Systems and methods for maintaining a conversation
AssigneeDisney Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsRaymond Scanlon, Douglas Fidaleo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for an interactive communications system capable of generating a response to conversational input are provided. The interactive communications system analyzes the conversational input to determine relevant topics of discussion. The interactive communications system further determines which of the relevant topics of discussion can potentially lead to an unwanted end to a conversation. The interactive communications system redirects the conversation by providing responses to the conversational input that are intended simply to avoid the unwanted end to the conversation.
Claims18
A system, comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- receiving conversational input associated with a conversation;
- determining, based on a count of a number of nodes remaining in a first branch of a tree structure, a likelihood that a current conversational topic of the conversational input will terminate earlier than desired, the tree structure comprising multiple branches representing respective conversational topics, the first branch of the multiple branches corresponding to the current conversational topic;
- based on the determined likelihood, seeking out opportunities to segue the current conversational topic to one or more alternative conversational topics represented by one or more branches of the tree structure other than the first branch;
- selecting a first alternative conversational topic of the one or more alternative conversational topics, the first alternative conversational topic associated with a second branch of the plurality of branches;
- in response to selecting the first alternative conversational topic, switching from the first branch to the second branch;
- and
- selecting, based on the second branch, one or more conversational responses associated with the first alternative conversational topic to the conversational input.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a system to perform operations comprising:
- receiving conversational input associated with a conversation;
- determining, based on a count of a number of nodes remaining in a first branch of a tree structure, a likelihood that a current conversational topic of the conversational input will terminate earlier than desired, the tree structure comprising multiple branches representing respective conversational topics, the first branch of the multiple branches corresponding to the current conversational topic;
- based on the determined likelihood, seeking out opportunities to segue the current conversational topic to one or more alternative conversational topics represented by one or more branches of the tree structure other than the first branch;
- selecting a first alternative conversational topic of the one or more alternative conversational topics, the first alternative conversational topic associated with a second branch of the plurality of branches;
- in response to selecting the first alternative conversational topic, switching from the first branch to the second branch;
- and
- selecting, based on the second branch, one or more conversational responses associated with the first alternative conversational topic to the conversational input.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.