AUTOMATED TASK CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090183165A1
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parker, Barry Allen, Scherer, James B., Wilpon, Jay Gordon, Gorin, Allen Louis
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/216 using statistical methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1822 Parsing for meaning understanding

Abstract

The invention concerns an automated task classification system that operates on a task objective of a user. The system may include a meaningful phrase generator that generates a plurality of meaningful phrases from a set of verbal and non-verbal speech. Each of the meaningful phrases may be generated based on one of a predetermined set of the task objectives. A recognizer may recognize at least one of the generated meaningful phrases in an input communication of the user and a task classifier may make a classification decision in response to the recognized meaningful phrases relating to one of the set of predetermined task objectives.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of interpreting a user'"'"'s input and implementing one or more task objectives, comprising:

associating one or more task objectives from a hierarchy of task objectives with a first input received from a user, wherein each task objective is assigned a priority;

determining an order of implementation of the associated one or more task objectives based on the priorities assigned to each of the task objectives associated with the first input;

associating one or more task objectives from the hierarchy of task objectives with a second input received from a user;

revising the order of implementation of the associated one or more task objectives based on the priorities assigned to each of the identified task objectives associated with the first and second inputs; and

implementing the task objectives based on the revised order of implementation.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising the step of applying a threshold to the task objectives associated with the first input, wherein the task objectives below the threshold are not implemented.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchy of task objectives includes mutually exclusive objectives.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, the method further comprising, if mutually exclusive task objectives are associated with the first or second inputs, conducting a dialog with the user to determine which mutually exclusive task objective the user desires.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein if the task objectives below the threshold are not implemented, the method further comprises conducting a dialog with the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, the method further comprising identifying one or more task objectives from the dialog with the user.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and second inputs are speech.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the task objectives has one or more attributes and each attribute is assigned a priority based upon the first input.

10. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a module configured to control the processor to apply a threshold to the task objectives associated with the first input, wherein the task objectives below the threshold are not implemented.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein if the task objectives below the threshold are not implemented, the system further comprises a module configured to control the processor to conduct a dialog with the user.

14. The system of claim 13, the system further comprising a module configured to control the processor to identify one or more task objectives from the dialog with the user.

9. A system for interpreting a user'"'"'s input and implementing one or more task objectives, the system comprising:

a processor;

a module configured to control the processor to associate one or more task objectives from a hierarchy of task objectives with a first input received from a user, wherein each task objective is assigned a priority;

a module configured to control the processor to determine an order of implementation of the associated one or more task objectives based on the priorities assigned to each of the task objectives associated with the first input;

a module configured to control the processor to associate one or more task objectives from the hierarchy of task objectives with a second input received from a user;

a module configured to control the processor to revise the order of implementation of the associated one or more task objectives based on the priorities assigned to each of the identified task objectives associated with the first and second inputs; and

a module configured to control the processor to implement the task objectives based on the revised order of implementation.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the hierarchy of task objectives includes mutually exclusive objectives.

12. The system of claim 11, the system further comprising a module configured to control the processor to, if mutually exclusive task objectives are associated with the first or second inputs, conduct a dialog with the user to determine which mutually exclusive task objective the user desires.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second inputs are speech.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the task objectives has one or more attributes and each attribute is assigned a priority based upon the first input.

17. A tangible computer-readable medium storing a computer program having instructions for interpreting a user'"'"'s input and implementing one or more task objectives, the instructions comprising:

associating one or more task objectives from a hierarchy of task objectives with a first input received from a user, wherein each task objective is assigned a priority;

determining an order of implementation of the associated one or more task objectives based on the priorities assigned to each of the task objectives associated with the first input;

associating one or more task objectives from the hierarchy of task objectives with a second input received from a user;

revising the order of implementation of the associated one or more task objectives based on the priorities assigned to each of the identified task objectives associated with the first and second inputs; and

implementing the task objectives based on the revised order of implementation.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, the instructions further comprising the step of applying a threshold to the task objectives associated with the first input, wherein the task objectives below the threshold are not implemented.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the hierarchy of task objectives includes mutually exclusive objectives.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19, the instructions further comprising, if mutually exclusive task objectives are associated with the first or second inputs, conducting a dialog with the user to determine which mutually exclusive task objective the user desires.

21. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein if the task objectives below the threshold are not implemented, the instructions further comprising conducting a dialog with the user.

22. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 21, the instructions further comprising identifying one or more task objectives from the dialog with the user.

23. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first and second inputs are speech.

24. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein each of the task objectives has one or more attributes and each attribute is assigned a priority based upon the first input.