EP1236096A1 - Systeme d'aide pour application informatique - Google Patents

Systeme d'aide pour application informatique

Info

Publication number
EP1236096A1
EP1236096A1 EP00937998A EP00937998A EP1236096A1 EP 1236096 A1 EP1236096 A1 EP 1236096A1 EP 00937998 A EP00937998 A EP 00937998A EP 00937998 A EP00937998 A EP 00937998A EP 1236096 A1 EP1236096 A1 EP 1236096A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
user
natural language
set forth
database
response
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP00937998A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Geoffrey M. Jacquez
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP1236096A1 publication Critical patent/EP1236096A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F9/00—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units
    • G06F9/06—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
    • G06F9/44—Arrangements for executing specific programs
    • G06F9/451—Execution arrangements for user interfaces
    • G06F9/453—Help systems

Definitions

  • the subject invention relates to a help program which may be initiated when a user is in a computer software program or on a web site.
  • Help systems are well known for use with computer software programs.
  • the help systems can convey a response to a user by either w ⁇ tten or oral communication.
  • Many help systems are designed to simulate natural language conversations. In other words, the response is fashioned into complete sentences.
  • One such example of a method for implementing a natural language interpreter is shown in United States Patent No. 5,377,103.
  • the current help systems simulate the natural language conversation by parsing and interpreting statements and que ⁇ es from the user and then responding with sentences formulated from a predetermined knowledge database, typically by a browse function.
  • the p ⁇ or art help systems are not capable of fashioning their responses to each individual user having a known history of que ⁇ es and a particular need. Further, these help systems are not well suited for web site applications were the main goal is to direct the user or customer to a predetermined result, such as a sale.
  • the subject invention includes a method for utilizing a help software program or system having a plurality of user databases and a knowledge database.
  • the help program works in conjunction with a computer related application for interacting with a user in a natural language format when the user requires assistance in relation to the computer related application.
  • the method comprising the steps of; identifying the user, obtaining an identification code of the identified user, searching the user databases to link the identification code with one of the user databases, accessing specific user data related to the identified user from the linked user database, receiving a user's natural language input, interpreting the natural language input, formulating a response by integrating the natural language input from the user with specific user data from the linked user database and data from the knowledge database, submitting the response to the user, and updating the linked user database with the natural language input and response whereby future responses may refer to the updated linked user database for the identified user.
  • the subject invention provides for a help software program or system which converses with a user in a natural language format and caters the responses to each individual user (the identified user).
  • the subject method is also well suited for web site help systems in that the subject help system can assist in directing a user or customer toward a sale.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a help software program in accordance with the subject invention
  • Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating the methodology for the help software program
  • Figure 3 is a continuing flow chart further illustrating the methodology of the software program.
  • Figure 4 is a flow chart completing the subject methodology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
  • the help program may be used in computer software applications and for web sites, including e-commerce sites.
  • the help program is also contemplated for use in other applications such as automotive products, appliances, homes and the like.
  • the help program operates to assist one or many users or customers with specific problems and can also guide the users to specific information such as related products and services.
  • the number of users which the help program would support is only dependent upon the design requirements. For example, electronic commerce (E-commerce) applications will require simultaneous conversations with many users, while help systems in personal computer software will typically involve only one user conversation at a time.
  • E-commerce electronic commerce
  • the help program includes a natural language simulator which parses sentences submitted by the user or customer.
  • the natural language simulator also converts a formulated response into natural language, e.g. complete sentences.
  • the help program also includes a knowledge database which houses a vast array of information relating to a number of applications, problems, suggestions, etc. The size and complexity of the knowledge database may vary depending upon the particular application and needs of the users.
  • the formulated responses are based upon the help program's knowledge database.
  • the knowledge database can include specific information to provide the help program with information about a particular E- commerce site. Such information may include the sites products and services, how to use the site, and how to help the user in all aspects of an E-commerce transaction.
  • the knowledge database for a software program will be information on the program's purpose, functions and features. Both the natural language simulator and knowledge database may employ neural networks, stochastic models, decision trees and/or other such techniques.
  • a trainer is provided to continually prepare, update, and maintain the knowledge database by interacting with the help software program or by otherwise editing the knowledge database. Input to the help program from the trainer takes the form of lessons that result in a change to the knowledge database and queries that test the knowledge database. Queries and responses from the help program confirm updates to the knowledge database and reply to the trainer's queries. Responses also include reporting of conversations held between the help program and the user or users.
  • the trainer is initiated or activated when it is necessary to establish the knowledge database and to initially populate the knowledge database with appropriate information.
  • the trainer is also activated when it is necessary to update, edit or otherwise maintain the knowledge database. Further, the trainer is used for monitoring the help program by accessing records of past and/or ongoing conversations with the users.
  • the conversations between the help program and the user are mediated by a particular context.
  • the contextual data are the fabric within which the conversations take place and include location and historical information.
  • the location is the 'place' in which the help program is invoked, i.e. that location in a particular computer software program's user interface, or the page on an E-commerce or other web site, etc.
  • the help program might be predisposed to provide an overview of products available at a web site once the site is opened.
  • the help program can then discuss with the user his or her options and provide assistance.
  • One feature of the subject help program is to increase sales at E- commerce sites by providing prospective customers with product and product related information in a natural language format.
  • the help program will then navigate the user to appropriate locations in the web site to reveal product and product related content to the customer.
  • the historical information is included within a plurality of user databases and is the record of past interactions with a particular user.
  • the databases are coded for each individual user such that when a user is identified, the user's personal database can be accessed.
  • the identification code may be any suitable sign, alpha/numeric code or the like so long as the user can be adequately categorized.
  • the user databases are designed to store a myriad of information of a user such as specifics of previous conversations, the user's name, preferences, prior commercial transactions, user's buying habits, income level and any other relevant storable information. Referring to Figures 2 through 4, the specific method of operation for the help software program is illustrated in greater detail.
  • the help program works in conjunction with a computer related application for interacting with a user in a natural language format when the user requires assistance in relation to the computer related application.
  • the computer related application may be either the computer software program, a web site or any other application as outlined above.
  • the foregoing method will be described having the computer related application chosen by the identified user as being an E-commerce web site. It is appreciated that the subsequent discussion in no way limits the subject invention to E-commerce web sites.
  • the help program is initiated by a request from the user for assistance or pro-actively by a software agent monitoring activity on the site. A graphical representation of the help program (not shown) is then displayed on the web page.
  • the type of computer related application is then determined. For this example, the type of E-commerce site is determined and the specific location of the user within that site is determined. Specific information about the chosen computer related application, the E-commerce site, is incorporated into the response to the user. Under this example, the application is the web page being accessed by the user when the help program was invoked which defines the locational context for the help program.
  • the user is then identified and classified as a past identified user or as a new user. If a past identified user, an identification code is obtained of the identified user.
  • the user databases are then searched to link the identification code with one of the user databases. As discussed above, there is preferably only one user database for each identified user. Specific user data related to the identified user is then accessed from the linked user database. The user data may include commercial transaction history, such as buying habits and past purchases, as well as personal and socioeconomic data as discussed above. If the user is a new user, a new user database is initiated and the new user is given an identification code for future reference. A conversation between the help program and the user can now commence. First, a natural language input is received from the user.
  • This natural language input may be an initiating question or a reply to a proposed question.
  • the reply is expressed as a text string, either when it is retrieved from the keyboard or by interpretation by a spoken language processor (not shown) if the reply is captured by voice.
  • the text string (or natural language input) is then parsed and interpreted by the natural language simulator.
  • the natural language conversation at this point is recorded and stored in the linked user database.
  • the specific user data for the identified user is then again accessed from the linked user database.
  • the user data includes previous inputs and responses for the identified user, e.g. past conversations.
  • the past conversations assist in providing the context for formulating the response.
  • the identified user is guided to a predetermined result based upon the particular computer application.
  • the user will be guided to a final sale within the E-commerce web site.
  • the current input by the user is assessed against the predetermined result to mold future responses to the user in order to direct the user toward the desired result, i.e., the sale.
  • the predetermined result or goal will vary from implementation to implementation.
  • the motivation for guiding a user to the desired result, sale is to maximize the total dollar amount of the help program enabled sales divided by the total time spent engaged with the help program. Activities associated with maximizing this value include the identification of products expected to be of interest to the user (customer), guiding the user to these appropriate products, obtaining information from the user and from other external databases, and assisting the user to complete the sales transaction.
  • the identification of the products expected to be of interest to the user is accomplished by accessing a product database, compiling information from the product database, and determining if any of the compiled information should be forwarded to the identified user with the response. If a product is expected to have high customer interest, the help program then determines the web page where the product's description is and then navigates the user to that web page.
  • human intervention may be needed to provide additional information from either the knowledge database or the product database, or to achieve other objective specific to certain web site implementations.
  • human intervention is accessed in a natural language format such that interaction with the help program and a human representative appears seamless to the user.
  • the accessing of the human intervention includes the steps of; sending of the request for human intervention to an appropriate support person, summarizing the conversation and need for intervention, communicating this need to the support person, accepting input from the support person, and preparing this input for incorporation into the response.
  • a response is then formulated by integrating the natural language input from the user with specific user data from the linked user database and data from the knowledge database as well as information and data from other sources discussed above.
  • the response is then submitted to the user.
  • the submitting of the response is further defined as submitting a natural language response to interact with the user in a completely natural language conversation.
  • the response is passed to the user as a natural language text string, when using a text base interface, or as an audible voice, when using synthetic voice recognition and processing.
  • the formatting of the response is further defined as uniquely molding the response to the identified user based upon the specific user data from the linked user database.
  • the response is tailored to direct the user to the predetermined result.
  • Completion of the conversation is then assessed. If the conversation is to continue, then the method returns to receiving another iatural language input from the user. The above detailed steps are then repeated. If the conversation is completed, then the linked user database is updated with the natural language input and response whereby future responses may refer to the updated linked user database for the identified user.
  • the user database is also updated to include the products visited and purchased.
  • Pricing of the help program for a potential web site provider may be based upon the amount of time the user is in engaged in conversation with the help program. There may be a flat rate pricing plan that includes a flat rate per unit of conversation time. Alternatively, the pricing plan may be based on the value of the net sales divided by the use time. The rate would change as a function of this value. Of course, each of these pricing plans would be negotiated with the web site provider.

Abstract

Cette invention concerne un programme ou un système d'aide (Fig. 1) comportant un certain nombre de bases de données (Fig. 1) et une base de connaissances (Fig. 1). Ce programme peut être utilisé avec une application informatique (Fig. 1) telle qu'un logiciel ou un site commercial électronique. Ce programme contient un simulateur de langue naturelle (Fig. 1) qui analyse les phrases soumises par un utilisateur ou un client (Fig. 1). Ce simulateur de langue naturelle convertit également la réponse formulée en langue naturelle, c'est à dire en phrases complètes. Un agent de formation (Fig. 1) intervient pour préparer, actualiser et entretenir la base de connaissances en interagissant avec le programme d'aide ou en assurant la mise en forme de la base de connaissances. Les données entrées dans le programme par l'agent de formation se présentent sous forme de leçons induisant un changement de la base de connaissances et de questions adressées à ladite base de connaissances.
EP00937998A 1999-06-01 2000-06-01 Systeme d'aide pour application informatique Withdrawn EP1236096A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US13674799P 1999-06-01 1999-06-01
US136747P 1999-06-01
PCT/US2000/014997 WO2000073900A1 (fr) 1999-06-01 2000-06-01 Systeme d'aide pour application informatique

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1236096A1 true EP1236096A1 (fr) 2002-09-04

Family

ID=22474194

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00937998A Withdrawn EP1236096A1 (fr) 1999-06-01 2000-06-01 Systeme d'aide pour application informatique

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1236096A1 (fr)
CA (1) CA2375222A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2000073900A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6467080B1 (en) * 1999-06-24 2002-10-15 International Business Machines Corporation Shared, dynamically customizable user documentation
JP2004068768A (ja) 2002-08-09 2004-03-04 Mitsubishi Electric Corp 燃料供給装置及びこの燃料供給装置の燃料残量表示装置
US9298287B2 (en) 2011-03-31 2016-03-29 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Combined activation for natural user interface systems
US9244984B2 (en) 2011-03-31 2016-01-26 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Location based conversational understanding
WO2012135229A2 (fr) * 2011-03-31 2012-10-04 Microsoft Corporation Apprentissage et correction d'un dialogue conversationnel
US9858343B2 (en) 2011-03-31 2018-01-02 Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc Personalization of queries, conversations, and searches
US9760566B2 (en) 2011-03-31 2017-09-12 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Augmented conversational understanding agent to identify conversation context between two humans and taking an agent action thereof
US9842168B2 (en) 2011-03-31 2017-12-12 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Task driven user intents
US10642934B2 (en) 2011-03-31 2020-05-05 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Augmented conversational understanding architecture
US9454962B2 (en) 2011-05-12 2016-09-27 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Sentence simplification for spoken language understanding
US9064006B2 (en) 2012-08-23 2015-06-23 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Translating natural language utterances to keyword search queries

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5377103A (en) * 1992-05-15 1994-12-27 International Business Machines Corporation Constrained natural language interface for a computer that employs a browse function
US5379366A (en) * 1993-01-29 1995-01-03 Noyes; Dallas B. Method for representation of knowledge in a computer as a network database system
CA2175187A1 (fr) * 1993-10-28 1995-05-04 William K. Thomson Synthese d'exploration de bases de donnees a caracteristiques determinees par l'utilisateur
US5838682A (en) * 1995-11-28 1998-11-17 Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. Method and apparatus for establishing communications with a remote node on a switched network based on hypertext dialing information received from a packet network
US5978455A (en) * 1997-05-23 1999-11-02 Mci Communications Corporation Method and system for determining optimal call periods in accordance with caller and callee parameters
US6032162A (en) * 1998-01-08 2000-02-29 Burke; Alexander James System for processing and storing internet bookmark address links

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO0073900A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2375222A1 (fr) 2000-12-07
WO2000073900A1 (fr) 2000-12-07

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CN1670733B (zh) 用自然语言命令呈递表格
CN101203856B (zh) 用于生成相关搜索查询的系统
US7606805B2 (en) Distributed search system and method
US7907140B2 (en) Displaying time-series data and correlated events derived from text mining
US7370032B2 (en) Data gathering
CN101004806B (zh) 用于对合成数据进行语音呈现的方法和系统
US7505921B1 (en) System and method for optimizing a product configuration
US20090112832A1 (en) Intelligent content assistance
EP0979479A1 (fr) Systeme commercial informatique en reseau
US20070168335A1 (en) Deep enterprise search
US20070245308A1 (en) Flexible XML tagging
CN106776860A (zh) 一种搜索摘要生成方法及装置
WO2000073900A1 (fr) Systeme d'aide pour application informatique
US20220414741A1 (en) Systems and methods for managing a personalized online experience
US20220215023A1 (en) System to convert natural-language financial questions into database queries
CN111339284A (zh) 产品智能匹配方法、装置、设备及可读存储介质
KR102484565B1 (ko) 상담원 지원 방법 및 그 연산 장치
KR101324460B1 (ko) 정보 제공 장치, 정보 제공 방법 및 정보 기록 매체
CN109376219A (zh) 文本属性字段的匹配方法、装置、电子设备及存储介质
US20060150077A1 (en) User interface method
US20080103936A1 (en) Automated decision assistant
KR101307105B1 (ko) 정보 제공 장치, 정보 제공 방법, 및 정보 기록 매체
US20050165596A1 (en) Method and apparatus for determining expected values in the presence of uncertainty
CN112507241A (zh) 车型推荐方法、获取车型推荐列表的方法、系统、介质及电子设备
US6301566B1 (en) Device and method for obtaining retail price information in different languages from a computer via telephone

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20011115

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

RBV Designated contracting states (corrected)

Designated state(s): DE ES FR GB IT

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 20050104