Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for contextual language understanding. A natural language expression may be received at a single-turn model and a multi-turn model for determining an intent of a user. For example, the single-turn model may determine a first prediction of at least one of a domain classification, intent classification, and slot type of the natural language expression. The multi-turn model may determine a second prediction of at least one of a domain classification, intent classification, and slot type of the natural language expression. The first prediction and the second prediction may be combined to produce a final prediction relative to the intent of the natural language expression. An action may be performed based on the final prediction of the natural language expression.

Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods of configuring generic language understanding models. In aspects, one or more previously configured schemas for various applications may be identified and collected. A generic schema may be generated using the collected schemas. The collected schemas may be programmatically mapped to the generic schema. The generic schema may be used to train on ore more models. An interface may be provided to allow browsing the models. The interface may include a configuration mechanism that provides for selecting on or more of the models. The selected models may be bundled programmatically, such that the information and instructions needed to implement the models are configured programmatically. The bundled models may then be provided to a requestor.

Abstract: A device may facilitate a query dialog involving queries that successively modify a query state. However, fulfilling such queries in the context of possible query domains, query intents, and contextual meanings of query terms may be difficult. Presented herein are techniques for modifying a query state in view of a query by utilizing a set of query state modifications, each representing a modification of the query state possibly intended by the user while formulating the query (e.g., adding, substituting, or removing query terms; changing the query domain or query intent; and navigating within a hierarchy of saved query states). Upon receiving a query, an embodiment may calculate the probability of the query connoting each query state modification (e.g., using a Bayesian classifier), and parsing the query according to a query state modification having a high probability (e.g., mapping respective query terms to query slots within the current query intent).

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for contextual language understanding. A natural language expression may be received at a single-turn model and a multi-turn model for determining an intent of a user. For example, the single-turn model may determine a first prediction of at least one of a domain classification, intent classification, and slot type of the natural language expression. The multi-turn model may determine a second prediction of at least one of a domain classification, intent classification, and slot type of the natural language expression. The first prediction and the second prediction may be combined to produce a final prediction relative to the intent of the natural language expression. An action may be performed based on the final prediction of the natural language expression.

Abstract: A universal model-based approach for item disambiguation and selection is provided. An utterance may be received by a computing device in response to a list of items for selection. In aspects, the list of items may be displayed on a display screen. The universal disambiguation model may then be applied to the utterance. The universal disambiguation model may be utilized to determine whether the utterance is directed to at least one of the list of items and identify an item from the list corresponding to the utterance, based on identified language and/or domain independent referential features. The computing device may then perform an action which may include selecting the identified item associated with utterance.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to a classification model, and to functionality for producing and applying the classification model. The classification model is configured to discriminate whether an input linguistic item (such as a query) corresponding to either a natural language (NL) linguistic item or a keyword language (KL) linguistic item. An NL linguistic item expresses an intent using a natural language, while a KL linguistic item expresses the intent using one or more keywords. In a training phase, the functionality produces the classification model based on query click log data or the like. In an application phase, the functionality may, among other uses, use the classification model to filter a subset of NL linguistic items from a larger set of items, and then use the subset of NL linguistic items to train a natural language interpretation model, such as a spoken language understanding model.

Abstract: A device may facilitate a query dialog involving queries that successively modify a query state. However, fulfilling such queries in the context of possible query domains, query intents, and contextual meanings of query terms may be difficult. Presented herein are techniques for modifying a query state in view of a query by utilizing a set of query state modifications, each representing a modification of the query state possibly intended by the user while formulating the query (e.g., adding, substituting, or removing query terms; changing the query domain or query intent; and navigating within a hierarchy of saved query states). Upon receiving a query, an embodiment may calculate the probability of the query connoting each query state modification (e.g., using a Bayesian classifier), and parsing the query according to a query state modification having a high probability (e.g., mapping respective query terms to query slots within the current query intent).

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to a classification model, and to functionality for producing and applying the classification model. The classification model is configured to discriminate whether an input linguistic item (such as a query) corresponding to either a natural language (NL) linguistic item or a keyword language (KL) linguistic item. An NL linguistic item expresses an intent using a natural language, while a KL linguistic item expresses the intent using one or more keywords. In a training phase, the functionality produces the classification model based on query click log data or the like. In an application phase, the functionality may, among other uses, use the classification model to filter a subset of NL linguistic items from a larger set of items, and then use the subset of NL linguistic items to train a natural language interpretation model, such as a spoken language understanding model.

Abstract: A model-based approach for on-screen item selection and disambiguation is provided. An utterance may be received by a computing device in response to a display of a list of items for selection on a display screen. A disambiguation model may then be applied to the utterance. The disambiguation model may be utilized to determine whether the utterance is directed to at least one of the list of displayed items, extract referential features from the utterance and identify an item from the list corresponding to the utterance, based on the extracted referential features. The computing device may then perform an action which includes selecting the identified item associated with utterance.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for contextual language understanding. A natural language expression may be received at a single-turn model and a multi-turn model for determining an intent of a user. For example, the single-turn model may determine a first prediction of at least one of a domain classification, intent classification, and slot type of the natural language expression. The multi-turn model may determine a second prediction of at least one of a domain classification, intent classification, and slot type of the natural language expression. The first prediction and the second prediction may be combined to produce a final prediction relative to the intent of the natural language expression. An action may be performed based on the final prediction of the natural language expression.

Abstract: Improving accuracy in understanding and/or resolving references to visual elements in a visual context associated with a computerized conversational system is described. Techniques described herein leverage gaze input with gestures and/or speech input to improve spoken language understanding in computerized conversational systems. Leveraging gaze input and speech input improves spoken language understanding in conversational systems by improving the accuracy by which the system can resolve references—or interpret a user's intent—with respect to visual elements in a visual context. In at least one example, the techniques herein describe tracking gaze to generate gaze input, recognizing speech input, and extracting gaze features and lexical features from the user input. Based at least in part on the gaze features and lexical features, user utterances directed to visual elements in a visual context can be resolved.

Abstract: A scalable statistical language understanding (SLU) system uses a fixed number of understanding models that scale across domains and intents (i.e. single vs. multiple intents per utterance). For each domain added to the SLU system, the fixed number of existing models is updated to reflect the newly added domain. Information that is already included in the existing models and the corresponding training data may be re-used. The fixed models may include a domain detector model, an intent action detector model, an intent object detector model and a slot/entity tagging model. A domain detector identifies different domains identified within an utterance. All/portion of the detected domains are used to determine associated intent actions. For each determined intent action, one or more intent objects are identified. Slot/entity tagging is performed using the determined domains, intent actions, and intent object detector.

Abstract: A model-based approach for on-screen item selection and disambiguation is provided. An utterance may be received by a computing device in response to a display of a list of items for selection on a display screen. A disambiguation model may then be applied to the utterance. The disambiguation model may be utilized to determine whether the utterance is directed to at least one of the list of displayed items, extract referential features from the utterance and identify an item from the list corresponding to the utterance, based on the extracted referential features. The computing device may then perform an action which includes selecting the identified item associated with utterance.

Abstract: Functionality is described herein for determining the intents of linguistic items (such as queries), to produce intent output information. For some linguistic items, the functionality deterministically assigns intents to the linguistic items based on known intent labels, which, in turn, may be obtained or derived from a knowledge graph or other type of knowledge resource. For other linguistic items, the functionality infers the intents of the linguistic items based on selection log data (such as click log data provided by a search system). In some instances, the intent output information may reveal new intents that are not represented by the known intent labels. In one implementation, the functionality can use the intent output information to train a language understanding model.

Abstract: Processes capable of accepting linguistic input in one or more languages are generated by re-using existing linguistic components associated with a different anchor language, together with machine translation components that translate between the anchor language and the one or more languages. Linguistic input is directed to machine translation components that translate such input from its language into the anchor language. Those existing linguistic components are then utilized to initiate responsive processing and generate output. Optionally, the output is directed through the machine translation components. A language identifier can initially receive linguistic input and identify the language within which such linguistic input is provided to select an appropriate machine translation component.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to a classification model, and to functionality for producing and applying the classification model. The classification model is configured to discriminate whether an input linguistic item (such as a query) corresponding to either a natural language (NL) linguistic item or a keyword language (KL) linguistic item. An NL linguistic item expresses an intent using a natural language, while a KL linguistic item expresses the intent using one or more keywords. In a training phase, the functionality produces the classification model based on query click log data or the like. In an application phase, the functionality may, among other uses, use the classification model to filter a subset of NL linguistic items from a larger set of items, and then use the subset of NL linguistic items to train a natural language interpretation model, such as a spoken language understanding model.

Abstract: An understanding model is trained to account for human perception of the perceived relative importance of different tagged items (e.g. slot/intent/domain). Instead of treating each tagged item as equally important, human perception is used to adjust the training of the understanding model by associating a perceived weight with each of the different predicted items. The relative perceptual importance of the different items may be modeled using different methods (e.g. as a simple weight vector, a model trained using features (lexical, knowledge, slot type, . . . ), and the like). The perceptual weight vector and/or or model are incorporated into the understanding model training process where items that are perceptually more important are weighted more heavily as compared to the items that are determined by human perception as less important.

Abstract: A scalable statistical language understanding (SLU) system uses a fixed number of understanding models that scale across domains and intents (i.e. single vs. multiple intents per utterance). For each domain added to the SLU system, the fixed number of existing models is updated to reflect the newly added domain. Information that is already included in the existing models and the corresponding training data may be re-used. The fixed models may include a domain detector model, an intent action detector model, an intent object detector model and a slot/entity tagging model. A domain detector identifies different domains identified within an utterance. All/portion of the detected domains are used to determine associated intent actions. For each determined intent action, one or more intent objects are identified. Slot/entity tagging is performed using the determined domains, intent actions, and intent object detector.

Abstract: Click logs are automatically mined to assist in discovering candidate variations for named entities. The named entities may be obtained from one or more sources and include an initial list of named entities. A search may be performed within one or more search engines to determine common phrases that are used to identify the named entity in addition to the named entity initially included in the named entity list. Click logs associated with results of past searches are automatically mined to discover what phrases determined from the searches are candidate variations for the named entity. The candidate variations are scored to assist in determining the variations to include within an understanding model. The variations may also be used when delivering responses and displayed output in the SLU system. For example, instead of using the listed named entity, a popular and/or shortened name may be used by the system.

Abstract: A device may facilitate a query dialog involving queries that successively modify a query state. However, fulfilling such queries in the context of possible query domains, query intents, and contextual meanings of query terms may be difficult. Presented herein are techniques for modifying a query state in view of a query by utilizing a set of query state modifications, each representing a modification of the query state possibly intended by the user while formulating the query (e.g., adding, substituting, or removing query terms; changing the query domain or query intent; and navigating within a hierarchy of saved query states). Upon receiving a query, an embodiment may calculate the probability of the query connoting each query state modification (e.g., using a Bayesian classifier), and parsing the query according to a query state modification having a high probability (e.g., mapping respective query terms to query slots within the current query intent).