Abstract: A system and method manages an interaction between a user and an interactive embodied agent. An engagement management state machine includes an idle state, a start state, a maintain state, and an end state. A discourse manager is configured to interact with each of the states. An agent controller interacts with the discourse manager and an interactive embodied agent interacting with the agent controller. Interaction data are detected in a scene and the interactive embodied agent transitions from the idle state to the start state based on the interaction data The agent outputs an indication of the transition to the start state and senses interaction evidence in response to the indication. Upon sensing the evidence, the agent transitions from the start state to the maintain state. The interaction evidence is verified according to an agenda. The agent may then transition from the maintain state to the end and then idle state if the interaction evidence fails according to the agenda.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a discourse manager which permits effective collaboration between a user and a computer agent. The system operates according to a theory of collaborative discourse between humans, with the computer agent playing the same role as a human collaborator. The present invention does not concern the internal operation of a particular agent, but relates rather to the structures for managing a collaborative discourse between any type of agent and the user. The discourse manager includes a memory in which application-specific recipes are stored and a memory in which the discourse state is stored. Each recipe specifies a set of actions or subtasks which are performed to achieve an objective. The discourse state includes structures to track the agent's and user's current objectives, a selected recipe for each objective, and completed steps in each recipe.