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US5577165A
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Speech dialogue system for facilitating improved human-computer interaction
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1994-09-26
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Granted: 1996-11-19
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Expires: 2014-09-26
Abstract
Abstract A speech dialogue system capable of realizing natural and smooth dialogue between the system and a human user, and easy maneuverability of the system. In the system, a semantic content of input speech from a user is understood and a semantic content determination of a response output is made according to the understood semantic content of the input speech. Then, a speech response and a visual response according to the determined response output are generated and outputted to the user. The dialogue between the system and the user is managed by controlling transitions between user states during which the input speech is to be entered and system states during which the system response is to be outputted. The understanding of a semantic content of input speech from a user is made by detecting keywords in the input speech, with the keywords to be detected in the input speech limited in advance, according to a state of a dialogue between the user and the system.
Inventors
- 👤 Yoichi Takebayashi
- 👤 Hiroyuki Tsuboi
- 👤 Yoichi Sadamoto
- 👤 Yasuki Yamashita
- 👤 Yoshifumi Nagata
- 👤 Shigenobu Seto
- 👤 Hideaki Shinchi
- 👤 Hideki Hashimoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 10:20
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/16; G10; G10L; G10L15/00; G10L15/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 46
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A speech dialogue system, comprising: speech understanding means for understanding an input speech from a user; dialogue management means for determining a response output content according to the input speech understood by the speech understanding means; response generation means for generating a speech response and a visual response according to the response output determined by the dialogue management means; and output means for outputting the speech response and the visual response generated by the response generation means to the user.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
A speech dialogue system, comprising: speech understanding means for understanding an input speech from a user; dialogue management means for determining a response output content according to the input speech understood by the speech understanding means; response generation means for generating a speech response and a visual response according to the response output determined by the dialogue management means; and output means for outputting the speech response and the visual response generated by the response generation means to the user.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
The speech dialogue system for claim 1, wherein the response generation means generates the visual response which indicates at least one of an image of a human character delivering the speech response, text data of the speech response, and a content visualizing image of a content of the speech response.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the speech response and the visual response by controlling at least one of an output order, an output timing, and a visual response output position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 1, further comprising user state detection means for detecting a state of the user, wherein the state of the user detected by the user state detection means is taken into account by the dialogue management means in determining the response output.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 1, wherein the response generation means generates the visual response which includes an image of a human character delivering the speech response, where the image incorporates movement and facial expression of the human character.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 5, wherein the response generation means generates the speech response incorporating a speech characteristic corresponding to the movement and the facial expression of the human character.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 6, wherein the speech characteristic of the speech response includes at least one of an emotional expression, an intentional expression, and an intonation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 1, wherein the speech understanding means supplies a plurality of candidates for the input speech, and the dialogue management means determines the response output by evaluating said plurality of candidates in accordance with a dialogue history/state.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 1, wherein the output means also outputs a visual indication for informing the user as to whether the speech dialogue system is ready to receive the input speech.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 1, wherein the response generation means generates the visual response including a content visualizing image formed by pictures of objects mentioned in the speech response and a numerical figure indicating a quantity of each of the objects.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 1, wherein the response generation means generates the speech response for making a confirmation of the input speech, while generating the visual response on the basis of a past history of a dialogue between the user and the speech dialogue system.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
76 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 1, wherein the response generation means generates the visual response which includes text data of the speech response and graphic images other than the text data, and the response generation means generates the speech response and the text data for making a confirmation of the input speech while generating the graphic images on the basis of a past history of a dialogue between the user and the speech dialogue system.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
51 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 1, wherein the response generation means generates the speech response for making a confirmation of the input speech, the speech response being changed from a full speech response to a simplified speech response according to a length of the speech response for making the confirmation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 13, wherein the length of the speech response for making the confirmation is determined from information items to be confirmed by the confirmation.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 14, wherein the full speech response mentions all of the information items to be confirmed while the simplified speech response does directly not mention the information items to be confirmed.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 15, wherein the simplified speech response contains a pronoun to refer to the visual response.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 13, wherein the full speech response recites the response output explicitly while the simplified speech response does not recite the response output explicitly.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 17, wherein the simplified speech response contains a pronoun to refer to the visual response.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 13, wherein the output means outputs the visual response at an earlier timing than a timing for outputting the visual response when the speech response is the full speech response.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 13, wherein the output means outputs the visual response before the speech response is outputted.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
60 words
A method of speech dialogue between a human user and a speech dialogue system, comprising the steps of: understanding an input speech from a user; determining a response output according to the input speech; generating a speech response and a visual response according to the response output; and outputting the speech response and the visual response generated to the user.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
60 words
A method of speech dialogue between a human user and a speech dialogue system, comprising the steps of: understanding an input speech from a user; determining a response output according to the input speech; generating a speech response and a visual response according to the response output; and outputting the speech response and the visual response generated to the user.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the generating step generates the visual response which includes at least one of an image of a human character delivering the speech response, text data of the speech response, and a content visualizing image of a content of the speech response.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the outputting step outputs the speech response and the visual response by controlling at least one of an output order, an output timing, and a visual response output position.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of detecting a state of the user, and wherein the determining step determines the response output by taking the state of the user detected at the detecting step into account.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the generating step generates the visual response which includes an image of a human character delivering the speech response, where the image incorporates movement and facial expression of the human character.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 25, wherein the generating step generates the speech response incorporating a speech characteristic corresponding to the movement and the facial expression of the human character.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 26, wherein the speech characteristic of the speech response includes at least one of an emotional expression, an intentional expression, and an intonation.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the understanding step obtains a plurality of candidates for the input speech, and the determining step determines the response output by evaluating said plurality of candidates in accordance with a dialogue history/state.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the outputting step also outputs a visual indication for informing the user as to whether the speech dialogue system is ready to receive the input speech.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the generating step generates the visual response which includes a content visualizing image formed by pictures of objects mentioned in the speech response and a numerical figure indicating a quantity of each of the objects.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 21, wherein at the generating step, the speech response for making a confirmation of the input speech is generated, while the visual response reflecting a past history of a dialogue between the user and the speech dialogue system is generated.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 21, wherein at the generating step, the visual response includes text data of the speech response and graphic images other than the text data, and the speech response and the text data for making a confirmation of the input speech is generated while the graphic images reflecting a past history of a dialogue between the user and the speech dialogue system are generated.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 21, wherein at the generating step, the speech response for making a confirmation of the input speech is generated, the speech response being changed from a full speech response to a simplified speech response, according to a length of the speech response for making the confirmation.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 33, wherein the length of the speech response for making the confirmation is determined from information items to be confirmed by the confirmation.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 34, wherein the full speech responses mentions all of the information items to be confirmed while the simplified speech response does not directly mention the information items to be confirmed.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
21 words
The speech dialogue system of claim 35, wherein the simplified speech response contains a pronoun to refer to the visual response.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 33, wherein the full speech response recites the response output explicitly while the simplified speech response does not recite the response output explicitly.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 37, wherein the simplified speech response contains a pronoun to refer to the visual response.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 33, wherein at the outputting step, the visual response is outputted at an earlier timing than a timing for outputting the visual response when the speech response is the full speech response.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 33, wherein at the outputting step, the visual response is outputted before the speech response is outputted.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
128 words
A speech response system, comprising: speech analyzing means for analyzing an input speech from a user; response output means for outputting a speech response and a visual response according to the input speech analyzed by the speech analyzing means; and management means for managing a dialogue between the user and the speech response system, by accepting a new input speech from the user after the visual response is outputted by the response output means even when the speech response is still being outputted by the response output means, and controlling the speech analyzing means to analyze the new input speech and the response output means to output a new speech response and a new visual response according to the new speech input analyzed by the speech analyzing means.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
128 words
A speech response system, comprising: speech analyzing means for analyzing an input speech from a user; response output means for outputting a speech response and a visual response according to the input speech analyzed by the speech analyzing means; and management means for managing a dialogue between the user and the speech response system, by accepting a new input speech from the user after the visual response is outputted by the response output means even when the speech response is still being outputted by the response output means, and controlling the speech analyzing means to analyze the new input speech and the response output means to output a new speech response and a new visual response according to the new speech input analyzed by the speech analyzing means.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
55 words
A speech dialogue system, comprising: extracting means for extracting words of the input speech; detecting means for detecting predetermined keywords among the extracted words; and response output means for outputting a system response according to the detected keywords, the system response being generated in accordance with a prescribed rule corresponding to each of the keywords.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
55 words
A speech dialogue system, comprising: extracting means for extracting words of the input speech; detecting means for detecting predetermined keywords among the extracted words; and response output means for outputting a system response according to the detected keywords, the system response being generated in accordance with a prescribed rule corresponding to each of the keywords.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-11-19 | 2000-05-20 | 2000-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-11-19 | 2004-05-20 | 2004-11-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-11-19 | 2008-05-20 | 2008-11-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |