Multiple Parallel Dialogs in Smart Phone Applications

• US 20140358545A1
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Robichaud, Jean-Philippe, Hebert, Matthieu
• Granted Patent: US 9,431,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/257
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/18 using natural language modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1815 Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

An arrangement is described for conducting natural language dialogs with a user on a mobile device using automatic speech recognition (ASR) and multiple different dialog applications. A user interface provides for user interaction with the dialogue applications in natural language dialogs. An ASR engine processes unknown speech inputs from the user to produce corresponding speech recognition results. A dialog concept module develops dialog concept items from the speech recognition results and stores the dialog concept items and additional dialog information in a dialog concept database. A dialog processor accesses dialog concept database information and coordinates operation of the ASR engine and the dialog applications to conduct with the user a plurality of separate parallel natural language dialogs in the dialog applications.

Claims

1. An arrangement for conducting natural language dialogs with a user on a mobile device using automatic speech recognition (ASR) employing at least one hardware implemented computer processor and having a plurality of different dialog applications, the arrangement comprising:

a user interface for user interaction with the dialogue applications in natural language dialogs;

an ASR engine for processing unknown speech inputs from the user to produce corresponding speech recognition results;

a dialog concept module for developing dialog concept items from the speech recognition results and storing the dialog concept items and additional dialog information in a dialog concept database; and

a dialog processor for accessing dialog concept database information and coordinating operation of the ASR engine and the dialog applications to conduct with the user a plurality of separate parallel natural language dialogs in the dialog applications.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of application selection tabs for user selection of a given active dialog application to interact with the user.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the dialog concept items include an indication of the dialog application in which they were originated.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, further including a domain expert agent for each dialog application to coordinate with the dialog processor to conduct a natural language dialog with the user in the associated dialog application.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the dialog processor pushes relevant dialog concept database information to the dialog applications.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the dialog applications pull relevant information from the dialog concept database.

7. A computer-implemented method for conducting natural language dialogs with a user on a mobile device using automatic speech recognition (ASR) employing at least one hardware implemented computer processor and having a plurality of different dialog applications, the method comprising:

providing a user interface for user interaction with the dialog applications in natural language dialogs;

processing unknown speech inputs from the user with an ASR engine to produce corresponding speech recognition results;

developing dialog concept items from the speech recognition results;

storing the dialog concept items and additional dialog information in a dialog concept database; and

accessing dialog concept database information and coordinating operation of the ASR engine and the dialog applications to conduct with the user a plurality of separate parallel natural language dialogs in the dialog applications.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of application selection tabs for user selection of a given active dialog application to interact with the user.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the dialog concept items include an indication of the dialog application in which they were originated.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein domain expert agents for each dialog application are used to conduct a natural language dialog with the user in the associated dialog applications.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein relevant information is pushed from the dialog concept database to the dialog applications.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein relevant information is pulled from the dialog concept database by the dialog applications.

13. A computer program product encoded in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for conducting natural language dialogs with a user on a mobile device using automatic speech recognition (ASR) and having a plurality of different dialog applications, the product comprising:

program code for providing a user interface for user interaction with the dialog applications in natural language dialogs;

program code for processing unknown speech inputs from the user with an ASR engine to produce corresponding speech recognition results;

program code for developing dialog concept items from the speech recognition results;

program code for storing the dialog concept items and additional dialog information in a dialog concept database; and

program code for accessing dialog concept database information and coordinating operation of the ASR engine and the dialog applications to conduct with the user a plurality of separate parallel natural language dialogs in the dialog applications.

14. The product according to claim 13, wherein the program code for providing a user interface includes program code for providing a plurality of application selection tabs for user selection of a given active dialog application to interact with the user.

15. The product according to claim 13, wherein the dialog concept items include an indication of the dialog application in which they were originated.

16. The product according to claim 13, wherein domain expert agents for each dialog application are used to conduct a natural language dialog with the user in the associated dialog applications.

17. The product according to claim 13, wherein relevant information is pushed from the dialog concept database to the dialog applications.

18. The product according to claim 13, wherein relevant information is pulled from the dialog concept database by the dialog applications.