Patents Assigned to Next IT Corporation
-
Patent number: 9830044Abstract: Techniques and architectures for implementing a team of virtual assistants are described herein. The team may include multiple virtual assistants that are configured with different characteristics, such as different functionality, base language models, levels of training, visual appearances, personalities, and so on. The characteristics of the virtual assistants may be configured by trainers, end-users, and/or a virtual assistant service. The virtual assistants may be presented to end-users in conversation user interfaces to perform different tasks for the users in a conversational manner. The different virtual assistants may adapt to different contexts. The virtual assistants may additionally, or alternatively, interact with each other to carry out tasks for the users, which may be illustrated in conversation user interfaces.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2014Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A Brown, Tanya M Miller
-
Patent number: 9824188Abstract: A conversation user interface enables patients to better understand their healthcare by integrating diagnosis, treatment, medication management, and payment, through a system that uses a virtual assistant to engage in conversation with the patient. The conversation user interface conveys a visual representation of a conversation between the virtual assistant and the patient. An identity of the patient, including preferences and medical records, is maintained throughout all interactions so that each aspect of this integrated system has access to the same information. The conversation user interface presents allows the patient to interact with the virtual assistant using natural language commands to receive information and complete task related to his or her healthcare.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2014Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A Brown, Mitchell G. Lawrence, Victor O'Brien Morrison
-
Patent number: 9823811Abstract: Techniques and architectures for implementing a team of virtual assistants are described herein. The team may include multiple virtual assistants that are configured with different characteristics, such as different functionality, base language models, levels of training, visual appearances, personalities, and so on. The characteristics of the virtual assistants may be configured by trainers, end-users, and/or a virtual assistant service. The virtual assistants may be presented to end-users in conversation user interfaces to perform different tasks for the users in a conversational manner. The different virtual assistants may adapt to different contexts. The virtual assistants may additionally, or alternatively, interact with each other to carry out tasks for the users, which may be illustrated in conversation user interfaces.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2014Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A Brown, Tanya M Miller
-
Patent number: 9672822Abstract: Techniques for interacting with a portion of a content item through a virtual assistant are described herein. The techniques may include identifying a portion of a content item that is relevant to user input and causing an action to be performed related to the portion of the content item. The action may include, for example, displaying the portion of the content item on a smart device in a displayable format that is adapted to a display characteristic of the smart device, performing a task for a user that satisfies the user input, and so on.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2013Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A Brown, Tanya M Miller
-
Patent number: 9589579Abstract: Various embodiments provide a tool, referred to herein as “Active Lab” that can be used to develop, debug, and maintain knowledge bases. These knowledge bases (KBs) can then engage various applications, technology, and communications protocols for the purpose of task automation, real time alerting, system integration, knowledge acquisition, and various forms of peer influence. In at least some embodiments, a KB is used as a virtual assistant that any real person can interact with using their own natural language. The KB can then respond and react however the user wants: answering questions, activating applications, or responding to actions on a web page.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2014Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred Brown, Mark Zartler, Tanya M Miller, Scott Buzan
-
Patent number: 9563618Abstract: Virtual agents may be implemented on a wearable device. The wearable device may include an input device to receive input and a communication component to send the input to a computing device for processing and to receive a response for the input. The wearable device may also include an output device to output the response via the virtual agent as part of a conversation with a user.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2014Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred Brown, Tanya M Miller, Mark Zartler
-
Patent number: 9552350Abstract: Ambiguous input of a user received during an interactive session with a virtual agent may be processed. The virtual agent may be presented via a computing device to facilitate the interactive session with the user. The user may provide the ambiguous input, which is processed to determine a response to the input. The virtual agent may provide the response to the user. The virtual agent may also carry out a goal-based dialogue where a goal to be accomplished is identified. The virtual agent may prompt the user for information related to the goal.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2014Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred Brown, Mark Zartler, Tanya M Miller
-
Patent number: 9536049Abstract: A conversation user interface enables patients to better understand their healthcare by integrating diagnosis, treatment, medication management, and payment, through a system that uses a virtual assistant to engage in conversation with the patient. The conversation user interface conveys a visual representation of a conversation between the virtual assistant and the patient. An identity of the patient, including preferences and medical records, is maintained throughout all interactions so that each aspect of this integrated system has access to the same information. The conversation user interface presents allows the patient to interact with the virtual assistant using natural language commands to receive information and complete task related to his or her healthcare.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2012Date of Patent: January 3, 2017Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A. Brown, Mitchell G. Lawrence, Victor O'Brien Morrison
-
Patent number: 9418652Abstract: Systems and methods for modifying a computer-based speech recognition system. A speech utterance is processed with the computer-based speech recognition system using a set of internal representations, which may comprise parameters for recognizing speech in a speech utterance, such as parameters of an acoustic model and/or a language model. The computer-based speech recognition system may perform a first task in response to the processed speech utterance. The utterance may also be provided to a human who performs a second task based on the utterance. Data indicative of the first task, performed by the computer system, is compared to data indicative of a second task, performed by the human in response to the speech utterance. Based on the comparison, the set of internal representations may be updated or modified to improve the speech recognition performance and capabilities of the speech recognition system.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2015Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventor: Charles C Wooters
-
Patent number: 9223537Abstract: A conversation user interface enables users to better understand their interactions with computing devices, particularly when speech input is involved. The conversation user interface conveys a visual representation of a conversation between the computing device, or virtual assistant thereon, and a user. The conversation user interface presents a series of dialog representations that show input from a user (verbal or otherwise) and responses from the device or virtual assistant. Associated with one or more of the dialog representations are one or more graphical elements to convey assumptions made to interpret the user input and derive an associated response. The conversation user interface enables the user to see the assumptions upon which the response was based, and to optionally change the assumption(s). Upon change of an assumption, the conversation GUI is refreshed to present a modified dialog representation of a new response derived from the altered set of assumptions.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2012Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A Brown, Tanya M Miller, Charles C Wooters, Bryan Michael Culley, Eli D. Snavely
-
Patent number: 9183285Abstract: Data having some similarities and some dissimilarities may be clustered or grouped according to the similarities and dissimilarities. The data may be clustered using agglomerative clustering techniques. The clusters may be used as suggestions for generating groups where a user may demonstrate certain criteria for grouping. The system may learn from the criteria and extrapolate the groupings to readily sort data into appropriate groups. The system may be easily refined as the user gains an understanding of the data.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2014Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A Brown, Tanya M Miller, Charles C Wooters, Megan Brown, Molly Q Brown
-
Patent number: 9122744Abstract: A system and a method for a service engine providing distributed intelligent assistance to a user are described herein. The method comprising steps of receiving and displaying a user inquiry from the user, the user inquiry having a linguistic pattern including a verb; generating and displaying a follow up question based on the user inquiry; receiving and displaying a follow up answer from the user; and generating and displaying a response based on the user inquiry and the follow up answer.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2011Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventor: Nova T. Spivack
-
Publication number: 20150186156Abstract: Techniques and architectures for implementing a team of virtual assistants are described herein. The team may include multiple virtual assistants that are configured with different characteristics, such as different functionality, base language models, levels of training, visual appearances, personalities, and so on. The characteristics of the virtual assistants may be configured by trainers, end-users, and/or a virtual assistant service. The virtual assistants may be presented to end-users in conversation user interfaces to perform different tasks for the users in a conversational manner. The different virtual assistants may adapt to different contexts. The virtual assistants may additionally, or alternatively, interact with each other to carry out tasks for the users, which may be illustrated in conversation user interfaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2014Publication date: July 2, 2015Applicant: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A. Brown, Tanya M. Miller
-
Publication number: 20150186154Abstract: Techniques and architectures for implementing a team of virtual assistants are described herein. The team may include multiple virtual assistants that are configured with different characteristics, such as different functionality, base language models, levels of training, visual appearances, personalities, and so on. The characteristics of the virtual assistants may be configured by trainers, end-users, and/or a virtual assistant service. The virtual assistants may be presented to end-users in conversation user interfaces to perform different tasks for the users in a conversational manner. The different virtual assistants may adapt to different contexts. The virtual assistants may additionally, or alternatively, interact with each other to carry out tasks for the users, which may be illustrated in conversation user interfaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2014Publication date: July 2, 2015Applicant: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A. Brown, Tanya M. Miller
-
Publication number: 20150185996Abstract: Techniques and architectures for implementing a team of virtual assistants are described herein. The team may include multiple virtual assistants that are configured with different characteristics, such as different functionality, base language models, levels of training, visual appearances, personalities, and so on. The characteristics of the virtual assistants may be configured by trainers, end-users, and/or a virtual assistant service. The virtual assistants may be presented to end-users in conversation user interfaces to perform different tasks for the users in a conversational manner. The different virtual assistants may adapt to different contexts. The virtual assistants may additionally, or alternatively, interact with each other to carry out tasks for the users, which may be illustrated in conversation user interfaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2014Publication date: July 2, 2015Applicant: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A. Brown, Tanya M. Miller
-
Publication number: 20150186155Abstract: Techniques and architectures for implementing a team of virtual assistants are described herein. The team may include multiple virtual assistants that are configured with different characteristics, such as different functionality, base language models, levels of training, visual appearances, personalities, and so on. The characteristics of the virtual assistants may be configured by trainers, end-users, and/or a virtual assistant service. The virtual assistants may be presented to end-users in conversation user interfaces to perform different tasks for the users in a conversational manner. The different virtual assistants may adapt to different contexts. The virtual assistants may additionally, or alternatively, interact with each other to carry out tasks for the users, which may be illustrated in conversation user interfaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2014Publication date: July 2, 2015Applicant: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A. Brown, Tanya M. Miller, Megan Brown
-
Publication number: 20150121216Abstract: Techniques for mapping actions and objects to tasks may include identifying a task to be performed by a virtual assistant for an action and/or object. The task may be identified based on a task map of the virtual assistant. In some examples, the task may be identified based on contextual information of a user, such as a conversation history, content output history, user preferences, and so on. The techniques may also include customizing a task map for a particular context, such as a particular user, industry, platform, device type, and so on. The customization may include assigning an action, object, and/or variable value to a particular task.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2013Publication date: April 30, 2015Applicant: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A. Brown, Tanya M. Miller, Megan Brown, Verlie Thompson
-
Patent number: 8949124Abstract: Systems and methods for modifying a computer-based speech recognition system. A speech utterance is processed with the computer-based speech recognition system using a set of internal representations, which may comprise parameters for recognizing speech in a speech utterance, such as parameters of an acoustic model and/or a language model. The computer-based speech recognition system may perform a first task in response to the processed speech utterance. The utterance may also be provided to a human who performs a second task based on the utterance. Data indicative of the first task, performed by the computer system, is compared to data indicative of a second task, performed by the human in response to the speech utterance. Based on the comparison, the set of internal representations may be updated or modified to improve the speech recognition performance and capabilities of the speech recognition system.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2009Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventor: Charles C. Wooters
-
Patent number: 8943094Abstract: Various embodiments are described for searching and retrieving documents based on a natural language input. A computer-implemented natural language processor electronically receives a natural language input phrase from an interface device. The natural language processor attributes a concept to the phrase with the natural language processor. The natural language processor searches a database for a set of documents to identify one or more documents associated with the attributed concept to be included in a response to the natural language input phrase. The natural language processor maintains the concepts during an interactive session with the natural language processor. The natural language processor resolves ambiguous input patterns in the natural language input phrase with the natural language processor. The natural language processor includes a processor, a memory and/or storage component, and an input/output device.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2009Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Assignee: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred Brown, Mark Zartler, Tanya M Miller
-
Publication number: 20140317502Abstract: Conversation user interfaces that are configured for virtual assistant interaction may include contextual interface items that are based on contextual information. The contextual information may relate to a current or previous conversation between a user and a virtual assistant and/or may relate to other types of information, such as a location of a user, an orientation of a device, missing information, and so on. The conversation user interfaces may additionally, or alternatively, control an input mode based on contextual information, such as an inferred input mode of a user or a location of a user. Further, the conversation user interfaces may tag conversation items by saving the conversation items to a tray and/or associating the conversation items with indicators.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2013Publication date: October 23, 2014Applicant: Next IT CorporationInventors: Fred A. Brown, Tanya M. Miller, Richard Morris