Patents by Inventor David Leo Wright Hall
David Leo Wright Hall 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).
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Publication number: 20210174803Abstract: A system that provides a sharable language interface for implementing automated assistants in new domains and applications. A dialogue assistant that is trained in a first domain can receive a specification in a second domain. The specification can include language structure data such as schemas, recognizers, resolvers, constraints and invariants, actions, language hints, generation template, and other data. The specification data is applied to the automated assistant to enable the automated assistant to provide interactive dialogue with a user in a second domain associated with the received specification. In some instances, portions of the specification may be automatically mapped to portions of the first domain. By having the ability to learn new domains and applications through receipt of objects and properties rather than retooling the interface entirely, the present system is much more efficient at learning how to provide interactive dialogue in new domains than previous systems.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2021Publication date: June 10, 2021Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: David Leo Wright Hall, Daniel Klein, David Ernesto Heekin Burkett, Jordan Rian Cohen, Daniel Lawrence Roth
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Publication number: 20210158812Abstract: A method of automatically delineating turns in a multi-turn dialogue between a user and a conversational computing interface. Audio data encoding speech of the user in the multi-turn dialogue is received. The audio data is analyzed to recognize, in the speech of the user, an utterance followed by a silence. The utterance is recognized as a last utterance in a turn of the multi-turn dialogue responsive to the silence exceeding a context-dependent duration dynamically updated based on a conversation history of the multi-turn dialogue and features of the received audio, wherein the conversation history includes one or more previous turns of the multi-turn dialogue taken by the user and one or more previous turns of the multi-turn dialogue taken by the conversational computing interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2019Publication date: May 27, 2021Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Charles Clayton WOOTERS, Steven Andrew WEGMANN, Michael Jack NEWMAN, David Leo Wright HALL, Jean CRAWFORD, Laurence Steven GILLICK
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Publication number: 20210118444Abstract: A method includes receiving an utterance at a computerized automated assistant system, and detecting, via a date/time constraint module of the computerized automated assistant system, one or more constraints in the utterance associated with a date or time. The utterance is associated with a domain. The method further comprises generating, via the date/time constraint module, a periodic set for each of the one or more constraints associated with the date or time, and combining, via the date/time constraint module, the one or more periodic sets. The method further comprises processing, via a dialogue manager module of the computerized automated assistant system, the combined periodic sets to determine an action, and executing the action at the computerized automated assistant system.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2020Publication date: April 22, 2021Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Jordan Rian Cohen, David Leo Wright Hall, Jason Andrew Wolfe, Daniel Lawrence Roth, Daniel Klein
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Patent number: 10957314Abstract: A system that provides a sharable language interface for implementing automated assistants in new domains and applications. A dialogue assistant that is trained in a first domain can receive a specification in a second domain. The specification can include language structure data such as schemas, recognizers, resolvers, constraints and invariants, actions, language hints, generation template, and other data. The specification data is applied to the automated assistant to enable the automated assistant to provide interactive dialogue with a user in a second domain associated with the received specification. In some instances, portions of the specification may be automatically mapped to portions of the first domain. By having the ability to learn new domains and applications through receipt of objects and properties rather than retooling the interface entirely, the present system is much more efficient at learning how to provide interactive dialogue in new domains than previous systems.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2018Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: David Leo Wright Hall, Daniel Klein, David Ernesto Heekin Burkett, Jordan Rian Cohen, Daniel Lawrence Roth
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Publication number: 20210042639Abstract: A method of extending a conversational computing interface. The method comprises executing a nonnative skill implemented in a nonnative programming language of the conversational computing interface. The method further comprises automatically computer-tracing computer operations performed by the nonnative skill during such execution. The method further comprises automatically computer-generating a native computer-executable plan representing the traced computer operations in a native programming language of the conversational computing interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2019Publication date: February 11, 2021Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventor: David Leo Wright HALL
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Publication number: 20210026735Abstract: A method, comprising recognizing a user utterance for processing. The method further comprises using a previously-trained code-generation machine to generate, from the user utterance, a data-flow program configured to produce a return value upon successful execution. The method further comprises beginning execution of the data-flow program. Responsive to reaching an error condition resulting from execution of the data-flow program, the method further comprises, prior to the data-flow program producing the return value, suspending execution of the data flow program. The method further comprises using the previously-trained code-generation machine to generate an error-handling data-flow program, wherein the error-handling data-flow program is configured to produce the return value; beginning execution of the error-handling data-flow program to produce the return value; and outputting the return value.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2019Publication date: January 28, 2021Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: David Leo Wright HALL, David Ernesto Heekin BURKETT, Jesse Daniel Eskes RUSAK, Alexander J. KOLMYKOV-ZOTOV, Jason Andrew WOLFE, Jacob Daniel ANDREAS, Adam David PAULS, John Philip BUFE, III, Jayant Sivarama KRISHNAMURTHY, Daniel Louis KLEIN
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Publication number: 20210027771Abstract: A method comprising recognizing a user utterance including an ambiguity. The method further comprises using a previously-trained code-generation machine to produce, from the user utterance, a data-flow program including a search-history function. The search-history function is configured to select a highest-confidence disambiguating concept from one or more candidate concepts stored in a context-specific dialogue history.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2019Publication date: January 28, 2021Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: David Leo Wright HALL, David Ernesto Heekin BURKETT, Jesse Daniel Eskes RUSAK, Jayant Sivarama KRISHNAMURTHY, Jason Andrew WOLFE, Adam David PAULS, Alan Xinyu GUO, Jacob Daniel ANDREAS, Daniel Louis KLEIN
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Patent number: 10861455Abstract: A method includes receiving an utterance at a computerized automated assistant system, and detecting, via a date/time constraint module of the computerized automated assistant system, one or more constraints in the utterance associated with a date or time. The utterance is associated with a domain. The method further comprises generating, via the date/time constraint module, a periodic set for each of the one or more constraints associated with the date or time, and combining, via the date/time constraint module, the one or more periodic sets. The method further comprises processing, via a dialogue manager module of the computerized automated assistant system, the combined periodic sets to determine an action, and executing the action at the computerized automated assistant system.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2018Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Jordan Rian Cohen, David Leo Wright Hall, Jason Andrew Wolfe, Daniel Lawrence Roth, Daniel Klein
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Patent number: 10824798Abstract: A data collection system is based on a general set of dialogue acts which are derived from a database schema. Crowd workers perform two types of tasks: (i) identification of sensical dialogue paths and (ii) performing context-dependent paraphrasing of these dialogue paths into real dialogues. The end output of the system is a set of training examples of real dialogues which have been annotated with their logical forms. This data can be used to train all three components of the dialogue system: (i) the semantic parser for understanding context-dependent utterances, (ii) the dialogue policy for generating new dialogue acts given the current state, and (iii) the generation system for both deciding what to say and how to render it in natural language.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2017Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Percy Shuo Liang, Daniel Klein, Laurence Steven Gillick, Jordan Rian Cohen, Linda Kathleen Arsenault, Joshua James Clausman, Adam David Pauls, David Leo Wright Hall
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Patent number: 10762892Abstract: A method for a dialogue system includes establishing a dialogue session between an application executing on a server and a remote machine. The dialogue session includes one or more utterances received from a user at the remote machine. A natural language processing machine identifies a request associated with a computer-readable representation of an utterance. A dialogue expansion machine generates a plurality of alternative actions for responding to the request. A previously-trained machine learning confidence model assesses a confidence score for each alternative. If a highest confidence score for a top alternative does not satisfy a threshold, the plurality of alternatives including the top alternative are transmitted to a remote machine (which may be the same remote machine or a different remote machine) for review by a human reviewer. After the dialogue system and/or the human reviewer select an alternative, computer-readable instructions defining the selected alternative are executed.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2018Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Jesse Daniel Eskes Rusak, David Leo Wright Hall, Jason Andrew Wolfe, Daniel Lawrence Roth, Daniel Klein, Jordan Rian Cohen
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Patent number: 10720148Abstract: A method for a dialogue system includes establishing a dialogue session between an application executing on a server and a remote machine. The dialogue session includes one or more utterances received from a user at the remote machine. A natural language processing machine identifies a request associated with a computer-readable representation of an utterance. A dialogue expansion machine generates a plurality of alternative actions for responding to the request. A previously-trained machine learning confidence model assesses a confidence score for each alternative. If a highest confidence score for a top alternative does not satisfy a threshold, the plurality of alternatives including the top alternative are transmitted to a remote machine (which may be the same remote machine or a different remote machine) for review by a human reviewer. After the dialogue system and/or the human reviewer select an alternative, computer-readable instructions defining the selected alternative are executed.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2018Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Jesse Daniel Eskes Rusak, David Leo Wright Hall, Jason Andrew Wolfe, Daniel Lawrence Roth, Daniel Klein, Jordan Rian Cohen
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Patent number: 10713288Abstract: A system that generates natural language content. The system generates and maintains a dialogue state representation having a process view, query view, and data view. The three-view dialogue state representation is continuously updated during discourse between an agent and a user, and rules can be automatically generated based on the discourse. Upon a content generation event, an object description can be generated based on the dialogue state representation. A string is then determined from the object description, using a hybrid approach of the automatically generated rules and other rules learned from annotation and other user input. The string is translated to text or speech and output by the agent. The present system also incorporates learning techniques, for example when ranking output and processing annotation templates.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2018Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Jacob Daniel Andreas, David Leo Wright Hall, Daniel Klein, Adam David Pauls
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Publication number: 20200193970Abstract: A system that allows non-engineers administrators, without programming, machine language, or artificial intelligence system knowledge, to expand the capabilities of a dialogue system. The dialogue system may have a knowledge system, user interface, and learning model. A user interface allows non-engineers to utilize the knowledge system, defined by a small set of primitives and a simple language, to annotate a user utterance. The annotation may include selecting actions to take based on the utterance and subsequent actions and configuring associations. A dialogue state is continuously updated and provided to the user as the actions and associations take place. Rules are generated based on the actions, associations and dialogue state that allows for computing a wide range of results.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2020Publication date: June 18, 2020Applicant: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Percy Shuo Liang, David Leo Wright Hall, Joshua James Clausman
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Patent number: 10643601Abstract: A conversational system receives an utterance, and a parser performs a parsing operation on the utterance, resulting in some words being parsed and some words not being parsed. For the words that are not parsed, words or phrases determined to be unimportant are ignored. The resulting unparsed words are processed to determine the likelihood they are important and whether they should be addressed by the automated assistant. For example, if a score associated with an important unparsed word achieves a particular threshold, then a course of action to take for the utterance may include providing a message that the portion of the utterance associated with the important unparsed word cannot be handled.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2018Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: David Leo Wright Hall, Daniel Klein
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Patent number: 10586530Abstract: A system that allows non-engineers administrators, without programming, machine language, or artificial intelligence system knowledge, to expand the capabilities of a dialogue system. The dialogue system may have a knowledge system, user interface, and learning model. A user interface allows non-engineers to utilize the knowledge system, defined by a small set of primitives and a simple language, to annotate a user utterance. The annotation may include selecting actions to take based on the utterance and subsequent actions and configuring associations. A dialogue state is continuously updated and provided to the user as the actions and associations take place. Rules are generated based on the actions, associations and dialogue state that allows for computing a wide range of results.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2018Date of Patent: March 10, 2020Assignee: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Percy Shuo Liang, David Leo Wright Hall, Joshua James Clausman
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Publication number: 20190347321Abstract: A method for configuring an automated dialogue system uses traces of interactions via a graphical user interface (GUI) for an application. Each trace includes interactions in the context of a plurality of presentations of the GUI. Elements of one or more presentations of the GUI are identified, and templates are associated with portions of the trace. Each template has one or more defined inputs and a defined output. For each template of the plurality of templates, the portions of the traces are processed to automatically configure the template by specifying a procedure for providing values of inputs to the template via the GUI and obtaining a value of an output. The automated dialogue system is configured with the configured templates, thereby avoiding manual configuration of the dialogue system.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2019Publication date: November 14, 2019Applicant: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Pengyu Chen, Jordan Rian Cohen, Laurence Steven Gillick, David Leo Wright Hall, Daniel Klein, Adam David Pauls, Daniel Lawrence Roth, Jesse Daniel Eskes Rusak
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Publication number: 20190295545Abstract: A method for generating a dialogue event in a natural language processing system comprises loading, into a computer memory, a computer-readable seed command describing an ordered sequence of two or more top-level dialogue events. A dialogue event includes a client utterance or a computerized assistant response. The seed command includes one or more sub-commands, each sub-command corresponding to a portion of the ordered sequence of two or more top-level dialogue events, and the focal sub-command of the one or more sub-commands being parametrized by a seed semantic parameter. The method further comprises re-parametrizing the focal sub-command by outputting a plurality of different re-parametrized focal sub-commands wherein, in each re-parametrized focal sub-command, the seed semantic parameter is replaced by one of a plurality of different synthetic semantic parameters.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2018Publication date: September 26, 2019Applicant: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Jacob Daniel ANDREAS, Daniel Louis KLEIN, David Leo Wright HALL, Laurence Steven GILLICK, Pengyu CHEN
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Patent number: 10402488Abstract: A method for configuring an automated dialog system uses traces of interactions via a graphical user interface (GUI) for an application. Each trace includes interactions in the context of a plurality of presentations of the GUI. Elements of one or more presentations of the GUI are identified, and templates are associated with portions of the trace. Each template has one or more defined inputs and a defined output. For each template of the plurality of templates, the portions of the traces are processed to automatically configure the template by specifying a procedure for providing values of inputs to the template via the GUI and obtaining a value of an output. The automated dialog system is configured with the configured templates, thereby avoiding manual configuration of the dialog system.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2016Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Pengyu Chen, Jordan Rian Cohen, Laurence Steven Gillick, David Leo Wright Hall, Daniel Klein, Adam David Pauls, Daniel Lawrence Roth, Jesse Daniel Eskes Rusak
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Publication number: 20190237061Abstract: A method for generating training data for training a natural language processing system comprises loading, into a computer memory, a computer-readable transcript representing an ordered sequence of one or more dialogue events. The method further comprises acquiring a computer-readable command describing an exemplary ordered subsequence of one or more dialogue events from the computer-readable transcript. The method further comprises re-parametrizing the computer-readable command with an alternative semantic parameter. The method further comprises generating an alternative ordered subsequence of one or more dialogue events based on the re-parametrized computer-readable command. The method further comprises outputting, to a data store, an alternative computer-readable transcript including the alternative ordered subsequence of one or more dialogue events, the alternative computer-readable transcript having a predetermined format usable to train the computerized assistant.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2018Publication date: August 1, 2019Applicant: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Jesse Daniel Eskes RUSAK, David Leo Wright HALL, Daniel Louis KLEIN, Percy Shuo LIANG
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Patent number: 10319381Abstract: An interaction assistant conducts multiple turn interaction dialogs with a user in which context is maintained between turns, and the system manages the dialog to achieve an inferred goal for the user. The system includes a linguistic interface to a user and a parser for processing linguistic events from the user. A dialog manager of the system is configured to receive alternative outputs from the parser, and selecting an action and causing the action to be performed based on the received alternative outputs. The system further includes a dialog state for an interaction with the user, and the alternative outputs represent alternative transitions from a current dialog state to a next dialog state. The system further includes a storage for a plurality of templates, and wherein each dialog state is defined in terms of an interrelationship of one or more instances of the templates.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2018Date of Patent: June 11, 2019Assignee: Semantic Machines, Inc.Inventors: Jacob Daniel Andreas, Daniel Lawrence Roth, Jesse Daniel Eskes Rusak, Andrew Robert Volpe, Steven Andrew Wegmann, Taylor Darwin Berg-Kirkpatrick, Pengyu Chen, Jordan Rian Cohen, Laurence Steven Gillick, David Leo Wright Hall, Daniel Klein, Michael Newman, Adam David Pauls