (VD) comprise a scheduling device (SD) for providing a scheduling function within a determined plan (P).

15. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that said scheduling function is provided to said devices (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or applications of said network and thus enables the scheduling of tasks provided by said devices (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or applications of said network and/or the scheduling of a determined plan (P).

16. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that said virtual devices (VD) comprise a stopping device (STPD) for providing a stopping function within a determined plan (P).

17. Method according to claim 16, characterized in that said stopping function is provided to said devices (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or applications of said network and thus enables the stopping of tasks provided by said devices (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or applications of said network and/or the stopping of a determined plan (P).

18. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that

said plan language and said determined plan (P) comprises exclusively any or any combination exclusively of the following statements:

ACTION;

instructing a device to perform a task;

WAIT;

modeling that a device and/or application is in a waiting state;

REPEAT_WHILE PENDING;

modeling an unknown number of WAIT-statements;

EXPECT;

in case an expected feedback is received from a device and/or application, said determined plan is continued to be executed, otherwise an alternative plan is executed by said plan processing module (2);

GOAL;

in case a device is in a goal state that is indicated by said GOAL-statement, following statements are skipped until a REACHED-statement is reached, and in case said device (D1, . . . , Dn) and/or application is not in said goal state, the following statements are processed;

REACHED;

updating an internal state data base (DB) with the current state of a respective device and/or application;

thus enabling a simple description language regarding expressive power with a low complexity.

19. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that,

in case said reasoning component (1) determines several possible plans for serving a received complex user request,

said reasoning component (1) selects said determined plan from said several possible plans depending on cost aspects for the user.

20. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that,

in case said reasoning component (1) determines several possible plans for serving a received complex user request,

said reasoning component selects said determined plan based on a selection of the user and/or based on predetermined preferences.