Multi-party conversational agent

Number: 11315565
Published: 2022-04-26
Filed: 2020-04-03
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: Kennedy; James R., Martinez Palacios; Victor R.
CPC: G06N5/04; G06F9/4812; G06F3/167; G06N5/046; G10L15/22; G06Q10/10
Verdict: Low Notable software
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Multi-party conversational-agent AI for interactive characters.

Abstract

A multi-party conversational agent includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code. The hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to identify a first predetermined expression for conversing with a group of people, and to have a group conversation, using the first predetermined expression, with at least some members of the group. The hardware processor is configured to further execute the software code to identify, while having the group conversation, a second predetermined expression for having a dialogue with at least one member of the group, and to interrupt the group conversation to have the dialogue, using the second predetermined expression, with the at least one member of the group.

Background

BACKGROUND (1) Advances in artificial intelligence have led to the development of a variety of devices providing one of several dialogue-based interfaces, such as GOOGLE HOME™, AMAZON ALEXA™, and others. However, one shortcoming of all such existing systems is their inability to engage in natural, fluid conversations with more than one person at a time. Moreover, although existing conversational agents offer some degree of user personalization, for example tailoring responses to an individual user's characteristics or preferences, that personalization remains limited by the transactional design of conventional conversational agents. That is to say, their transactional functionality makes it unnecessary for conventional conversational agents to remember more than a few past interactions and a limited set of predefined keywords, such as user names and basic user preferences. Thus, there is a need in the art for a conversational agent capable of interacting with multiple users concurrently in an emotionally sophisticated and engaging manner. SUMMARY (2) There are provided multi-party conversational agents and methods for their use, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, and as set forth more completely in the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-party conversational agent comprising: a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory; a software code stored in the memory; the hardware processor configured to execute the software code to: identify a first predetermined expression for conversing with a group of people; have a group conversation, using the first predetermined expression, with at least some members of the group; identify, while having the group conversation, a second predetermined expression for having a dialog with at least one member of the group; and interrupt the group conversation to have the dialogue, using the second predetermined expression, with the at least one member of the group. || 11. A method for use by a multi-party conversational agent including a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code, the method comprising: identifying, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a first predetermined expression for conversing with a group of people; having, by the software code executed by the hardware processor and using the first predetermined expression, a group conversation with at least some members of the group; identifying, while having the group conversation, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a second predetermined expression for having a dialogue with at least one member of the group; and interrupting, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, the group conversation to have the dialogue, using the second predetermined expression, with the at least one member of the group.