System and method for selecting responses to user input in an automated interface program
AssigneeNativeminds, Inc.
InventorsWalter A. Tackett, Scott S. Benson
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Abstract
An automated interface program designed to interact and communicate with users, is disclosed that defines a list of categories activatable by the program; identifies a set of categories activated by user input; selects another set of categories from the activated categories based upon a metric and thereafter executes actions associated with the selected categories. The metric is a computed value based on conditions located within each category. The metric gives an estimate of the appropriateness of the particular response included in an activated category. This estimate is currently based on the current input and the current state of the automated interface program at the time user input is entered.
Claims28
In an automated interface program designed to interact and communicate with users, said program executing actions when a category among a set of predefined categories is activated, a method for selecting categories and executing actions associated with said categories, the steps of said method comprising:
- (a) defining a list of categories activatable by said program in response to user input;
- (b) for an input received from a user,
- (i) identifying a set of categories activated by said input, wherein each category in said set matches the received user input;
- (ii) assigning an appropriateness value to each category in said set of activated categories, wherein the appropriateness value is influenced by the likelihood that the category matches a user input;
- (iii) selecting a category from said set of activated categories, wherein the appropriateness value is a first criteria for selecting said category;
- and
- (iv) executing actions associated with said selected category.
In an automated interface program designed to interact and communicate with users, said program executing actions when a category among a set of predefined categories is activated, a mechanism for selecting categories and executing actions associated with said categories, said mechanism comprising:
- means for defining a list of categories activatable by said program in response to user input;
- means for identifying a set of categories activated by said input, wherein each category in said set matches the received user input;
- means for assigning an appropriateness value to each category in said set of activated categories, wherein the appropriateness value is influenced by the likelihood that the category matches a user input;
- means for selecting a category from said set of activated categories, wherein the appropriateness value is a criteria for selecting said category;
- and
- means for executing actions associated with said selected category.
In an automated interface program designed to interact and communicate with users, said program executing actions when a category among a set of predefined categories is activated, a method for selecting categories and executing actions associated with said categories, the steps of said method comprising:
- (a) defining a list of categories activatable by said program in response to user input;
- (b) for an input received from a user,
- (i) selecting a set of activated categories based upon an appropriateness metric, said appropriateness metric computed based on the conditions located within each said activated category and influenced by the likelihood that the category matches a user input;
- and
- (ii) executing actions associated with said set of categories.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.