Library of existing spoken dialog data for use in generating new natural language spoken dialog systems

A method comprising:

• storing via a processor a plurality of reusable components for building a natural language spoken dialog system, each of the plurality of reusable components comprising a plurality of groups of previously collected audible utterances and associated labels for call-types and named entities, wherein:
• (1) the plurality of reusable components is organized into a plurality of datasets;
• (2) each of the plurality of datasets comprises data pertaining to an industrial sector in a different task domain;
• (3) data in the plurality of datasets is collected during a plurality of collection phases, each of the plurality of collection phases comprising a respective defined period of time;
• (4) each group of the plurality of groups of previously collected audible utterances was collected in a separate spoken dialog system operating within a respective industry sector;
• and
• (5) an annotation guide comprising guideline utterances and descriptions, the guideline utterances comprising both positive and negative utterances for an associated call-type category,
• wherein the previously collected audible utterances are associated with an occurrence of utterance data comprising information indicating an associated call-type category, and wherein each respective industry sector is in a different task domain from other respective industry sectors.

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable storage medium storing instructions for controlling the processor to perform steps comprising:
• storing a plurality of reusable components for building a natural language spoken dialog system, each of the plurality of reusable components comprising a plurality of groups of previously collected audible utterances and associated labels for call-types and named entities, wherein:
• (1) the plurality of reusable components is organized into a plurality of datasets;
• (2) each of the plurality of datasets comprises data pertaining to an industrial sector in a different task domain;
• (3) data in the plurality of datasets is collected during a plurality of collection phases, each of the plurality of collection phases comprising a respective defined period of time;
• (4) each group of previously collected audible utterances was collected in a separate spoken dialog system operating within a respective industry sector;
• and
• (5) an annotation guide comprising guideline utterances and descriptions, the guideline utterances comprising both positive and negative utterances for an associated call-type category,
• wherein the previously collected audible utterances are associated with an occurrence of utterance data comprising information indicating an associated call-type category, and wherein each respective industry sector is in a different task domain from other respective industry sectors.