Systems and methods for intent-based natural language processing

1 . A method for intent-based natural language processing, comprising:

receiving, at a conversation engine, text of an utterance from a user in a conversation from a conversation program executed on an electronic device;

storing, by the conversation engine, a conversation state for the conversation in a database with a unique identifier for the conversation and a channel identifier for the electronic device, wherein the conversation state comprises a stack of processes that are added and subtracted as information is requested or obtained from the user;

determining, by the conversation engine, that the text of the utterance does not comprise a question;

selecting, by the conversation engine, one of a plurality of priority of intents selected from the group comprising a flow intent, a command intent, and an unexpected answer/last resorts intent in response to the determination;

communicating, by the conversation engine, the text of the utterance to a natural language understanding computer program;

receiving, by the conversation engine, a plurality of potential intents and a confidence score for each potential intent from the natural language understanding computer program;

selecting, by the conversation engine, a selected intent based on the selected priority of intents, the potential intents, and the confidence scores;

executing, by the conversation engine, intent logic associated with the selected intent;

updating, by the conversation engine, the conversation state in the database based on the executed intent logic; and

returning, by the conversation engine, a response to the conversation program based on the executed intent logic.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises an Internet of Things appliance.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the stack of processes comprises a base process and a sub-process.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the intents in a first of the plurality of priority of intents are ordered as a flow intent, a command intent, and an unexpected answer intent, and the intents in a second of the plurality of priority intents are ordered as an expected answer intent, a command intent, a flow intent, and an unexpected answer intent.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected priority of intents and the potential intents are programmatically weighted.

6 . A method for intent-based natural language processing, comprising:

receiving, at a conversation engine, text of an utterance from a user in a conversation from a conversation program executed on an electronic device;

storing, by the conversation engine a conversation state for the conversation in a database with a unique identifier for the conversation and a channel identifier for the electronic device, wherein the conversation state comprises a stack of processes that are added and subtracted as information is requested or obtained from the user;

determining, by the conversation engine, that the text of the utterance comprises a question;

selecting, by the conversation engine, one of a plurality of priority of intents selected from the group comprising an expected answer intent, a command intent, a flow intent, and an unexpected answer/last resort intent;

communicating, by the conversation engine, the text of the utterance to a natural language understanding computer program;

receiving, by the conversation engine, a plurality of potential intents and a confidence score for each potential intent from the natural language understanding computer program;

selecting, by the conversation engine, a selected intent based on the selected priority of intents, the potential intents, and the confidence scores;

executing, by the conversation engine, intent logic associated with the selected intent;

updating, by the conversation engine, the conversation state in the database based on the executed intent logic; and

returning, by the conversation engine, a response to the conversation program based on the executed intent logic.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the electronic device comprises an Internet of Things appliance.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the stack of processes comprises a base process and a sub-process.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the intents in a first of the plurality of priority of intents are ordered as a flow intent, a command intent, and an unexpected answer intent, and the intents in a second of the plurality of priority intents are ordered as an expected answer intent, a command intent, a flow intent, and an unexpected answer intent.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the selected priority of intents and the potential intents are programmatically weighted.

11 . A server electronic device, comprising:

a computer processor; and

a memory comprising a conversation engine computer program;

wherein the conversation engine computer program is configured to:

receive text of an utterance from a user in a conversation from a conversation program executed on an electronic device;

store a conversation state for the conversation in a database with a unique identifier for the conversation and a channel identifier for the electronic device, wherein the conversation state comprises a stack of processes comprising a base process and a sub-process that are added and subtracted as information is requested or obtained from the user;

determine that the text of the utterance does not comprises a question;

select one of a plurality of priority of intents selected from the group comprising an expected answer intent, a command intent, a flow intent, and an unexpected answer/last resort intent;

communicate the text of the utterance to a natural language understanding computer program;

receive a plurality of potential intents and a confidence score for each potential intent from the natural language understanding computer program;

select a selected intent based on the selected priority of intents, the potential intents, and the confidence scores;

execute intent logic associated with the selected intent;

update the conversation state in the database based on the executed intent logic; and

return a response to the conversation program based on the executed intent logic.

12 . The server electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the electronic device comprises an Internet of Things appliance.

13 . The server electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the intents in a first of the plurality of priority of intents are ordered as a flow intent, a command intent, and an unexpected answer intent, and the intents in a second of the plurality of priority intents are ordered as an expected answer intent, a command intent, a flow intent, and an unexpected answer intent.

14 . The server electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the selected priority of intents and the potential intents are programmatically weighted.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

continuing the conversation on a second electronic device using the unique identifier.

16 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

continuing the conversation on a second electronic device using the unique identifier.

17 . The server electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the wherein the conversation engine is further configured to continue the conversation on a second electronic device using the unique identifier.