Intention-based automated conflict prediction and notification system

• US 8,407,281 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2001
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howard, Newton
• Original Assignee: Howard, Newton
• Inventors: Howard, Newton
• Primary Examiner(s): Oyebisi, Ojo O
• Application Number:
  US09/912,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,262 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Input devices such as satellites, field sensors, electronic pads, cellular phones, and/or radio transmitters communicate information representing queries, reports, and/or instructions to an intention determination system that is accessible by a user interface with a display. The intention determination system includes an input module for processing the information received from the input devices; a language converter for converting the information from a natural language format to a restructured form in a position-based format; a database system for storing the received information, the restructured information, and reference information; and a rule-based analyzer for periodically retrieving and processing the stored information. The analyzer sends an alert to the user interface to notify the user if execution of one the instructions creates a potential conflict with the other stored information. The user interface can include a node-based navigation system that allows user customization of how the alert is displayed.

Claims

1. An automated system for issuing at least one alert when a natural language message pertaining to a current or a future event potentially conflicts with event information comprising:

a first set of one or more input devices for receiving the natural language message entered by a user and transmitting the natural language message to an intention determination system;

a second set of one or more input devices providing the event information to the intent determination system, the event information including a current event known to the system, a future event predicted by the system, or one or more events specified by another natural language message pertaining to a current or future event;

the intention determination system including an input processor for receiving the natural language message and the event information, wherein the input processor includes a preprocessor for determining a report type for the natural language message and a plurality of processors, each processor for processing messages of a specific report type, wherein the preprocessor determines that the natural language message is of a first report type, that the event information is of a second report type based on the source or content of the event information, transfers the natural language message to a first one of the plurality of processors based on its report type for processing, and transfers the event information to a second one of the plurality of processors based on its report type for processing;

the intention determination system including a language converter for converting the natural language message and the event information spatial-temporal language stings representing events, the spatial-temporal language stings stored in a database and including an event, a type of event, time of event, duration of event, areas associated with an event, other characteristics of event, environmental condition information, and reference information in the database, wherein the database is enhanced using temporal query language features including, timestamping records of spatial-temporal language string as they are entered in the system, or noting the time during which the event information is valid; and

the intention determination system including a rule-based analyzer for determining if execution of the natural language message complies with the intent of a user issuing the natural language message prior to issuance of the natural language message for execution based in part on an analysis of the spatial-temporal language strings received from the language converter and a plurality of messages and reference information in the database, and issuing an alert in case of a potential conflict wherein potential conflict is a conclusion that one or more events represented by the spatial-temporal language strings is incapable of being completed.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the messages include text messages.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the messages are converted to executable instructions for machine processing.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first set of input devices includes devices selected from the group consisting of a PDA, a cellular phone and a radio transmitter.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the second set of input devices is selected from the group consisting of an electronic pad, a sensor, and a satellite.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising an output device for generating a record of the alert.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the user interfaces includes a node based navigation system that allows user customization of how the alert is displayed.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the messages is issued from a remote location.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the intention determination system comprises:

the rule-based analyzer for periodically retrieving and processing spatial-temporal language strings and reference information stored in the database to determine if there is a conclusion that one or more events represented by the spatial-temporal language strings is incapable of being completed.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one user interface for respectively notifying the-user by displaying the alert.

17. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the rule-based analyzer for deriving the intent behind any natural language messages based on a plurality of previously received messages describing activities and environmental conditions information, and storing the information derived from the plurality of previously received messages in the database for future use, in the form of spatial-temporal language strings.

18. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the rule-based analyzer for recursive execution of determining if execution of the natural language message complies with the intent of the user issuing the natural language message prior to issuance of the first natural language message for execution.

19. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the rule-based analyzer for determining whether there is an alternative natural language message to achieve the same end result of the first natural language message when there a conclusion that there is a potential conflict.

20. The system according to claim 19, further comprising the rule-based analyzer for generating an alternative natural language message to achieve the same end result of the first natural language message when there a conclusion that there is a potential conflict.

21. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the rule-based analyzer which uses the database information to determine the hierarchical relationships between users issuing natural language messages, and determining whether the execution of the natural language message by a subordinate complies with the intent of the superior issuing the natural language message.

22. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the rule-based analyzer which identifies incomplete or ambiguous messages issued by the user, generates several possible interpretations of the message, and interactively queries the user to correct the message.

23. The system according to claim 1, which allows evolving and self-learning system behavior including as analyzing information about current and predicted situations and getting new information into the database, in the form of spatial-temporal language strings, thereby modifying one or more aspects of the rules it operates by.

10. An intention determination system for predictive checking of whether a natural language message pertaining to a current or a future event potentially conflicts with event information comprising:

an input processor for obtaining the natural language message related to a future event and the event information including a current event known to the system, a future event predicted by the system, or one or more events specified by another natural language message pertaining to a current or future event, wherein the input processor includes a preprocessor for determining a report type for messages received by the intention determination system and a plurality of processors, each processor for processing messages of a specific report type, wherein the preprocessor determines that the event information is of a second report type based on the source or content of the event information and that the natural language message is of a first report type, and transfers the event information to a second one of the plurality of processors based on its report type for processing;

a language converter for receiving and converting the natural language message and the event information to spatial-temporal language stings representing events, the spatial-temporal language stings stored in a database and including an event, a type of event, and a time of event, duration of event, areas associated with an event, other characteristics of event, environmental condition information, and reference information in the database, wherein the database is enhanced using temporal query language features including, timestamping records of spatial-temporal language string as they are entered in the system, or noting the time during which the event information is valid;

the database for storing the natural language message, the event information, other natural language messages, spatial-temporal language strings generated from previous natural language messages, and reference information; and

a rule-based analyzer for periodically retrieving messages from each of the plurality of processors and processing the spatial-temporal language strings in the database, wherein processing includes determining if execution of the one or more spatial-temporal language strings complies with the intent of a user issuing the natural language message based, in part, on an analysis of the spatial-temporal language strings and the spatial-temporal language strings with stored reference information wherein the analyzer generates an alert in case of a potential conflict wherein potential conflict is a conclusion that one or more events represented by the spatial-temporal language strings is incapable of being completed.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the messages include orders issued by military personnel.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the input device includes a device selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a radio transmitter, an electronic pad, a sensor, and a satellite.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein each of the user interfaces includes a node-based navigation system that allows user customization of how the alert is displayed.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the messages is issued from a remote location.

16. The system according to claim 10, further comprising at least one user interface for respectively notifying, the user by displaying the alert.

24. The system of claim 10 wherein the messages include orders issued by medical personnel.

25. The system of claim 10 wherein the messages include orders issued by business personnel.