Hierarchical methods and apparatus for extracting user intent from spoken utterances

Abstract

Improved techniques are disclosed for permitting a user to employ more human-based grammar (i.e., free form or conversational input) while addressing a target system via a voice system. For example, a technique for determining intent associated with a spoken utterance of a user comprises the following steps/operations. Decoded speech uttered by the user is obtained. An intent is then extracted from the decoded speech uttered by the user. The intent is extracted in an iterative manner such that a first class is determined after a first iteration and a sub-class of the first class is determined after a second iteration. The first class and the sub-class of the first class are hierarchically indicative of the intent of the user, e.g., a target and data that may be associated with the target. The multi-stage intent extraction approach may have more than two iterations. By way of example only, the user intent extracting step may further determine a sub-class of the sub-class of the first class after a third iteration, such that the first class, the sub-class of the first class, and the sub-class of the sub-class of the first class are hierarchically indicative of the intent of the user.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 obtaining a decoding of a free form voice instruction of a user, the free form voice instruction specifying an intended action;   determining a first level of classification of the intended action by analyzing a portion of the decoding during a first semantic analysis stage of an iterative semantic analysis process, the first level of classification including a plurality of sub-classifications; and   analyzing the portion of the decoding during a second semantic analysis stage of the iterative semantic analysis process to determine a second level of classification of the intended action,   wherein the second level of classification represents one of the sub-classifications of the first level of classification.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second level of classification includes a plurality of sub-classifications, and wherein the method further comprises analyzing the portion of the decoding during a third semantic analysis stage of the iterative semantic analysis process to determine a third level of classification of the intended action, wherein the third level of classification represents one of the sub-classifications of the second level of classification. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the method comprises extracting a value for an attribute at each of the first semantic analysis stage and the second semantic analysis stage. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein analyzing a portion of the decoding during the first semantic analysis stage comprises analyzing the decoding in its entirety during the first semantic analysis stage. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein neither the first semantic analysis stage nor the second semantic analysis stage involves tagging each word of the portion of the decoding. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein determining a first level of classification of the intended action by analyzing a portion of the decoding during a first semantic analysis stage of an iterative semantic analysis process comprises weighting words of the portion of the decoding and pruning a list of potential classifications to determine the first level of classification. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein analyzing the portion of the decoding during a second semantic analysis stage of the iterative semantic analysis process comprises weighting words of the portion of the decoding and pruning a list of potential sub-classifications to determine the second level of classification. 
     
     
         23 . At least one computer readable storage device encoded with a plurality of instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform a method comprising:
 obtaining a decoding of a free form voice instruction of a user, the free form voice instruction specifying an intended action;   determining a first level of classification of the intended action by analyzing a portion of the decoding during a first semantic analysis stage of an iterative semantic analysis process, the first level of classification including a plurality of sub-classifications; and   analyzing the portion of the decoding during a second semantic analysis stage of the iterative semantic analysis process to determine a second level of classification of the intended action,   wherein the second level of classification represents one of the sub-classifications of the first level of classification.   
     
     
         24 . The at least one computer readable storage device of  claim 23 , wherein the second level of classification includes a plurality of sub-classifications, and wherein the method further comprises analyzing the portion of the decoding during a third semantic analysis stage of the iterative semantic analysis process to determine a third level of classification of the intended action, wherein the third level of classification represents one of the sub-classifications of the second level of classification. 
     
     
         25 . The at least one computer readable storage device of  claim 23 , wherein the method comprises extracting a value for an attribute at each of the first semantic analysis stage and the second semantic analysis stage. 
     
     
         26 . The at least one computer readable storage device of  claim 23 , wherein analyzing the portion of the decoding during the first semantic analysis stage comprises analyzing the decoding in its entirety during the first semantic analysis stage. 
     
     
         27 . The at least one computer readable storage device of  claim 23 , wherein neither the first semantic analysis stage nor the second semantic analysis stage involves tagging each word of the portion of the decoding. 
     
     
         28 . The at least one computer readable storage device of  claim 23 , wherein determining a first level of classification of the intended action by analyzing a portion of the decoding during a first semantic analysis stage of an iterative semantic analysis process comprises weighting words of the portion of the decoding and pruning a list of potential classifications to determine the first level of classification. 
     
     
         29 . The at least one computer readable storage device of  claim 28 , wherein analyzing the portion of the decoding during a second semantic analysis stage of the iterative semantic analysis process comprises weighting words of the portion of the decoding and pruning a list of potential sub-classifications to determine the second level of classification. 
     
     
         30 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor circuit programmed to perform a method comprising:   obtaining a decoding of a free form voice instruction of a user, the free form voice instruction specifying an intended action;   determining a first level of classification of the intended action by analyzing a portion of the decoding during a first semantic analysis stage of an iterative semantic analysis process, the first level of classification including a plurality of sub-classifications; and   analyzing the portion of the decoding during a second semantic analysis stage of the iterative semantic analysis process to determine a second level of classification of the intended action,   wherein the second level of classification represents one of the sub-classifications of the first level of classification.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the second level of classification includes a plurality of sub-classifications, and wherein the method further comprises analyzing the portion of the decoding during a third semantic analysis stage of the iterative semantic analysis process to determine a third level of classification of the intended action, wherein the third level of classification represents one of the sub-classifications of the second level of classification. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the method comprises extracting a value for an attribute at each of the first semantic analysis stage and the second semantic analysis stage. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein analyzing a portion of the decoding during the first semantic analysis stage comprises analyzing the decoding in its entirety during the first semantic analysis stage. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein neither the first semantic analysis stage nor the second semantic analysis stage involves tagging each word of the portion of the decoding. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein determining a first level of classification of the intended action by analyzing a portion of the decoding during a first semantic analysis stage of an iterative semantic analysis process comprises weighting words of the portion of the decoding and pruning a list of potential classifications to determine the first level of classification.