# US 6,615,111 B2 · Methods for automatically focusing the attention of a virtual robot interacting with users

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- Number: US 6,615,111 B2
- Document ID: US6615111B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/014,936
- Filed: 2001-11-09
- Published: 2002-10-24
- Granted: 2003-09-02
- Earliest claimed: 1997-06-04
- Assignees: Nativeminds, Inc.
- Inventors: Walter A. Tackett; Scott S. Benson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6615111B2

## CPC

- G06F 40/35: Discourse or dialogue representation
- G06N 3/006: based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
- G06N 20/00: Machine learning
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS

## Abstract

A virtual robot (or BOT) is disclosed that interfaces and automatically interacts with users desiring to be guided or informed about certain aspects or features of the entity with which they are interacting. Several mechanisms are further disclosed that aid the effectiveness of that interaction. Mechanisms to focus the attention of the BOT on certain aspects of the interaction or communication are disclosed. These mechanisms can be made explicitly or can be performed automatically. Mechanisms are disclosed to aid the BOT to automatically learn from its interactions with users to increase the effectiveness of the interaction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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 focusing the attention of the automated interface progam, the steps of said method comprising:
defining a list of categories activatable by said program;
maintaining an attention focus list, said focus list comprising an ordered list of categories;
executing actions associated with categories that are activated;
re-ordering said attention focus list during the course of interaction, said re-ordering being dependent upon which categories were activated.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving input from a user;
examining a category in the list of categories; and
when the received input matches the examined category, activating the examined category.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein a category includes a condition, and wherein the examined category is activated when the condition of the examined category matches the received input.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein defining a list of categories comprises:
defining a priority category type; and
defining a standard category type,
wherein in category in the priority category type is examined before any category in the standard category type.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein defining a list of categories further comprises:
defining a default category type, wherein a category in the default category type is examined after any category in the standard category type.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein defining a list of categories comprises:
defining a sequence category type, wherein a category in the sequence category type is examined only when a request to examine the request category is executed in association with another category.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein when the received input does not match the examined category, examining another category in the list of categories, and wherein categories in the list of categories are examined in an order corresponding to the ordered list of categories.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The meted of claim 1, wherein re-ordering said attention focus list comprises:
moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence when the category has been activated.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the categories have subject commands with arguments and moving a category comprises:
moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when one or more arguments in the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match at least one of the arguments of the subject command of the category that has been activated.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein re-ordering said attention focus list comprises:
moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence in response to a focus command.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the focus command identifies the category to be moved.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the focus command identifies a subject, wherein the categories have subject commands, and moving a category comprises:
moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match the subject identified by the focus command.

### Claim 13

A system for automatically focusing the attention of 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, said system comprising:
an interface for receiving input from a user;
a memory device having:
categories activatable by said program, and
an attention focus list, the focus list comprising an ordered list of categories; and
a processor configured to:
receiving input from the interface,
examine a category,
when a received input matches the examined category,
activate the examined category, and
execute actions associated with the activated category, and
re-order the attention focus list during the course of interaction, the re-ordering being dependent upon which categories were activated.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the categories comprises:
a priority category type; and
a standard category type,
wherein the processor examines a category in the priority category type before any category in the standard category type.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the categories further comprises:
a default category type, wherein the processor examines a category in the default category type after any category in the standard category type.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the categories further comprises:
a sequence category type, wherein the processor examines a category in the sequence category type only when a request to examine the request category is executed in association with another category.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein when the received input does not match the examined category, the processor examines another category in the list of categories, and wherein categories in the list of categories are examined in an order corresponding to the ordered list of categories.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the processor re-orders the attention focus list by:
moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence when the category has been activated.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the categories have subject commands with arguments, and moving a category comprises:
moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when one or more arguments in the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match at least one of the arguments of the subject command of the category that has been activated.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the processor re-orders the attention focus list by:
moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence in response to a focus command.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the focus command identifies the category to be moved.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the focus command identifies a subject, wherein the categories have subject commands, and moving a category comprises:
moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match the subject identified by the focus command.

### Claim 23

A computer-readable storage medium containing computer executable code to focus the attention of an automated interface program designed to interact and communicate with users providing user input by instructing a computer to operate as follows:
defining a list of categories activatable by said program;
maintaining an attention focus list, said focus list comprising an ordered list of categories;
executing actions associated with categories that are activated;
re-ordering said attention focus list during the course of interaction, said re-ordering being dependent upon which categories were activated.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 further comprising:
receiving input from a user;
examining a category in the list of categories; and
when the received input matches the examined category, activating the examined category.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein a category includes a condition, and wherein the examined category is activated when the condition of the examined category matches the received input.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein defining a list of categories comprises:
defining a priority category type; and
defining a standard category type,
wherein a category in the priority category type is examined before any category in the standard category type.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein defining a list of categories further comprises:
defining a default category type, wherein a category in the default category type is examined after any category in the standard category type.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein defining a list of categories comprises:
defining a sequence category type, wherein a category in the sequence category type is examined only when a request to examine the request category is executed in association with another category.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein when the received input does not match the examined category, examining another category in the list of categories, and wherein categories in the list of categories are examined in an order corresponding to the ordered list of categories.

### Claim 30 (depends on 23)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein re-ordering said attention focus list comprises:
moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence when the category has been activated.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the categories have subject commands with arguments, and moving a category comprises:
moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when one or more arguments in the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match at least one of the arguments of the subject command of the category that has been activated.

### Claim 32 (depends on 23)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein re-ordering said attention focus list comprises:
moving a category in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedence in response to a focus command.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the focus command identifies the category to be moved.

### Claim 34 (depends on 32)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the focus command identifies a subject, wherein the categories have subject commands, and moving a category comprises:
moving a set of categories in the ordered list of categories to a position of higher precedent when the subject commands of the categories in the set of categories match the subject identified by the focus command.