SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC DIALOG CONTROL FOR CONTACT CENTER SYSTEMS

• US 20180338041A1
• Filed: 05/22/2018
• Published: 11/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: McGann, Conor, Grigoropol, Ioana, Orshansky, Masha, Pat, Ankit
• Granted Patent: US 10,630,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/01 Dynamic search techniques; Heuristics; Dynamic trees; Branch-and-bound
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• 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 15/1822 Parsing for meaning understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/556 Statistical analysis and interpretation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

A system and method for engaging in an automated dialog with a user. A processor retrieves a preset dialog flow that includes various blocks directing the dialog with the user. The processor provides a prompt to the user based on a current block of the dialog flow, receives an action from the user in response to the prompt, and retrieves a classification/decision tree corresponding to the dialog flow. The classification tree has a plurality of nodes mapped to the blocks of the dialog flow. Each of the nodes represents a user intent. The processor computes a probability for each of the nodes based on the action from the user. A particular one of the nodes is then selected based on the computed probabilities. A target block of the dialog flow is further identified based on the selected node, and a response is output in response to the identified target block.

Claims

1. A system for engaging in an automated dialog with a user, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

retrieve a preset dialog flow, the dialog flow having a plurality of blocks directing the dialog with the user;

provide a prompt to the user based on a current block of the plurality of blocks;

receive an action from the user in response to the prompt;

retrieve a classification tree corresponding to the dialog flow, the classification tree having a plurality of nodes mapped to the plurality of blocks;

compute a probability for each of the nodes based on the action from the user, each of the nodes representing a user intent;

select a particular node of the plurality of nodes based on the computed probabilities;

identify a target block of the dialog flow corresponding to the particular node; and

output a response in response to the identified target block.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the output response corresponds to an action identified in the target block.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the target block is a block hierarchically below an intermediate block on a path from the current block to the target block, wherein the intermediate block is skipped during the dialog in response to identifying the target block.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular node has a highest probability of the computed probabilities.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the response is a prompt for disambiguating between a plurality of candidate intents.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the prompt changes based on the computed probability of a target node of the plurality of nodes corresponding to the target block, relative to a threshold associated with the target node.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the threshold to be dynamically updated based on response by the user to the prompt.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the probabilities to be updated based on response by the user to the prompt.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the action from the user includes a natural language utterance.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the probability is computed based on a current probability value and a prior probability value.

11. A system for conducting an automated dialog with a user, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

provide a prompt to the user based on a current position of a decision tree, the decision tree directing the dialog with the user;

receive an action from the user in response to the prompt;

compute a probability for each intent of a plurality of intents associated with the decision tree based on the action from the user;

select a particular intent of the plurality of intents based on the computed probabilities;

identify a response to be output to the user based on the selected particular intent; and

output the identified response for progressing the dialog to a next position of the decision tree.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the selected intent has a highest probability of the computed probabilities.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the response is a prompt for disambiguating between the plurality of intents.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the prompt changes based on the computed probability of the selected intent relative to a particular threshold.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the threshold to be dynamically updated based on response by the user to the prompt.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the probabilities to be updated based on response by the user to the prompt.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the action from the user includes a natural language utterance.