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US 7,461,000 B2Granted
System and methods for conducting an interactive dialog via a speech-based user interface
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsBrent L. Davis, Vanessa V. Michelini, Melanie D. Polkosky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and methods are provided for conducting an interactive dialog via a speech-based user interface. The system includes an auditory prompt module for generating a sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts based upon a pre-determined user-oriented task, and an error recovery module for responding to a communication error by initiating an error recovery based upon a user response to the sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts. The error recovery includes providing at least one error-recovery prompt selected from a hierarchy of error-recovery prompts, the selection based upon a hierarchy of communication error types.
Claims11
A method for conducting a user dialog via a speech-based user interface, the method comprising:
- providing a sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts, the sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts being based upon a pre-determined user-oriented task;
- for each prompt, determining if there is a communication error;
- and
- if a communication error occurs, responding to the communication error by initiating an error recovery including:
- determining a type of the communication error from a hierarchy of communication error types based upon a sequential analysis of a user response to the particular prompt, the hierarchy of communication error types including an acoustical error, a lexical error, a syntactical error, and a conceptual error, wherein an acoustical error occurs when a volume at which the user response is provided is not within a predetermined audible range, wherein a lexical error occurs when there is no match between the user response and a list of pre-designated acceptable responses, wherein a syntactical error occurs when there is no match between parts of speech of the user response and expected parts of speech, and wherein a conceptual error occurs when a user fails to provide any auditory response within a predefined time interval or when the user response is not within an activated grammar corresponding to the sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts;
- and
- providing at least one error-recovery prompt selected from a hierarchy of error-recovery prompts, the selection being based upon the determination of the type of communication error.
4 more elements
A system for conducting a user dialog via a speech-based user interface, the system comprising:
- an auditory prompt module for generating a sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts, the sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts being based upon a pre-determined user-oriented task;
- and
- an error recovery module for responding to a communication error by initiating an error recovery based upon a user response to a particular prompt of the sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts;
- wherein the error recovery comprises:
- determining a type of the communication error from a hierarchy of communication error types based upon a sequential analysis of a user response to the particular prompt, the hierarchy of communication error types including an acoustical error, a lexical error, a syntactical error, and a conceptual error, wherein an acoustical error occurs when a volume at which the user response is provided is not within a predetermined audible range, wherein a lexical error occurs when there is no match between the user response and a list of pre-designated acceptable responses, wherein a syntactical error occurs when there is no match between parts of speech of the user response and expected parts of speech, and wherein a conceptual error occurs when a user fails to provide any auditory response within a predefined time interval or when the user response is not within an activated grammar corresponding to the sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts;
- and
- providing at least one error-recovery prompt sequentially selected from a hierarchy of error-recovery prompts, the sequential selection being based upon the determination of the type of communication error.
4 more elements
A computer-readable storage medium for conducting a user dialog via a speech-based user interface, the storage medium comprising computer instructions for:
- providing a sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts, the sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts being based upon a pre-determined user-oriented task;
- for each prompt, determining if there is a communication error;
- and
- if a communication error occurs, responding to the communication error by initiating an error recovery including:
- determining a type of the communication error from a hierarchy of communication error types based upon a sequential analysis of a user response to the particular prompt, the hierarchy of communication error types including an acoustical error, a lexical error, a syntactical error, and a conceptual error, wherein an acoustical error occurs when a volume at which the user response is provided is not within a predetermined audible range, wherein a lexical error occurs when there is no match between the user response and a list of pre-designated acceptable responses, wherein a syntactical error occurs when there is no match between parts of speech of the user response and expected parts of speech, and wherein a conceptual error occurs when a user fails to provide any auditory response within a predefined time interval or when the user response is not within an activated grammar corresponding to the sequence of goal-directed auditory prompts;
- and
- providing at least one error-recovery prompt selected from a hierarchy of error-recovery prompts, the selection being based upon the determination of the type of communication error.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.