Patent ID: 7702607
Filing Date: 2010-04-20
Classification: G06N

Abstract:
1. Method for operating a dialogue system for serving complex user requests by appropriately controlling a network of devices and/or applications, wherein each device and/or application is modeled by a finite state machine, said finite state machine being descriptive for the functions and states of a respective device and/or application, wherein transitions of said finite state machine are annotated with statements of a plan language, the method comprising: receiving a user request by a dialogue manager adapted to receive a user request from a user; sending the user request to a reasoning component of a function planning module; and determining a determined plan by the reasoning component based on the received user request, said reasoning component being configured to use said finite state machines in order to determine said determined plan, said determined plan being based on said plan language, wherein the function planning module includes a plan processing module which is used in order to perform said determined plan for serving the received user request, wherein said plan language is designed in order to enable the determination of conditional plans by said reasoning component, by providing conditional planning commands, wherein said conditional planning commands include at least one EXPECT-statement, wherein said reasoning component is configured to determine a conditional plan as determined plan by using said at least one EXPECT-statement which corresponds to an expected feedback of a device and/or application, wherein said plan processing module is configured to receive a current feedback from a device and/or an application when said at least one EXPECT-statement within said conditional plan is executed, wherein if said current feedback corresponds to said expected feedback, the plan processing module is configured to further execute said conditional plan, and else if said current feedback does not correspond to said expected feedback, the plan processing module is configured to execute an alternative plan, wherein said plan language comprises a WAIT-statement and said reasoning component plans at least one further plan in case said plan processing module is executing or previously has executed a WAIT-statement and is thus in a waiting state, wherein said at least one further plan is executed by said plan processing module, such that said at least one further plan is executed in parallel to said determined plan.