Abstract: Methods and systems are described for responding to natural language queries. Specifically a natural language query is received and a query template that corresponds to the natural language query is determined. One or more search results corresponding to the natural language query are retrieved. One or more attributes associated with the user equipment device are identified and based on those attributes a first response template associated with an audio-only response to the natural language query, a second response template associated with a visual-only response to the natural language query, or a third response template associated with an audio-visual response to the natural language query is selected. A response to the natural language query is generated based on the selected response template and the retrieved one or more search results.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for training a model to accurately determine whether two phrases are conversationally connected. A media guidance application may detect a first phrase and a second phrase, translate each phrase to a string of word types, append each string to the back of a prior string to create a combined string, determine a degree to which any of the individual strings matches any singleton template, and determine a degree to which the combined string matches any conversational template. Based on the degrees to which the individual and combination strings match the singleton and conversational templates, respectively, strengths of association are correspondingly updated.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for training a model to accurately determine whether two phrases are conversationally connected. A media guidance application may detect a first phrase and a second phrase, translate each phrase to a string of word types, append each string to the back of a prior string to create a combined string, determine a degree to which any of the individual strings, matches any singleton template, and determine a degree to which the combined string matches any conversational template. Based on the degrees to which the individual and combination strings match the singleton and conversational templates, respectively, strengths of association are correspondingly updated.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining whether an ambiguous statement applies to a first query or second query. In some aspects, the system includes control circuitry that receives a first search query from a user. The control circuitry determines a syntactic mapping and contextual mapping of the first query. The control circuitry receives a second search query following the first search query. The control circuitry merges the queries. The control circuitry determines whether syntactic mappings for the second query and the portion of the merged query corresponding to the second query are equivalent. In response to determining that the second syntactic mapping and the portion of the third syntactic mapping are equivalent, the control circuitry selects a contextual mapping of the second or merged query based on user contextual information. The control circuitry determines a media asset from the media assets that is related to the first and second queries.

Abstract: Systems and methods provided herein for a determining a meaning of an ambiguous term in a text segment based on a context term, a static knowledge graph and a temporal knowledge graph. These systems and methods access a first knowledge graph associated with the context term to determine a potential term that is the meaning of the unknown term. Upon determining that there are multiple potential terms in the first knowledge graph that could be the meaning of the unknown term, the systems and methods take into account the temporal dimension of relationships between entities for disambiguating the meaning of the unknown term. The systems and methods achieve this by determining a time stamp of the text segment and accessing a second knowledge graph associated with the first context term and related to the time stamp to determine the potential term that is the meaning of the first unknown term.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in conventional conversation systems by executing a customized supplemental function for a natural language query based on the user's profile. In some aspects, the systems and methods receive a user query for a media asset, determine a query template in the user's profile matching the user's query, and identify and execute a supplemental function corresponding to the query template in addition to responding to the user's query. The user's profile is customized on the user's usage patterns of an interactive media guidance application. By monitoring the user's usage patterns and learning from the user's actions in conjunction with the user's natural language queries on which supplemental functions to execute, the interactive media guidance application may provide a smarter and more efficient user experience.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining whether an ambiguous statement applies to a first query or second query. In some aspects, the system includes control circuitry that receives a first search query from a user. The control circuitry determines a syntactic mapping and contextual mapping of the first query. The control circuitry receives a second search query following the first search query. The control circuitry merges the queries. The control circuitry determines whether syntactic mappings for the second query and the portion of the merged query corresponding to the second query are equivalent. In response to determining that the second syntactic mapping and the portion of the third syntactic mapping are equivalent, the control circuitry selects a contextual mapping of the second or merged query based on user contextual information. The control circuitry determines a media asset from the media assets that is related to the first and second queries.

Abstract: Systems and methods provided herein for a determining a meaning of an ambiguous term in a text segment based on a context term, a static knowledge graph and a temporal knowledge graph. These systems and methods access a first knowledge graph associated with the context term to determine a potential term that is the meaning of the unknown term. Upon determining that there are multiple potential terms in the first knowledge graph that could be the meaning of the unknown term, the systems and methods take into account the temporal dimension of relationships between entities for disambiguating the meaning of the unknown term. The systems and methods achieve this by determining a time stamp of the text segment and accessing a second knowledge graph associated with the first context term and related to the time stamp to determine the potential term that is the meaning of the first unknown term.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in a conventional conversation system via a novel technique utilizing artificial neural networks to train the conversation system whether or not to continue context. In some aspects, an interactive media guidance application determines a type of conversation continuity in a natural language conversation comprising first and second queries. The interactive media guidance application determines a first token in the first query and a second token in the second query. The interactive media guidance application identifies entity data for the first and second tokens. The interactive media guidance application retrieves, from a knowledge graph, graph connections between the entity data for the first and second tokens. The interactive media guidance application applies this data as inputs to an artificial neural network.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in conventional conversation systems by executing a customized supplemental function for a natural language query based on the user's profile. In some aspects, the systems and methods receive a user query for a media asset, determine a query template in the user's profile matching the user's query, and identify and execute a supplemental function corresponding to the query template in addition to responding to the user's query. The user's profile is customized on the user's usage patterns of an interactive media guidance application. By monitoring the user's usage patterns and learning from the user's actions in conjunction with the user's natural language queries on which supplemental functions to execute, the interactive media guidance application may provide a smarter and more efficient user experience.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide a media guidance application that recognizes a plurality of natural language search queries for identifying a set of search results. For example, a user may want to determine when the Yankees are playing their next baseball game. The user may structure their query in multiple ways, such as, “When are the Yankees playing?” “What time is the Yankees game?” “When is the next Yankees baseball game?” The user would expect the same result, a description of when the Yankees are playing, regardless of how the query is structured. The systems and methods enable a user to use a plurality of search queries when searching for items or information to get desired results.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in conventional conversation systems by determining an execution path for a natural language query using questions and answers and selecting the path in a knowledge graph based on the entities in the questions and answers and the user's feedback. In some aspects, the systems and methods described provide for determining an execution path for a natural language query presented to an interactive media guidance application. The interactive media guidance application receives, from a user, a query including an input entity and an unknown term. The interactive media guidance application retrieves, from a knowledge graph, a plurality of possible responses for the query. The interactive media guidance application determines a correct response of the plurality of possible responses based on feedback from the user. The interactive media guidance application selects an execution path for the query based on the correct response.

Abstract: Methods and systems for identifying a meaning of an ambiguous term in a natural language query. The media guidance application isolates first and second terms from a query received from a user and identifies, in a knowledge graph, first and second pluralities of candidate components associated with the first and second terms. The first and second terms each having multiple candidate components indicates the first and second terms have ambiguous meanings. The media guidance application matches each candidate component of the first and second pluralities of candidate components to form a plurality of pairs and determines strength of association for each pair in the plurality of pairs. The media guidance application filters the plurality of pairs by strength of association for each pair and determines a plurality of possible meanings based on the filtered plurality of pairs. The media guidance application selects a meaning from the plurality of possible meanings.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide a media guidance application that recognizes a plurality of natural language search queries for identifying a set of search results. For example, a user may want to determine when the Yankees are playing their next baseball game. The user may structure their query in multiple ways, such as, “When are the Yankees playing?” “What time is the Yankees game?” “When is the next Yankees baseball game?” The user would expect the same result, a description of when the Yankees are playing, regardless of how the query is structured. The systems and methods enable a user to use a plurality of search queries when searching for items or information to get desired results.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for training a model to accurately determine whether two phrases are conversationally connected. A media guidance application may detect a first phrase and a second phrase, translate each phrase to a string of word types, append each string to the back of a prior string to create a combined string, determine a degree to which any of the individual strings, matches any singleton template, and determine a degree to which the combined string matches any conversational template. Based on the degrees to which the individual and combination strings match the singleton and conversational templates, respectively, strengths of association are correspondingly updated.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for responding to natural language queries. Specifically a natural language query is received and a query template that corresponds to the natural language query is determined. One or more search results corresponding to the natural language query are retrieved. One or more attributes associated with the user equipment device are identified and based on those attributes a first response template associated with an audio-only response to the natural language query, a second response template associated with a visual-only response to the natural language query, or a third response template associated with an audio-visual response to the natural language query is selected. A response to the natural language query is generated based on the selected response template and the retrieved one or more search results.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a media guidance application that can automatically, or with little human interaction, identify characteristics of media content (e.g., sub-genres, minor actors, etc.) and generate appropriate tags for that media content. The media guidance application can thus facilitate user searches based on specific and narrowly tailored search terms (e.g., sub-genres, minor actors, etc.).

Abstract: Methods and systems for identifying a meaning of an ambiguous term in a natural language query. The media guidance application isolates first and second terms from a query received from a user and identifies, in a knowledge graph, first and second pluralities of candidate components associated with the first and second terms. The first and second terms each having multiple candidate components indicates the first and second terms have ambiguous meanings. The media guidance application matches each candidate component of the first and second pluralities of candidate components to form a plurality of pairs and determines strength of association for each pair in the plurality of pairs. The media guidance application filters the plurality of pairs by strength of association for each pair and determines a plurality of possible meanings based on the filtered plurality of pairs. The media guidance application selects a meaning from the plurality of possible meanings.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for responding to natural language queries. Specifically a natural language query is received and a query template that corresponds to the natural language query is determined. One or more search results corresponding to the natural language query are retrieved. One or more attributes associated with the user equipment device are identified and based on those attributes a first response template associated with an audio-only response to the natural language query, a second response template associated with a visual-only response to the natural language query, or a third response template associated with an audio-visual response to the natural language query is selected. A response to the natural language query is generated based on the selected response template and the retrieved one or more search results.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for training a model to accurately determine whether two phrases are conversationally connected. A media guidance application may detect a first phrase and a second phrase, translate each phrase to a string of word types, append each string to the back of a prior string to create a combined string, determine a degree to which any of the individual strings matches any singleton template, and determine a degree to which the combined string matches any conversational template. Based on the degrees to which the individual and combination strings match the singleton and conversational templates, respectively, strengths of association are correspondingly updated.