Method and apparatus for performing dialog management in a computer conversational interface

A method for managing a dialog between a computer and a user of the computer, the computer having an audio input device, a text input device, a visual output device, and an audio output device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• receiving responses generated by the computer, the responses including responses that can be spoken by a text to speech device, in response to spoken input from the user asynchronously received by the computer through the audio input device;
• placing the generated responses in a prioritized speak queue, the spoken input being interpreted by a reasoning facility which enables the spoken input to include questions by the user, the computer running multiple applications and the reasoning facility interpreting the spoken input in a manner that at least one of the multiple applications recognizes the interpreted spoken input;
• and
• managing audible rendering of the responses from the prioritized speak queue through the audio output device, prioritizing the audible rendering of the responses according to rules other than the order in which the responses are added to the prioritized speak queue and according to corresponding contexts in a context priority queue so that the user receives each response as part of an asynchronous dialog between the computer and the user, the dialog conducted in a polite non-interruptive manner that is subject to control by the user including allowing the user to change subjects and allowing the user to interrupt the dialog but not allowing the audible rendering of a response to interrupt the user.

A computer program product comprising:

• a tangible computer usable program product for managing a dialog between a computer and a user of the computer;
• and
• a set of computer program instructions embodied on the tangible computer usable program product, including instructions to:
• receive responses generated by the computer, the responses including responses that can be spoken by a text to speech device, in response to spoken input from the user asynchronously received by the computer through the audio input device;
• place the generated responses in a prioritized speak queue, the spoken input being interpreted by a reasoning facility which enables the spoken input to include questions by the user, the computer running multiple applications and the reasoning facility interpreting the spoken input in a manner that at least one of the multiple applications recognizes the interpreted spoken input;
• and
• manage audible rendering of the responses from the prioritized speak queue through the audio, output device, prioritizing the audible rendering of the responses according to rules other than the order in which the responses are added to the prioritized speak queue and according to corresponding contexts in a context priority queue so that the user receives each response as part of an asynchronous dialog between the computer and the user, the dialog conducted in a polite non-interruptive manner that is subject to control by the user including allowing the user to change subjects and allowing the user to interrupt the dialog but not allowing the audible rendering of a response to interrupt the user.

A computerized interface for managing a dialog between a computer and a user of the computer, the computer having an audio input device, a text input device, a visual output device, and an audio output device, the computerized interface comprising:

• a prioritized speak queue for retaining responses generated by the computer the responses including responses that can be spoken by a text to speech device, in response to spoken input from the user asynchronously received by the computer through the audio input device, the spoken input being interpreted by a reasoning facility which enables the spoken input to include questions by the user, the computer running multiple applications and the reasoning facility interpreting the spoken input in a manner that at least one of the multiple applications recognizes the interpreted spoken input;
• means for placing the generated responses in the prioritized speak queue;
• and
• means for managing audible rendering of the responses from the prioritized speak queue through the audio output device, the turn manager prioritizing audible rendering of the responses according to rules other than the order in which the responses are added to the prioritized speak queue and according to corresponding contexts in a context priority queue so that the user receives each response as part of an asynchronous dialog between the computer and the user, the dialog conducted in a polite non-interruptive manner that is subject to control by the user including allowing the user to change subjects and allowing the user to interrupt the dialog but not allowing the audible rendering of a response to interrupt the user.