Interactive speech based learning/training system formulating search queries based on natural language parsing of recognized user queries

A speech based interactive learning system comprising:

• an instructional file containing instructional materials arranged in a hierarchical structure that includes at least a first level of instruction data and a second level of instruction data;
• and
• wherein users of such system can navigate said hierarchical structure and formulate a user query concerning instructional materials located at least at said second level of instruction data;
• further wherein said user query can be correlated with a corresponding instructional material question taken from a list of predefined questions, said set of predefined questions being paired with a corresponding set of responsive answers;
• a speech recognition engine for generating recognized words from a user query;
• a natural language engine for parsing said words contained in said user query to generate recognized speech sentence data;
• a query formulation engine for converting said recognized speech sentence data into a search query suitable for identifying a corresponding instructional material question for said user query, and for locating a corresponding responsive answer for said corresponding instructional material question.

A speech based interactive learning system comprising:

• an instructional file containing instructional materials arranged in a hierarchical structure that includes at least a first level of instruction data and a second level of instruction data;
• and
• wherein users of such system can navigate said hierarchical structure and formulate a user query concerning instructional materials located at least at said second level of instruction data;
• further wherein said user query can be correlated with a corresponding instructional material question taken from a list of predefined questions, said set of predefined questions being paired with a corresponding set of responsive answers;
• a speech recognition engine for generating recognized speech data from a user query;
• a query formulation engine for converting said recognized speech data into a search query suitable for identifying a corresponding instructional material question for said user query, and for locating a corresponding responsive answer for said corresponding instructional material question;
• wherein said search query is formulated using a natural language engine parsing words contained in said user query.

A speech based system for assisting a user in connection with an interactive lesson tutorial having question and answer capability, the system comprising:

• a lesson file containing instructional materials arranged to include a list of predefined questions and a corresponding list of predefined answers for said lesson;
• and
• a speech recognition engine for generating recognized speech word data from a user query pertaining to said lesson;
• and
• a natural language engine for generating recognized speech sentence data from said speech word data;
• and
• a query recognition engine for locating a corresponding predefined question for said user query using said recognized speech sentence data;
• and
• a conversion engine for converting a corresponding predefined answer for said corresponding predefined question into a form perceptible to the user;
• said query recognition system being adapted to process said user query, even before said user has completed articulating said user query, to identify said corresponding predefined answer and thus emulate a human response time in response to a user query, so that the user perceives interaction with such system in essentially the same way that would be experienced from interacting with a real human.

A speech based system for assisting a user in connection with an interactive lesson tutorial having question and answer capability, the system comprising:

• a lesson file containing instructional materials arranged to include a list of predefined questions and a corresponding list of predefined answers for said lesson;
• and
• a speech recognition engine for generating recognized speech data from a user query pertaining to said lesson;
• and
• a query recognition engine for locating a corresponding predefined question for said user query using said recognized speech data;
• and
• a conversion engine for converting a corresponding predefined answer for said corresponding predefined question into a form perceptible to the user;
• said query recognition system being adapted to emulate a human response time in response to a user query, so that the user perceives interaction with such system in essentially the same way that would be experienced from interacting with a real human.

A method of implementing a speech-based interactive query system, including the steps of:

• (a) storing a plurality of topic query entries, each topic query entry including a query relating to one or more of topics covered by the speech-based interactive learning system;
• and
• (b) storing a plurality of topic answer entries, each topic answer entry including an answer to one or more of said plurality of topic query entries, such that each topic query entry has at least one associated topic answer entry;
• and
• (c) generating recognized speech utterance data associated with a speech-based query concerning one of said topics, such that said recognized speech utterance data is generated by partial recognition processing of said speech-based query by a first signal processing routine executing at a first computing device, and then completing recognition of said speech-based query through processing performed by a second signal processing routine executing at a second computing device;
• and
• (d) converting said recognized speech utterance data with a natural language process into recognized speech sentence data, said recognized speech data being used by a search query suitable for identifying a topic query entry corresponding to said speech-based query;
• and
• (e) locating at least one topic answer entry best matching said speech-based query;
• wherein step (e) is initiated before said natural language engine has converted said recognized speech utterance data into recognized speech sentence data.

A method of implementing a speech-based interactive query system, including the steps of:

• (a) storing a plurality of topic query entries, each topic query entry including a query relating to one or more of topics covered by the speech-based interactive learning system;
• and
• (b) storing a plurality of topic answer entries, each topic answer entry including an answer to one or more of said plurality of topic query entries, such that each topic query entry has at least one associated topic answer entry;
• and
• (c) generating recognized speech data associated with a speech-based query concerning one of said topics, such that said recognized speech data is generated by partial recognition processing of said speech-based query by a first signal processing routine executing at a first computing device, and then completing recognition of said speech-based query through processing performed by a second signal processing routine executing at a second computing device;
• and
• (d) converting said recognized speech data into a search query suitable for identifying a topic query entry corresponding to said speech-based query;
• and
• (e) locating at least one topic answer entry best matching said speech-based query.

A method of presenting an interactive lesson to a user comprising the steps of:

• (a) arranging instructional materials in a hierarchical structure that includes at least a first level of instruction data and a second level of instruction data;
• and
• (b) presenting the instructional materials to a user so that the user can navigate said hierarchical structure and formulate a user query concerning instructional materials located at least at said second level of instruction data;
• (c) defining a list of predefined questions for at least said second level of instruction data, said set of predefined questions being paired with a corresponding set of responsive answers;
• (d) generating recognized speech utterance data from a user query for such interactive lesson;
• (e) converting said recognized speech utterance data into a search query suitable for identifying a corresponding instructional material question for said user query, said search query being formulated with assistance from a natural language engine parsing words in said recognized speech utterance data;
• and
• (f) identifying a corresponding responsive answer for said corresponding instructional material question;
• wherein a set of potential questions corresponding to said user query is derived by partially processing said speech utterance data during step (e), and then said corresponding instructional material question is determined by fully processing said speech utterance data.

A method of presenting an interactive lesson to a user comprising the steps of:

• (a) arranging instructional materials in a hierarchical structure that includes at least a first level of instruction data and a second level of instruction data;
• and
• (b) presenting the instructional materials to a user so that the user can navigate said hierarchical structure and formulate a user query concerning instructional materials located at least at said second level of instruction data;
• (c) defining a list of predefined questions for at least said second level of instruction data, said set of predefined questions being paired with a corresponding set of responsive answers;
• (d) generating recognized speech data from a user query for such interactive lesson;
• (e) converting said recognized speech data into a search query suitable for identifying a corresponding instructional material question for said user query, said search query being formulated with assistance from a natural language engine parsing words in said recognized speech data;
• and
• (f) identifying a corresponding responsive answer for said corresponding instructional material question.

A method of operating a speech-based lesson tutorial system having question and answer capability, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) configuring a list of retrievable predefined questions and a corresponding list of predefined answers for said lesson;
• and
• (b) generating recognized speech data from a user query pertaining to said lesson;
• and
• wherein said recognized speech data is generated by a combination of both speech utterance recognition and natural language processing;
• (c) locating a corresponding predefined question for said user query using said recognized speech data;
• and
• (d) converting a corresponding predefined answer for said corresponding predefined question into a form perceptible to the user;
• and
• wherein at least step (b) is performed at least in part while a user is articulating said query so as to emulate a human response time in response to a user query, so that the user perceives interaction with such system in essentially the same way that would be experienced from interacting with a real human.

A method of operating a speech-based lesson tutorial system having question and answer capability, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) configuring a list of retrievable predefined questions and a corresponding list of predefined answers for said lesson;
• and
• (b) generating recognized speech data from a user query pertaining to said lesson;
• and
• (c) locating a corresponding predefined question for said user query using said recognized speech data;
• and
• (d) converting a corresponding predefined answer for said corresponding predefined question into a form perceptible to the user;
• and
• wherein steps (b) to (d) are performed so as to emulate a human response time in response to a user query, so that the user perceives interaction with such system in essentially the same way that would be experienced from interacting with a real human.