Generating a personal database entry for a user based on natural language user interface input of the user and generating output based on the entry in response to further natural language user interface input of the user

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11907276-B2
Application number	US-202217964343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2022
Priority date	May 17, 2016
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

Some implementations are directed to generating a personal database entry for a user based on free-form natural language input formulated by the user via one or more user interface input devices of a computing device of the user. The generated personal database entry may include one or more terms of the natural language input and descriptive metadata determined based on one or more terms of the natural language input and/or based on contextual features associated with receiving the natural language input. Some implementations are directed to generating, based on one or more personal database entries of a user, output that is responsive to further free-form natural language input of the user. For example, one or more entries that are responsive to further natural language input of the user can be identified based on matching content of those entries to one or more search parameters determined based on the further input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by one or more processors, comprising:
receiving first natural language input, wherein the first natural language input is free-form input formulated by a user via a user interface input device of a computing device of the user;
generating an entry for the first natural language input in a personal database of the user stored in one or more computer readable media, wherein generating the entry comprises:
generating descriptive metadata for the entry, wherein generating the descriptive metadata for the entry comprises:
generating a semantic label associated with an object based on one or more terms of the first natural language input, and
generating an additional semantic label associated with a location based on one or more of the terms of the first natural language input; and

storing, in the entry, the descriptive metadata;

subsequent to receiving the first natural language input, receiving second natural language input, wherein the second natural language input is free-form input formulated by the user via the user interface input device or an additional user interface input device of an additional computing device of the user, and wherein one or more additional terms of the second natural language input include at least the semantic label associated with the object;
determining, based on the second natural language input, at least one search parameter, wherein the at least one search parameter includes the object;
searching the personal database based on the at least one search parameter;
determining, based on the searching, that the entry is responsive to the second natural language input, wherein determining that the entry is responsive to the second natural language input is based at least in part on matching the at least one search parameter to at least some of the descriptive metadata; and
in response to determining that the entry is responsive to the second natural language input:
generating natural language output that includes one or more natural language output terms that are based on the entry; and
providing, for audible presentation to the user via a user interface output device of the computing device, the natural language output.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the semantic label associated with the object based on one or more of the terms of the first natural language input comprises:
processing the first natural language input to classify one or more of the terms of the first natural language input; and
generating the semantic label associated with an object based on a classification of one or more of the terms of the first natural language input.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the semantic label associated with the object includes a reference to the object.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the additional semantic label associated with the location based on one or more of the terms of the first natural language input comprises:
generating the additional semantic label associated with the location based on the classification of one or more of the terms of the first natural language input.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first natural language input is received as part of a dialog session with an automated personal assistant, wherein the second natural language input is received as part of a subsequent dialog session with the automated personal assistant, and wherein the subsequent dialog session is subsequent to the dialog session.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the entry is responsive to the second natural language input:
providing, for visual presentation to the user via an additional user interface output device of the computing device, a representation of the natural language output.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the representation of the natural language output includes a transcription corresponding to the natural language output.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on the searching, that an additional entry is responsive to the second natural language input, wherein determining that the additional entry is responsive to the second natural language input is based at least in part on matching the at least one search parameter to at least some of the descriptive metadata.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the natural language output further comprises including one or more additional natural language output terms that are based on the additional entry.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the descriptive metadata for the entry further comprises generating temporal metadata that indicates one or more of: a day that the first natural language input was received, or a time that the first natural language input was received.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
in response to determining that both the entry and the additional entry are responsive to the second natural language input:
selecting the entry as responsive to the second natural language input based on the temporal metadata.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the entry as responsive to the second natural language input based on the temporal metadata comprises:
determining a current day or a current time that the second natural language input is received conforms with one or more of: the day that the first natural language input was received, or the time that the first natural language input was received.

13. A system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
receive first natural language input, wherein the first natural language input is free-form input formulated by a user via a user interface input device of a computing device of the user;
generate an entry for the first natural language input in a personal database of the user stored in one or more computer readable media, wherein the instructions to generate the entry cause the at least one processor to:
generate descriptive metadata for the entry, wherein the instructions to generate the descriptive metadata for the entry cause the at least one processor to:
generate a semantic label associated with an object based on one or more terms of the first natural language input, and
generate an additional semantic label associated with a location based on one or more of the terms of the first natural language input; and

store, in the entry, the descriptive metadata;

subsequent to receiving the first natural language input, receive second natural language input, wherein the second natural language input is free-form input formulated by the user via the user interface input device or an additional user interface input device of an additional computing device of the user, and wherein one or more additional terms of the second natural language input include at least the semantic label associated with the object;
determine, based on the second natural language input, at least one search parameter, wherein the at least one search parameter includes the object;
search the personal database based on the at least one search parameter;
determine, based on the searching, that the entry is responsive to the second natural language input, wherein determining that the entry is responsive to the second natural language input is based at least in part on matching the at least one search parameter to at least some of the descriptive metadata; and
in response to determining that the entry is responsive to the second natural language input:
generate natural language output that includes one or more natur

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Garrett Maryam
• Quah Wan Fen Nicole
• Horling Bryan
• He Ruijie

Classifications

• G06F16/338 Primary

  Presentation of query results · CPC title

• G06F16/3344

  using natural language analysis · CPC title

• G06F16/907

  Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually · CPC title

• G06F40/103

  Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents (automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191) · CPC title

• G06F40/169

  Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes · CPC title