Man-machine dialogue system, controls dialogue between system and user using dialogue specification employing augmented transition networks propagating tokens

A system comprising:

• an output device for generating output to a user;
• an input device for receiving input from a user;
• a tool for generating an object system which is an information source or store, or a command and control device, the object of the dialogue being to interface between the system and the user;
• and
• a dialogue manager, which controls the dialogue between the object system and the user based upon:
• a dialogue specification, comprising a set of augmented transition networks (ATNs), having a set of states through which are propagated one or more tokens, wherein each state is one of a question/answer cycle, data processing, a simple Junction, and a sub-dialog state, and wherein each token comprises a set of fields which together define a current state of belief of a dialogue controller, dependent upon the preceding user-system interchanges and information obtained from the object system.

A method for controlling dialogue between a computer system and a human user comprising the steps of:

• outputting at least one speech signal to the user;
• inputting a speech signal from the user in response to each of the at least one speech signal output to the user;
• propagating at least one token over a set of augmented transition networks comprising a set of states, wherein each state is one of a question/answer cycle, data processing, a simple junction, and a sub-dialogue state, wherein propagating comprises:
• applying a dialogue specification to the speech signal input from the user;
• and
• updating the at least one token over the set of augmented transition networks, each token comprising a set of fields which together define a current state of belief of a dialogue controller, dependent upon the preceding user-system interchanges and information obtained from the object system.

A computer-readable medium including instructions readable by a computer which, when implemented perform steps comprising:

• generating a speech-based output to the user;
• receiving a speech-based input from the user in response to the generated speech-based output;
• propagating at least one token over a set of augmented transition networks, wherein propagating comprises:
• applying a dialogue specification to the speech signal input from the user;
• and
• updating the at least one token over the set of augmented transition networks comprising a set of states, wherein each state is one of a question/answer cycle, data processing, a simple junction, and a sub-dialogue state, and wherein each token comprises a set of fields which together define a current state of belief of a dialogue controller, dependent upon the preceding user-system interchanges and information obtained from the object system.