Enhancing functionalities of virtual assistants and dialog systems via plugin marketplace

A system, comprising:

• memory operable to maintain a plurality of dialog system extension elements, wherein each of the plurality of dialog system extension elements includes a dialog system plugin, a dialog system add-on, a dialog system update, or a dialog system upgrade;
• and
• at least one processor operable to:
• receive a speech-based user request from an end user via a dialog system interface of a dialog system associated with the end user, wherein the dialog system is associated with a virtual assistant at least partially installed on a user device of the end user, wherein the dialog system interface is running on the user device, and wherein one or more existing dialog system extension elements are already installed in the dialog system;
• process the user request using at least an automatic speech recognizer and a natural language processing module;
• identify, from the plurality of dialog extension elements, a given dialog system extension element, of the plurality of dialog system extension elements, that is capable of processing the user request, wherein the given dialog extension element is in addition to the existing dialog extension elements;
• determine that the dialog system associated with the end user cannot process the user request with functionalities of the one or more existing dialog system extension elements of the dialog system that is associated with the end user;
• in response to determining that the dialog system associated with the end user cannot process the user request:
• provide a recommendation to the end user to authorize installing the given dialog system extension element in the dialog system;
• subsequent to providing the recommendation to the end user to authorize installing the given dialog system extension element in the dialog system:
• receive, responsive to a selection from the end user, a request for installing the given dialog system extension element in the dialog system;
• and
• install, based on the received request, the given dialog system extension element in the dialog system.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• maintaining a plurality of dialog system extension elements, wherein each of the plurality of dialog system extension elements includes a dialog system plugin, a dialog system add-on, a dialog system update, or a dialog system upgrade;
• receiving a speech-based user request from an end user via a dialog system interface of a dialog system associated with the end user, wherein the dialog system is associated with a virtual assistant at least partially installed on a user device of the end user, wherein the dialog system interface is running on the user device, and wherein one or more existing dialog system extension elements are already installed in the dialog system;
• processing the user request using at least an automatic speech recognizer and a natural language processing module;
• identifying, from the plurality of dialog extension elements, a given dialog system extension element, of the plurality of dialog system extension elements, that is capable of processing the user request, wherein the given dialog extension element is in addition to the existing dialog extension elements;
• determining that the dialog system associated with the end user cannot process the user request with functionalities of the one or more existing dialog system extension elements of the dialog system that is associated with the end user;
• in response to determining that the dialog system associated with the end user cannot process the user request:
• providing a recommendation to the end user to authorize installing the given dialog system extension element in the dialog system;
• subsequent to providing the recommendation to the end user to authorize installing the given dialog system extension element in the dialog system:
• receiving, responsive to a selection from the end user, a request for installing the given dialog system extension element in the dialog system;
• and
• installing, based on the received request, the given dialog system extension element in the dialog system.