System and method for providing a natural language interface to a database
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
InventorsRichard Vandervoort Cox, Hossein Eslambolchi, Behzad Nadji, Mazin G. Rahim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for providing a natural language interface to a database or the Internet. The method provides a response from a database to a natural language query. The method comprises receiving a user query, extracting key data from the user query, submitting the extracted key data to a data base search engine to retrieve a top n pages from the data base, processing of the top n pages through a natural language dialog engine and providing a response based on processing the top n pages.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- extracting, via a processor, key data from a user query;
- submitting the key data to a database search engine to perform a search of a database and to retrieve a top n pages from the database, wherein in response to a restriction to access a restricted page of the top n pages, the processor negotiates an access price and provides data to overcome the restriction independent of a user navigating to the restricted page;
- prior to responding to the user query, processing the top n pages via a natural language dialog engine;
- providing, at a first time, a response comprising a text-based response and an audible response, based at least in part on the processing;
- after providing the response at the first time, continuing, without further user input, to find related information associated with the user query using a machine learning process to expand the search;
- and
- presenting an option to the user, at a second time which is later than the first time, to view the related information separate from the response.
A computing device comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
- extracting key data from a query;
- submitting the key data to a database search engine to execute a search of the database to retrieve a top n pages from the database, wherein in response to a restriction to access a restricted page of the top n pages, the processor negotiates an access price and provides data to overcome the restriction independent of a user navigating to the restricted page;
- processing, prior to responding to the query, the top n pages via a natural language dialog engine;
- providing a response at a first time, the response comprising an audible response and a text-based response based on processing the top n pages, wherein the response displays an option to view additional material related to the query separate from the response;
- and
- after providing the response at the first time, and without further user input, finding, at a second time which is later than the first time, related information using a machine learning process to expand the search.
A computer-readable storage device having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:
- extracting key data from a query;
- submitting the key data to a database search engine to execute a search of the database to retrieve a top n pages from the database, wherein in response to a restriction to access a restricted page of the top n pages, the computing device negotiates an access price and provides data to overcome the restriction independent of a user navigating to the restricted page;
- prior to responding to the query, processing the top n pages via a natural language dialog engine;
- providing, at a first time, a response comprising an audible response and a text-based response based on the processing of the top n pages, wherein the response displays to the user an option to view related information separate from the provided response;
- and
- after providing the response, continuing, without further user input and at a second time which is later than the first time, to find related information using a machine learning process to expand the search.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.