Session processing interaction between two or more virtual assistants
AssigneeNuance Communications, Inc.
InventorsPatrick S. Wood, Andrew J. Braun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices and systems supporting more than one Virtual Assistant (VA) are able to initiate and collaborate with multiple virtual assistants within the same session and at the same time. This system allows application specific virtual assistants to register and listen for intents from a general purpose virtual assistant. When the general purpose virtual assistant raises an intent, control can be passed to an interested application specific virtual assistant for handling. The system of registering new intents increases the knowledge of the general purpose virtual assistant, or overloads the handling of an existing intent.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method for virtual assistant session processing, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- with a high level virtual assistant, implemented by a processor and a memory, with computer code instructions stored thereon, the processor and the memory being configured to implement the high level virtual assistant, responding to a user request to initiate dialog with the high level virtual assistant by:
- determining an independent specialized virtual assistant that is registered with the high level virtual assistant to process at least one intent type that corresponds to at least one user request intent that has been determined based on the user request, the determination being made from amongst a plurality of such independent specialized virtual assistants;
- passing control, to the independent specialized virtual assistant so determined, of session processing of the at least one user request;
- and
- monitoring for communication from the independent specialized virtual assistant to identify a request to return control of the session processing to the high level virtual assistant.
A computer system comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory with computer code instructions stored thereon, the processor and the memory, with the computer code instructions being configured to implement:
- an intent arbitration module of a high level virtual assistant, the intent arbitration module being configured to respond to a user request to initiate dialog with the high level virtual assistant by determining an independent specialized virtual assistant that is registered with the high level virtual assistant to process at least one intent type that corresponds to at least one user request intent that has been determined based on the user request, the determination being made from amongst a plurality of such independent specialized virtual assistants;
- a session processing control module of the high level virtual assistant, the session processing control module being configured to:
- (i) pass control of session processing of the at least one user request to the independent specialized virtual assistant so determined;
- and
- (ii) monitor for communication from the independent specialized virtual assistant to identify a request to return control of the session processing to the high level virtual assistant.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store instructions for virtual assistant session processing, the instructions, when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to respond to a user request to initiate dialog with a high level virtual assistant by:
- determining an independent specialized virtual assistant that is registered with the high level virtual assistant to process at least one intent type that corresponds to at least one user request intent that has been determined based on the user request, the determination being made from amongst a plurality of such independent specialized virtual assistants;
- passing control, to the independent specialized virtual assistant so determined, of session processing of the at least one user request;
- and
- monitoring for communication from the independent specialized virtual assistant to identify a request to return control of the session processing to the high level virtual assistant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.