IP Library Granted Patent US 8,566,096
Granted Patent B2
US 8,566,096 · App. 13/648,647 · Granted Oct 22, 2013

System and method of generating responses to text-based messages

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,566,096
App. No.
13/648,647
Granted
Oct 22, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system to generate a response to a text-based natural language message includes a user interface, processing device, and a computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions to generate the response to the text-based natural language message. The instructions and a method for generating the response include identifying a sentence in the text-based natural language message, identifying an input clause in the sentence, and parsing the input clause, thereby defining a relationship between words in the input clause. The instructions and method also include assigning a semantic tag to the parsed input clause, comparing the input clause to a previously received clause, the previously received clause being correlated with a previously generated response clause, and generating an output response message derived from the previously generated response clause.

Claims (41)

1. A method of generating a response to a text-based natural language message, comprising:

identifying a sentence in the text-based natural language message;

identifying an input clause in the sentence;

parsing the input clause, thereby defining a relationship between words in the input clause,

assigning a semantic tag to the parsed input clause;

comparing the input clause to a previously received clause, the previously received clause being correlated with a previously generated response clause; and

generating an output response message derived from the previously generated response clause.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising storing the generated output response message, the input clause, and the parsed input clause or the semantic tag in a database.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein identifying the input clause comprises annotating the sentence with syntactic tags.

4. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising identifying a best match input clause to the input clause from a plurality of previously received clauses, the generated output response message being derived from the previously generated response clause that corresponds to the best match input clause.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein identifying the best match input clause to the input clause further comprises comparing the previously received clause to the input clause on a word-level, the word-level comparison identifying a best match between words from the input clause and words from the previously received clause, or comparing the previously received clause to the input clause on a phrase-level, the phrase-level comparison identifying a best match between a series of contiguous words from the input clause and a series of contiguous words from the previously received clause.

6. A method according to claim 4 , further comprising identifying a plurality of clauses associated with the input clause, identifying the best match input clause to the input clause further comprising comparing the previously received clause to the input clause on a tree-level, the tree-level comparison identifying a best match between the plurality of associated clauses and a plurality of clauses associated with the previously received clause.

7. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising matching the semantic tag to a historical input tag, the historical input tag associated with the previously generated response clause, the generated output response message being derived from the previously generated response clause associated with the historical input tag.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the generated output response message is derived from a plurality of previously generated response clauses, the previously generated response clauses being correlated with the previously received clause.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to generate a response to a text-based natural language message by performing a computer process comprising:

identifying a sentence in the text-based natural language message;

identifying an input clause in the sentence;

parsing the input clause, thereby defining a relationship between words in the input clause,

assigning a semantic tag to the parsed input clause;

comparing the input clause to a previously received clause, the previously received clause being correlated with a previously generated response clause; and

generating an output response message derived from the previously generated response clause.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the computer process further comprises storing the generated output response message, the input clause, and the parsed input clause or the semantic tag in a database.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , the computer process further comprising identifying a best match input clause to the input clause from a plurality of previously received clauses, the generated output response message being derived from the previously generated response clause that corresponds to the best match input clause.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein the computer process of identifying the best match input clause to the input clause further comprises comparing the previously received clause to the input clause on a word-level, the word-level comparison identifying a best match between words from the input clause and words from the previously received clause, or comparing the previously received clause to the input clause on a phrase-level, the phrase-level comparison identifying a best match between a series of contiguous words from the input clause and a series of contiguous words from the previously received clause.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein the computer process further comprises identifying a plurality of clauses associated with the input clause, identifying the best match input clause to the input clause further comprising comparing the previously received clause to the input clause on a tree-level, the tree-level comparison identifying a best match between the plurality of associated clauses and a plurality of clauses associated with the previously received clause.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein the computer process further comprises matching the semantic tag to a historical input tag, the historical input tag associated with the previously generated response clause, the generated output response message being derived from the previously generated response clause associated with the historical input tag.

15. A system to generate a response to a text-based natural language message, the system comprising:

a user interface;

a processing device operatively coupled to the user interface; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to generate a response to a text-based natural language message by performing a computer process comprising:

identifying a sentence in the text-based natural language message;

identifying an input clause in the sentence;

parsing the input clause, thereby defining a relationship between words in the input clause,

assigning a semantic tag to the parsed input clause;

comparing the input clause to a previously received clause, the previously received clause being correlated with a previously generated response clause; and

generating an output response message derived from the previously generated response clause.

16. The system defined by claim 15 , wherein the computer process further comprises storing the generated output response message, the input clause, and the parsed input clause or the semantic tag in a database.

17. The system defined by claim 15 , wherein the computer process further comprises identifying a best match input clause to the input clause from a plurality of previously received clauses, the generated output response message being derived from the previously generated response clause that corresponds to the best match input clause.

18. The system defined by claim 17 , wherein the computer process of identifying the best match input clause to the input clause further comprises comparing the previously received clause to the input clause on a word-level, the word-level comparison identifying a best match between words from the input clause and words from the previously received clause, or comparing the previously received clause to the input clause on a phrase-level, the phrase-level comparison identifying a best match between a series of contiguous words from the input clause and a series of contiguous words from the previously received clause.

19. The system defined by claim 17 , wherein the computer process further comprises identifying a plurality of clauses associated with the input clause, identifying the best match input clause to the input clause further comprising comparing the previously received clause to the input clause on a tree-level, the tree-level comparison identifying a best match between the plurality of associated clauses and a plurality of clauses associated with the previously received clause.

20. The system defined by claim 15 , wherein the computer process further comprises matching the semantic tag to a historical input tag, the historical input tag being associated with the previously generated response clause, the generated output response message being derived from the previously generated response clause associated with the historical input tag.

Assignments (17)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 4, 2025
From: RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP., AS AGENT
To: INTERACTIONS CORPORATION; INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 072802/0931 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE APPLICATION NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 060445 FRAME: 0733. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 1, 2023
From: INTERACTIONS LLC; INTERACTIONS CORPORATION
To: RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP.
Reel/Frame 062919/0063 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 036100/0925 Recorded Jul 1, 2022
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 060559/0576 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 049388/0082 Recorded Jun 30, 2022
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 060558/0474 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 27, 2022
From: INTERACTIONS LLC; INTERACTIONS CORPORATION
To: RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP.
Reel/Frame 060445/0733 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded May 23, 2022
From: ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC
To: INTERACTIONS CORPORATION; INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 061749/0825 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 18, 2020
From: BEARCUB ACQUISITIONS LLC
To: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 052693/0866 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 5, 2019
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 049388/0082 →
ASSIGNMENT OF IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 17, 2017
From: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
To: BEARCUB ACQUISITIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 044481/0034 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CHANGE PATENT 7146987 TO 7149687 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 036009 FRAME 0349. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 17, 2015
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 037134/0712 →
FIRST AMENDMENT TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 13, 2015
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 036100/0925 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2015
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: ARES VENTURE FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 036009/0349 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2014
From: INTERACTIONS LLC
To: ORIX VENTURES, LLC
Reel/Frame 034677/0768 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2014
From: AT&T ALEX HOLDINGS, LLC
To: INTERACTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034642/0640 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2014
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: AT&T ALEX HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 034492/0557 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 029113 FRAME 0353. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CORRECTING THE NAME WITH ATTACHED NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Apr 8, 2013
From: BANGALORE, SRINIVAS; GILBERT, MAZIN; GUPTA, NARENDRA
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 030170/0274 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2012
From: BANGALORE, SRINIVAS; GILBERT, MAZIN; GUPTA, NARENDRA
To: AT&T LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 029113/0353 →