Policy authoring for task state tracking during dialogue

Abstract

Conversational understanding systems allow users to conversationally interface with a computing device. In examples, a query may be received that includes a request for execution of a task. A data exchange task definition may be accessed. The data exchange task definition assists a conversational understanding system in managing task state tracking for information needed for task execution. Using the data exchange task definition, a per-turn policy for interacting with the user computing device is generated based on the state of a dialogue with a computing device and an evaluation of a process flow chart provided by a task owner resource. The task owner resource may be independent from the conversational understanding system. A response to the query may be generated and output based on the per-turn policy. In examples, the per-turn policy is used to generate one or more responses during a dialogue with a user via a computing device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from a task owner resource, a process flowchart providing a process flow for collection of information that is needed for the task owner resource to execute the task, wherein the task owner resource is independent of a conversational understanding system that executes a task state tracking of the parameter data;   creating a data exchange task definition, wherein the data exchange definition adapts the process flow chart for the task state tracking by the conversational understanding system based on a state of a dialogue with a user computing device, and wherein the creating comprises:
 generating a per-turn policy for interacting with the user computing device based on the state of the dialogue and an evaluation of the process flow chart; and 
   storing the data exchange task definition for recall to assist the conversational understanding system in the task state tracking.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: identifying one or more data representations that are sharable from the data exchange task definition, and sharing the one or more data representations for use in generation of another data exchange task definition that relates to task state tracking for information needed for execution of another task. 
     
     
         3 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from a user computing device, a query that includes a request for execution of a task;   creating a data exchange task definition to assist a conversational understanding system in managing task state tracking for information needed for task execution, wherein the creating comprises:
 generating a per-turn policy for interacting with the user computing device based on a state of the dialogue with the user computing device and an evaluation of a process flow chart that is received from a task owner resource; and 
   outputting, to the user computing device, a response to the query based on application of the per-turn policy.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the conversational understanding system is independent from the task owner resource. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising: detecting the task based on input processing of the query; and identifying the process flow chart, provided by the task owner resource, that is associated with the detected task. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving a subsequent query for the dialogue;   outputting a subsequent response to the subsequent query based on application of the per-turn policy of the data exchange task definition.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the per-turn policy specifies at least one policy override of the processing flow chart, and wherein the at least one policy override removes constraints of the process flow to improve the dialogue with the user computing device when outputting the response. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the per-turn policy specifies at least one policy override of the processing flow chart, and wherein the at least one policy override modifies language of the response, compared with a proposed response to the query suggested in the process flow chart, in order to improve the dialogue with the user computing device when outputting the response. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the data exchange task definition is dynamically generated during processing of the query. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the per-turn policy is applicable to evaluate one or more of a plurality of turns in the dialogue, and wherein the response is generated based on application of the per-turn policy of the data exchange task definition. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the information needed for task execution is provided by the task owner resource in the process flow chart, wherein the information comprises parameter data that is to be collected to enable the task owner resource to execute the task, and wherein the conversational understanding system determines when and how to request the parameter data during the dialogue by using the data exchange task definition. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a memory operatively connected with the at least one processor storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to execute a method that comprises:
 receiving a query that includes a request for execution of a task, 
 accessing a data exchange task definition that enables a conversational understanding system to generate a policy for task state tracking based on a state of a dialogue with the system, generating, using the data exchange task definition, a per-turn policy for interacting with the system based on the state of the dialogue and an evaluation of a process flow chart provided by a task owner resource, 
 generating a response for the query based on application of the per-turn policy of the data exchange task definition, and 
 outputting the response for display. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the conversational understanding system is independent from the task owner resource. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the method, executed by the at least one processor, further comprises: detecting the task based on input processing of the query, and identifying the process flow chart, provided by the task owner resource, that is associated with the detected task. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the method, executed by the at least one processor, further comprises:
 receiving a subsequent query for the dialogue,   generating, using the data exchange task definition, a subsequent response for the subsequent query based on application of the per-turn policy of the data exchange task definition, and   outputting the subsequent response for display.   
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the per-turn policy specifies at least one policy override of the processing flow chart, and wherein the at least one policy override removes constraints of the process flow to improve the dialogue with the user computing device when outputting the response. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the per-turn policy specifies at least one policy override of the processing flow chart, and wherein the at least one policy override modifies language of the response, compared with a proposed response to the query suggested in the process flow chart, in order to improve the dialogue with the user computing device when outputting the response. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the data exchange task definition is pre-generated before the query is received, and wherein the accessing accesses the data exchange task definition from a storage connected with the system by a distributed network. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the per-turn policy is applicable to evaluate one or more of a plurality of turns in the dialogue. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the information needed for task execution is provided by the task owner resource in the process flow chart, wherein the information comprises parameter data that is to be collected to enable the task owner resource to execute the task, and wherein the conversational understanding system determines when and how to request the parameter data during the dialogue by using the data exchange task definition.