Wearable-based virtual agents

• US 9,563,618 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Next IT Corporation (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zartler, Mark, Miller, Tanya M, Brown, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Chau, Dung K
• Application Number:
  US14/451,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20140343928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/43 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces

Abstract

Virtual agents may be implemented on a wearable device. The wearable device may include an input device to receive input and a communication component to send the input to a computing device for processing and to receive a response for the input. The wearable device may also include an output device to output the response via the virtual agent as part of a conversation with a user.

Claims

1. A wearable computer comprising:

a display device communicatively coupled to one or more processors and configured to present information for a virtual agent to enable a conversation between the virtual agent and a user associated with the wearable computer;

a microphone communicatively coupled to one or more processors and configured to receive input from the user during the conversation with the virtual agent;

a communication component communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and configured to;

wirelessly send, via a Bluetooth connection, the input to a device located within a predetermined distance to the wearable computer to be wirelessly relayed to a remote service for performing natural language processing, the remote service at least partly implementing the virtual agent; and

wirelessly receive, from the device via the Bluetooth connection, (i) a response of the virtual agent to the input and (ii) content that is related to the input, the response being generated by the remote service based at least in part on a pattern of components for other input received from the user, the pattern of the components including at least one of an order of the components or a proximity of the components to each other, each of the components relating to a term in the other input; and

a battery configured to provide power to at least one of the microphone, the communication component, or the display device;

wherein the display device is further configured to present the response and the content as originating from the virtual agent.

2. The wearable computer of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises a projector configured to project the information for the virtual agent and the response for the input.

3. The wearable computer of claim 1, wherein the input from the user comprises natural language input and the response comprises a natural language response.

4. The wearable computer of claim 1, further comprising a module that is executable by the one or more processors to facilitate a goal-based dialogue between the virtual agent and the user to identify and accomplish a goal.

5. The wearable computer of claim 1, further comprising a module that is executable by the one or more processors to clarify ambiguous input of the user by causing the virtual agent to prompt the user for additional input.

6. A wearable device comprising:

an output device communicatively coupled to one or more processors and configured to output information representing a virtual agent to enable a conversation between the virtual agent and a user associated with the wearable device, the virtual agent being implemented by one or more applications;

an input device communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and configured to receive input data during the conversation;

a communication component communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and configured to;

send the input data to a device located within a predetermined distance to the wearable device to be relayed to a computing device for natural language processing; and

receive, from the device, a response for the input data and content that is determined by the computing device to be related to the input data, the response originating from the computing device, the response being based at least in part on a concept for the input data, the concept representing a pattern of components, the pattern of components including at least one of an order of the components or

a proximity of the components to each other, each of the components relating to a term for the input data; and

a self-contained power source configured to provide power to at least one of the input device, the communication component, or the output device;

wherein the output device is further configured to output the response and the content via the virtual agent.

7. The wearable device of claim 6, wherein the output device comprises a speaker configured to output the response as audio.

8. The wearable device of claim 6, wherein the output device comprises a projector configured to project the response.

9. The wearable device of claim 6, wherein the output device comprises a display configured to display the response.

10. The wearable device of claim 6, wherein the communication component is configured to send the input data to the device and to receive the response via a near-field communication link.

11. A method comprising:

under control of a wearable device configured with executable instructions;

implementing a virtual agent on the wearable device by executing one or more applications on the wearable device;

causing the virtual agent to be output via the wearable device to facilitate a conversation with a user;

receiving user input as part of the conversation;

wirelessly sending the user input to a proximate device that is located within a predetermined distance to the wearable device to be relayed to a remote service;

receiving a response to the user input from the proximate device, the response originating from the remote service, the response being based at least in part on a concept of the user input, the concept representing a pattern of components, the pattern of the components including at least one of an order of the components or a proximity of the components to each other, each of the components relating to a term in the user input; and

causing the virtual agent to provide the response to the user as part of the conversation, the response being provided to the user via an output device of the wearable device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user input comprises natural language input and the response comprises a natural language response.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising facilitating a goal-based dialogue between the virtual agent and the user to identify and accomplish a goal.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising clarifying ambiguous input of the user by causing the virtual agent to prompt the user for additional input.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

implementing a virtual agent on a wearable device by executing one or more applications on the wearable device;

causing the virtual agent to be output via the wearable device to facilitate a conversation with a user;

receiving user input as part of the conversation;

wirelessly sending the user input to a proximate device that is located within a predetermined distance to the wearable device to be relayed to a remote service;

receiving a response to the user input from the proximate device, the response originating from the remote service, the response being based at least in part on a concept of the user input, the concept representing a pattern of components, the pattern of the components including at least one of an order of the components or a proximity of the components to each other, each of the components relating to a term in the user input; and

causing the virtual agent to provide the response to the user as part of the conversation, the response being provided to the user via an output device of the wearable device.

16. A method comprising:

implementing a virtual agent on a wearable device by executing one or more applications;

outputting information representing the virtual agent to enable a conversation between the virtual agent and a user;

receiving user input during the conversation;

sending the user input to a proximate device that is located within a predetermined distance to the wearable device to be relayed to a remote service;

determining a response to the user input based at least in part on a concept of the user input, the concept representing a pattern of components, the pattern of components including at least one of an order of the components or a proximity of the components to each other, each of the components relating to a term of the user input;

determining content that is related to the user input;

receiving, from the proximate device, the response to the user input and the content; and

outputting the response and the content via the virtual agent.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the sending the user input to the proximate device and the receiving the response is performed via at least one of a near-field communication link or a Bluetooth communication link.

18. A wearable device comprising:

one or more processors;

a display communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and configured to display information representing a virtual agent to enable a conversation between the virtual agent and a user associated with the wearable device;

a power source connected to at least one of the one or more processors or the display; and

memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving user input during the conversation;

sending the user input to a first device to be relayed to a second device for processing;

receiving, from the first device, a response for the user input and content that is determined by the second device to be related to the user input, the response originating from the second device, the response being based at least in part on a concept for the user input, the concept representing a pattern of components, the pattern of components including at least one of an order of the components or a proximity of the components to each other, each of the components relating to a term for the user input; and

wherein the display is further configured to display the response and the content as a message from the virtual agent.

19. The wearable device of claim 18, wherein the receiving the user input comprises receiving the user input as audio via a microphone.

20. The wearable device of claim 18, wherein the sending the user input to the first device and the receiving the response from the first device is performed via at least one of a near-field communication link or a Bluetooth link.