Patent ID: 8364493
Filing Date: 2013-01-29
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
1. A spoken dialogue apparatus which retrieves desired data from a data storage unit storing data in association with attribute values concerning a plurality of attributes of the data, comprising: a speech recognition unit configured to perform speech recognition of an input speech of a user for a presented response from the apparatus to obtain a recognition candidate in one attribute from recognition target words corresponding to the presented response; a retrieval unit configured to update a retrieval condition by use of the recognition candidate and retrieve data corresponding to the retrieval condition from the data storage unit to output as a retrieval result; a calculation unit configured to calculate estimated numbers of data as costs concerning a first response and a second response based on the retrieval condition and the retrieval result, the data being included in retrieval result after narrowed retrieval performed in accordance with an input speech corresponding to the first response asking the user to input an attribute value of an attribute which has not been input and corresponding to the second response ascertaining the truth of an attribute value of an attribute which has been input; and a selection unit configured to select a response having the lowest cost and present the response to the user, wherein the retrieval unit (a) updates the retrieval condition by adding the recognition candidate to the retrieval condition when the presented response corresponds to the first response, (b) updates the retrieval condition by maintaining an approved attribute value in the retrieval condition and deleting other attribute value of the attribute related to the presented response from the retrieval condition when the presented response corresponds to the second response and the recognition candidate indicates approval, and (c) updates the retrieval condition by deleting a denied attribute value form the retrieval condition and maintaining other attribute value of the attribute related to the presented response in the retrieval condition when the presented response corresponds to the second response and the recognition candidate indicates denial.