Patents by Inventor Mark David Griffin

Mark David Griffin has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230409837
    Abstract: Present embodiments are directed to a virtual agent with improved natural language understanding (NLU) capabilities. The disclosed virtual agent enables topic selection and topic changes during natural language exchanges with a user. The virtual agent is designed to select suitable topic flows to execute based on intents identified in received user utterances, including selection of an initial topic flow in response to a topic identified in a first user utterance, as well as switching between topic flows mid-conversation based on identified topic changes. The virtual agent is also capable of considering all intents and entities conveyed during the conversation, which enables the virtual agent to avoid prompting the user to provide redundant information. Furthermore, the virtual agent is capable of executing topic flows as part of a global topic flow, which enables the virtual agent to perform a number of predefined activities as part of each interaction with the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Nabil Abu Asba, Mark David Griffin, Anuj Jain
  • Patent number: 11790176
    Abstract: Present embodiments are directed to a virtual agent with improved natural language understanding (NLU) capabilities. The disclosed virtual agent enables topic selection and topic changes during natural language exchanges with a user. The virtual agent is designed to select suitable topic flows to execute based on intents identified in received user utterances, including selection of an initial topic flow in response to a topic identified in a first user utterance, as well as switching between topic flows mid-conversation based on identified topic changes. The virtual agent is also capable of considering all intents and entities conveyed during the conversation, which enables the virtual agent to avoid prompting the user to provide redundant information. Furthermore, the virtual agent is capable of executing topic flows as part of a global topic flow, which enables the virtual agent to perform a number of predefined activities as part of each interaction with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ServiceNow, Inc.
    Inventors: Nabil Abu Asba, Mark David Griffin, Anuj Jain
  • Publication number: 20220366913
    Abstract: A virtual agent that utilizes an in-house natural language understanding (NLU) service and integrates a third party NLU service. The third-party NLU service is integrated with the virtual agent via a transformation script that establishes a transformation boundary through which communications are directed for adjustment and conditioning. The third party NLU service communicates with the virtual agent via an application programming interface (API). The virtual agent receives an utterance from a user via a chat session and provides the utterance to the third party NLU service. The third party NLU service may return intents, entities, and confidence, generate and return a response, and/or take actions within the cloud-based platform via the API, dependent upon the degree of integration. The virtual agent then provides a response to the user via the chat session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Nabil Abu Asba, Mark David Griffin
  • Patent number: 11423910
    Abstract: A virtual agent that utilizes an in-house natural language understanding (NLU) service and integrates a third party NLU service. The third-party NLU service is integrated with the virtual agent via a transformation script that establishes a transformation boundary through which communications are directed for adjustment and conditioning. The third party NLU service communicates with the virtual agent via an application programming interface (API). The virtual agent receives an utterance from a user via a chat session and provides the utterance to the third party NLU service. The third party NLU service may return intents, entities, and confidence, generate and return a response, and/or take actions within the cloud-based platform via the API, dependent upon the degree of integration. The virtual agent then provides a response to the user via the chat session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: ServiceNow, Inc.
    Inventors: Nabil Abu Asba, Mark David Griffin
  • Publication number: 20200302936
    Abstract: A virtual agent that utilizes an in-house natural language understanding (NLU) service and integrates a third party NLU service. The third-party NLU service is integrated with the virtual agent via a transformation script that establishes a transformation boundary through which communications are directed for adjustment and conditioning. The third party NLU service communicates with the virtual agent via an application programming interface (API). The virtual agent receives an utterance from a user via a chat session and provides the utterance to the third party NLU service. The third party NLU service may return intents, entities, and confidence, generate and return a response, and/or take actions within the cloud-based platform via the API, dependent upon the degree of integration. The virtual agent then provides a response to the user via the chat session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Nabil Abu Asba, Mark David Griffin
  • Publication number: 20200302020
    Abstract: Present embodiments are directed to a virtual agent with improved natural language understanding (NLU) capabilities. The disclosed virtual agent enables topic selection and topic changes during natural language exchanges with a user. The virtual agent is designed to select suitable topic flows to execute based on intents identified in received user utterances, including selection of an initial topic flow in response to a topic identified in a first user utterance, as well as switching between topic flows mid-conversation based on identified topic changes. The virtual agent is also capable of considering all intents and entities conveyed during the conversation, which enables the virtual agent to avoid prompting the user to provide redundant information. Furthermore, the virtual agent is capable of executing topic flows as part of a global topic flow, which enables the virtual agent to perform a number of predefined activities as part of each interaction with the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Nabil Abu Asba, Mark David Griffin, Anuj Jain