Chat bot utilizing metaphors to both relay and obtain information

Abstract

Techniques to enable a chat bot system to use metaphors during an interaction with a user are provided. Identification information for the user can be received and can be used to determine a customer group assigned to the user. An initial state of a sequence for resolving an issue of the user can be determined, with the sequence for resolving the issue of the user including a final state wherein the issue of the user is resolved. A metaphor can be selected to include in a question based on the determined customer group assigned to the customer and the determined initial state of the sequence for resolving the issue of the customer. The question can request information from the user relating to the issue of the user. The question can be generated to include the selected metaphor and then provided to the user with a prompt to provide a response.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A computer implemented method, comprising:
 generating, using at least one processor, a plurality of metaphors, one or more metaphors in the plurality of metaphors being selectable in response to at least one input in a plurality of inputs received from a chat-bot interface, the generating including
 associating each metaphor in the plurality of metaphors with a transition in a plurality of transitions between two or more states in a plurality of states, each state in the plurality of states being associated with a chat-bot interface state of the chat-bot interface, and 
 assigning a corresponding predetermined value in a plurality of predetermined values to each metaphor, each predetermined value in the plurality of predetermined values being indicative of a likelihood of a corresponding transition from at least one state to at least another state in the plurality of states; 
   receiving, using the least one processor, an input in the plurality of inputs from the chat-bot interface;   selecting, using the at least one processor, at least one metaphor in the plurality of metaphors responsive to the received input;   updating, using the at least one processor, at least one of: at least one predetermined value associated with the selected at least one metaphor, a likelihood of corresponding transition associated with the at least one predetermined value, and any combination thereof; and   storing, using the at least one processor, an updated plurality of metaphors including at least one of: the updated at least one predetermined value, the updated likelihood of corresponding transition associated with the updated at least one predetermined value, and any combination thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising transitioning the chat-bot interface from at least one chat-bot interface state to at least another chat-bot interface state based on at least one of: the updated at least one predetermined value, the updated likelihood of corresponding transition associated with the updated at least one predetermined value, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the updating includes increasing the at least one predetermined value associated with the selected at least one metaphor upon the input from the chat-bot interface being a positive input. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the updating includes decreasing the at least one predetermined value associated with the selected at least one metaphor upon the input from the chat-bot interface being a negative input. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of inputs from the chat-bot interface includes at least one of the following: an audio format input, a textual format input, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one metaphor in the plurality of metaphors is configured to be mapped to at least a portion of the received input using at least one stored mapping. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising
 updating the stored mapping based on at least one of: the updated plurality of metaphors including at least one of: the updated at least one predetermined value, the updated likelihood of corresponding transition associated with the updated at least one predetermined value, and any combination thereof; and   generating, based on the updating of the stored mapping, an updated mapping and storing the updated mapping.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the stored mapping is generated using one or more search lists generated based on a translation of one or more inputs in the plurality of inputs from the chat-bot interface to the one or more metaphors. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more metaphors are generated using one or more recurrent neural networks. 
     
     
         11 . A system, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one non-transitory storage media storing instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including
 selecting at least one metaphor in a plurality of metaphors responsive to an input received from a chat-bot interface; and 
 updating at least one of: at least one predetermined value associated with the selected at least one metaphor, a likelihood of a transition from at least one state to at least another state in a plurality of states, the transition being associated with the at least one predetermined value, and any combination thereof, wherein each state in the plurality of states being associated with a chat-bot interface state of the chat-bot interface. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise storing an updated plurality of metaphors including at least one of: the updated at least one predetermined value, the updated likelihood of corresponding transition associated with the updated at least one predetermined value, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise generating the plurality of metaphors by
 associating each metaphor in the plurality of metaphors with one or more transitions in the plurality of transitions between two or more states in the plurality of states; and   assigning a corresponding predetermined value in a plurality of predetermined values to each metaphor, each predetermined value in the plurality of predetermined values being indicative of a likelihood of a corresponding transition from the at least one state to the at least another state in the plurality of states.   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise transitioning the chat-bot interface from at least one chat-bot interface state to at least another chat-bot interface state based on at least one of: the updated at least one predetermined value, the updated likelihood of corresponding transition associated with the updated at least one predetermined value, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the updating includes increasing the at least one predetermined value associated with the selected at least one metaphor upon the input from the chat-bot interface being a positive input. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the updating includes decreasing the at least one predetermined value associated with the selected at least one metaphor upon the input from the chat-bot interface being a negative input. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of inputs from the chat-bot interface includes at least one of the following: an audio format input, a textual format input, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one metaphor in the plurality of metaphors is configured to be mapped to at least a portion of the received input using at least one stored mapping;
 wherein the operations further comprise
 updating the stored mapping based on at least one of: the updated plurality of metaphors including at least one of: the updated at least one predetermined value, the updated likelihood of corresponding transition associated with the updated at least one predetermined value, and any combination thereof; and 
 generating, based on the updating of the stored mapping, an updated mapping and storing the updated mapping. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise
 generating the stored mapping using one or more search lists generated based on a translation of one or more inputs in the plurality of inputs from the chat-bot interface to one or more metaphors.   
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein one or more metaphors are generated using one or more recurrent neural networks. 
     
     
         21 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:
 updating at least one of: at least one predetermined value associated with at least one metaphor in response to an input received via a chat-bot interface, a likelihood of a transition from at least one state to at least another state in a plurality of states, the transition being associated with the at least one predetermined value, and any combination thereof, wherein each state in the plurality of states being associated with a chat-bot interface state of the chat-bot interface; and   storing an updated plurality of metaphors including at least one of: the updated at least one predetermined value, the updated likelihood of corresponding transition associated with the updated at least one predetermined value, and any combination thereof.