Patent Application
20060129379
The present invention relates to natural language processing, and more particularly, to synchronization of natural language input and graphical user input in a graphical user interface.
Graphic user interface (GUI) applications perform well in most tasks, in part, because the GUI provides options which relate directly to functionality available within an application and from which the user may select what he/she wants to do. However, GUI applications can sometimes be difficult to use. For example, in some instances, the functionality requires opening many sub-dialog boxes, which may not be intuitive for a user. Additionally, many steps may be required to fill in the GUI elements with the proper information. GUI elements may include pull down or pop up menus, check boxes, radio buttons, text or other types of data input fields, and so on. Moreover, the user may not know where to find available options within the GUI. With small devices (such as hand-held devices, personal digital assistants, wireless phones with networking capabilities, and so on), entry of the information into the GUI may be difficult. Finally, handicapped individuals may have difficult navigating and completing a GUI form, for example.
To overcome some of the limitations associated with GUIs, natural language applications have been developed, which can allow a user to easily express concepts that would be fairly complex in a GUI. For example, in natural language, a user may request “Find all emails to Bill that I sent last week”, “Change the screen resolution to 1280×1024”, “where is the web page about Microsoft Corporation”, “Please delete all unread emails”, and so on. Each such utterance is readily understandable, but may add multiple layers of complexity in completing a GUI form.
However, there are some problems with NL applications, such as discoverability, confusion, dead-end, and training problems. Discoverability refers to situations where the user is unaware of what he/she can do in the program. Confusion refers to problems that arise when users do not understand how the application interpreted a particular text input. A dead-end refers to a situation where the software program provides no option or mechanism for the user to alter what he/she intended. Finally, there is no mechanism to train the user how to utilize NL input.
There is ongoing need for intuitive user interfaces for improved user-program interaction. Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to these and other problems and provide advantages over existing semantic authoring tools.
A system for synchronizing a natural language input element and a graphical user interface has a synchronization engine. The synchronization engine is adapted to monitor user interactions with the natural language input and the graphical user interface and to synchronize the natural language input element and the graphical user interface responsive to the user interactions.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a synchronization engine synchronizes GUI elements of a user interface (such as check boxes, pull down menus, radio buttons, text fields, and the like) with a natural language text input of the user interface. Specifically, the synchronization engine monitors for user interactions with a natural language text input field and responsively updates the user interface with corresponding GUI elements if changes are detected. Similarly, the synchronization updates the natural language text if changes to the GUI elements are detected.
By synchronizing GUI elements to natural language text inputs, and vice versa, the user receives immediate feedback with respect to a selected input. The relationship between the GUI elements and the natural language input provides an intuitive training mechanism whereby the user can learn how the application operates via visual feedback.
The invention is operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with the invention include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, telephony systems, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.
The invention may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices.
With reference to
Computer 110 typically includes a variety of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computer 110 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by computer 110. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media.
The system memory 130 includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 131 and random access memory (RAM) 132. A basic input/output system 133 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer 110, such as during start-up, is typically stored in ROM 131. RAM 132 typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit 120. By way of example, and not limitation,
The computer 110 may also include other removable/non-removable volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,
The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in
A user may enter commands and information into the computer 110 through input devices such as a keyboard 162, a microphone 163, and a pointing device 161, such as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices (not shown) may include a joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 120 through a user input interface 160 that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 191 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 121 via an interface, such as a video interface 190. In addition to the monitor, computers may also include other peripheral output devices such as speakers 197 and printer 196, which may be connected through an output peripheral interface 190.
The computer 110 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 180. The remote computer 180 may be a personal computer, a hand-held device, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computer 110. The logical connections depicted in
When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 110 is connected to the LAN 171 through a network interface or adapter 170. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 110 typically includes a modem 172 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 173, such as the Internet. The modem 172, which may be internal or external, may be connected to the system bus 121 via the user input interface 160, or other appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 110, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and not limitation,
The synchronization engine 202 is a module adapted to respond to changes in the NL input line 204 and to update the GUI 206 accordingly. The synchronization engine 202 is also adapted to respond to changes in the GUI and to update the NL input line to reflect what the user typed. The synchronization engine 202 utilizes an NL restatement engine 208 to translate selected functional elements of the GUI 206 to natural language text input in the NL input element 204. The synchronization element 202 utilizes a semantics engine 210 to convert natural language input from the NL input element 204 to functional elements in the GUI 206. The synchronization engine 202 is adapted to monitor for changes to the data in the NL input element 204 or changes to selected functional elements of the GUI 206 and to update the other with the appropriate changes, such that the NL input element 204 and the GUI 206 are synchronized.
The functional elements of the semantic canvas system 200 can be implemented within a single application (as indicated by dashed line 212). Alternatively, functional elements of the semantic canvas system 200 can be implemented in more than one application and adapted to communicate to provide the synchronization.
In general, the NL input to the NL input element 204 can be in any cognizable form. In one embodiment, the NL input element 204 is adapted to receive text or speech input. As used herein, the term “NL input” refers to any data input in a natural language format. As used herein, the term “natural language” refers to input that parallels the way that a person normally speaks, as opposed to computer languages, artificial languages, or constrained or controlled vocabularies. As used herein, the terms “text input”, “NL input” and “speech input” can be understood to be interchangeable with respect to inputs to the NL input element 204.
The synchronization system 300 has a synchronization engine 302 that is communicatively coupled between an NL input 304 and a GUI 306. Additionally, the synchronization engine 302 is communicatively coupled to an execution engine 308 and a data store 310. The execution engine 308 performs an operation on the data in the data store 310 based on the text input of the NL input 304 or functional element selection of the GUI 306, and returns the results to a results area 312 of the user interface.
The NL input 304 allows a user to type in his/her intention (such as “Find all email from Bob”). The NL input 304 notifies the synchronization engine 302 when changes occur. The GUI 306 allows the user to manually build and alter his/her intention from functional elements, such as pull down menus and the like). The GUI 306 notifies the synchronization engine 302 when changes occur. The synchronization engine 302 is adapted to automatically build the functional elements in the GUI 306 when the user enters text in the NL input 304. The synchronization engine 302 is also adapted to automatically update the text in the NL input 304 in response to changes in the GUI 306. In either case, the synchronization engine 302 notifies the respective element (NL Input 304 or GUI 306) of the changes.
Thus, the synchronization engine 302 leverages the strengths of the GUI 306 and the NL input 304, while overcoming limitations of both. Between the NL input 304 and the GUI 306, the synchronization system 300 implemented in a user interface provides mechanisms to easily allow the user to express what he or she wants to do, to show what he/she could have done in either the GUI 306 or the NL input 304, and to alter the expression in either place. The system 300 provides a means for built-in training and discoverability.
In one embodiment, the execution engine 308 is notified of changes by the synchronization engine 302. The execution engine 308 constructs an SQL-like query, for example, and fetches the results from the store 310. The execution engine 308 then passes the results to the results area 312 (or application) for display.
One implementation of this approach converts the underlying semantics in the synchronization engine 302 to a query syntax such as SQL, hitting a database 310, and returning the results to a display area 312.
The synchronization engine can be implemented efficiently using a semantic engine with an authored schema and annotation set. Alternatively, an application can implement all of the logic for translating between NL and the GUI and back.
If a detected change is to the NL input (block 404), the synchronization engine passes changes from the NL input to the semantic engine (block 412). The semantic engine converts semantic solutions to objects of the GUI (block 414). The synchronization engine updates the GUI with the converted NL input phrase (block 416). The synchronization engine then continues to monitor the NL input and the GUI for changes (block 400).
It is important to note that there are many ways to express the same concept using natural language. There is inherent ambiguity in any natural language input, which must be resolved with reasonable certainty by the semantic engine, and in this case, the synchronization engine.
While the above discussion has largely focused on a stand-alone type application, it should be understood that the synchronization feature can be incorporated into a larger application. The synchronization of the GUI objects with natural language input provides the user with insights into how the application interprets natural language. Additionally, the synchronization feature serves as a means for training a user about available options within an application. Finally, the synchronization serves as an error checking feature to allow a user to correct errors in a query, which are made obvious by the application's interpretation of the user selections. This immediate feedback not only renders the application more intuitive for the user, but also allows the user to become more efficient by correcting misinterpretations, of which the user might otherwise be unaware.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
