System and method for providing a natural language voice user interface in an integrated voice navigation services environment

A computer-implemented method for providing a natural language voice user interface in an integrated voice navigation services environment, comprising:

• receiving a multi-modal input that includes a natural language utterance at one or more input devices coupled to a navigation device, wherein the natural language utterance in the multi-modal input relates to a navigation context;
• generating one or more preliminary interpretations of the natural language utterance using a speech recognition engine associated with the navigation device, wherein the speech recognition engine uses a dynamic recognition grammar to generate the one or more preliminary interpretations of the natural language utterance;
• analyzing, with a conversational language processor on the navigation device, the one or more preliminary interpretations using shared knowledge and information associated with the navigation context to determine a probable interpretation of the natural language utterance in the navigation context;
• and
• executing, on the navigation device, a navigation agent associated with the navigation context to process the probable interpretation of the natural language utterance, wherein executing the navigation agent to process the probable interpretation of the natural language utterance includes:
• identifying, by the navigation agent executing on the navigation device, one or more requests in the natural language utterance that relate to the navigation context from the probable interpretation of the natural language utterance;
• determining that the one or more requests identified in the natural language utterance include a multi-modal request to control a map display, wherein the navigation agent executing on the navigation device determines that the one or more requests include the multi-modal request to control the map display using information associated with a plurality of information sources, which include at least a navigation-specific information source;
• associating a non-voice component in the multi-modal input with the probable interpretation of the natural language utterance, wherein the non-voice component in the multi-modal input identifies a portion of the map display;
• and
• issuing a command to control the identified portion of the map display in accordance with the probable interpretation of the natural language utterance to resolve the one or more requests identified in the natural language utterance.

A system for providing a natural language voice user interface in an integrated voice navigation services environment, comprising:

• one or more input devices configured to receive a multi-modal input that includes a natural language utterance, wherein the natural language utterance in the multi-modal input relates to a navigation context;
• a speech recognition engine configured to generate one or more preliminary interpretations of the natural language utterance using a dynamic recognition grammar;
• a conversational language processor configured to analyze the one or more preliminary interpretations using shared knowledge and information associated with the navigation context to determine a probable interpretation of the natural language utterance in the navigation context;
• and
• a navigation agent associated with the navigation context and configured to:
• identify one or more requests in the natural language utterance that relate to the navigation context from the probable interpretation of the natural language utterance;
• determine that the one or more requests identified in the natural language utterance include a multi-modal request to control a map display using information associated with a plurality of information sources, which include at least a navigation-specific information source;
• associate a non-voice component in the multi-modal input with the probable interpretation of the natural language utterance, wherein the non-voice component in the multi-modal input identifies a portion of the map display;
• and
• issue a command to control the identified portion of the map display in accordance with the probable interpretation of the natural language utterance to resolve the one or more requests identified in the natural language utterance.

A system for providing a natural language voice user interface in an integrated voice navigation services environment, comprising:

• an input device configured to receive a natural language utterance, wherein the natural language utterance relates to a navigation context;
• a multi-pass speech recognition module configured to:
• recognize one or more words in the natural language utterance that define a command in the navigation context;
• recognize one or more additional words in the natural language utterance that define a location associated with the command in the navigation context;
• and
• generate a dynamic recognition grammar based on the location defined in the one or more additional words recognized in the natural language utterance;
• a speech recognition engine configured to use the dynamic recognition grammar to generate one or more preliminary interpretations of the natural language utterance;
• a conversational language processor configured to analyze the one or more preliminary interpretations using shared knowledge and information associated with the navigation context to determine a probable interpretation of the natural language utterance in the navigation context;
• and
• a navigation agent associated with the navigation context and configured to:
• identify one or more requests in the natural language utterance that relate to the navigation context from the probable interpretation of the natural language utterance;
• and
• resolve the one or more requests using information associated with a plurality of information sources, which include at least a navigation-specific information source.

A method for providing a natural language voice user interface in an integrated voice navigation services environment, comprising:

• receiving a natural language utterance at an input device coupled to a navigation device, wherein the natural language utterance relates to a navigation context;
• generating one or more preliminary interpretations of the natural language utterance using a speech recognition engine associated with the navigation device, wherein generating the one or more preliminary interpretations of the natural language utterance includes:
• recognizing one or more words in the natural language utterance that define a navigation command in the navigation context, wherein the speech recognition engine includes a multi-pass speech recognition module that recognizes the one or more words that define the navigation command;
• recognizing, at the multi-pass speech recognition module, one or more additional words in the natural language utterance that approximate a destination associated with the navigation command;
• and
• generating, at the multi-pass speech recognition module, a dynamic recognition grammar based on the approximated destination associated with the navigation command or a current location associated with the navigation device, wherein the speech recognition engine uses the dynamic recognition grammar to generate the one or more preliminary interpretations of the natural language utterance;
• analyzing, with a conversational language processor on the navigation device, the one or more preliminary interpretations using shared knowledge and information associated with the navigation context to determine a preliminary destination having an address that best corresponds to a full or partial address associated with the approximated destination;
• executing, on the navigation device, a navigation agent associated with the navigation context to calculate a route from the current location associated with the navigation device to the preliminary destination;
• and
• managing, via the conversational language processor, a dialogue that includes one or more subsequent interactions to successively refine the approximated destination until a final destination associated with the navigation command has been resolved.

A system for providing a natural language voice user interface in an integrated voice navigation services environment, comprising:

• an input device coupled to a navigation device, wherein the input device is configured to receive a natural language utterance that relates to a navigation context;
• a multi-pass speech recognition module configured to:
• recognize one or more words in the natural language utterance that define a navigation command in the navigation context;
• recognize one or more additional words in the natural language utterance that approximate a destination associated with the navigation command;
• and
• generate a dynamic recognition grammar based on the approximated destination associated with the navigation command or a current location associated with the navigation device;
• a speech recognition engine configured to use the dynamic recognition grammar to generate the one or more preliminary interpretations of the natural language utterance;
• a conversational language processor configured to analyze the one or more preliminary interpretations using shared knowledge and information associated with the navigation context to determine a preliminary destination having an address that best corresponds to a full or partial address associated with the approximated destination;
• and
• a navigation agent associated with the navigation context and configured to:
• calculate a route from the current location associated with the navigation device to the preliminary destination;
• and
• manage, via the conversational language processor, a dialogue that includes one or more subsequent interactions to successively refine the approximated destination until a final destination associated with the navigation command has been resolved.