IP Library Patent Application 14171129
Patent Application
App. No. 14/171,129

Method of Handling Frequently Asked Questions in a Natural Language Dialog Service

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
14/171,129
Abstract

A voice-enabled help desk service is disclosed. The service comprises an automatic speech recognition module for recognizing speech from a user, a spoken language understanding module for understanding the output from the automatic speech recognition module, a dialog management module for generating a response to speech from the user, a natural voices text-to-speech synthesis module for synthesizing speech to generate the response to the user, and a frequently asked questions module. The frequently asked questions module handles frequently asked questions from the user by changing voices and providing predetermined prompts to answer frequently asked questions.

Claims (31)

1 . A method comprising:

developing, via a processor, a back story for a pre-synthesized voice in a plurality of pre-synthesized voices;

in response to a received utterance, selecting a prompt type associated with the pre-synthesized voice;

generating a prompt, as part of a turn-based dialog comprising the received utterance, based on the prompt type and the back story.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating of the prompt is further based on a dialog history.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein generating of the prompt is further based on a set of logical predicates.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein generating of the prompt utilizes an interpreter tuple.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the back story is based on a personality trait associated with the pre-synthesized voice.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the prompt type is one of a pricing, a hint, a demonstration, a question, an example, an instruction, and a command.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pre-synthesized voices comprises eight pre-synthesized voices.

8 . A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

developing a back story for a pre-synthesized voice in a plurality of pre-synthesized voices;

in response to a received utterance, selecting a prompt type associated with the pre-synthesized voice;

generating a prompt, as part of a turn-based dialog comprising the received utterance, based on the prompt type and the back story.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein generating of the prompt is further based on a dialog history.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein generating of the prompt is further based on a set of logical predicates.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein generating of the prompt utilizes an interpreter tuple.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the back story is based on a personality trait associated with the pre-synthesized voice.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the prompt type is one of a pricing, a hint, a demonstration, a question, an example, an instruction, and a command.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pre-synthesized voices comprises eight pre-synthesized voices.

15 . A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the device to perform operations comprising:

developing a back story for a pre-synthesized voice in a plurality of pre-synthesized voices;

in response to a received utterance, selecting a prompt type associated with the pre-synthesized voice;

generating a prompt, as part of a turn-based dialog comprising the received utterance, based on the prompt type and the back story.

16 . The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein generating of the prompt is further based on a dialog history.

17 . The computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein generating of the prompt is further based on a set of logical predicates.

18 . The computer-readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein generating of the prompt utilizes an interpreter tuple.

19 . The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the back story is based on a personality trait associated with the pre-synthesized voice.

20 . The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the prompt type is one of a pricing, a hint, a demonstration, a question, an example, an instruction, and a command.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2017
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY II, L.P.
To: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 041512/0608 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2014
From: DI FABBRIZIO, GIUSEPPE; DUTTON, DAWN L.; GUPTA, NARENDRA K.; HOLLISTER, BARBARA B.; RAHIM, MAZIN G.; RICCARDI, GIUSEPPE; SCHAPIRE, ROBERT ELIAS; SCHROETER, JUERGEN
To: AT&T CORP.
Reel/Frame 032120/0132 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2014
From: AT&T CORP.
To: AT&T PROPERTIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 032120/0183 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2014
From: AT&T PROPERTIES, LLC
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY II, L.P.
Reel/Frame 032120/0257 →