| 摘要 |
A system architecture and a methodology for intuitive natural language (text or speech) dialogue-based electronic commercial transactions and information exchanges are described. The system and methodology allow the user to pose questions over the Internet (via a PC Web or E-mail Browser, a PC microphone, a fixed or mobile phone, or any wireless device such as a Personal Digital Assistant) about products and services of other providers, as well as information in databases, in a natural way, avoiding the constant clicking of links and the selection of keywords that may not have a meaning to the user in the first place. The inventive system is robust towards any type of multimodal input. The user requests are interpreted in the context of the current interaction and the dialogue flow is shaped dynamically by the current status of the application database, i.e. the product and service availability. The system dynamically adopts appropriate repair strategies in the case of misunderstandings and processing difficulties or errors, one of which is the transfer to a human operator with all the data collected from the user up till that point. In another manifestation of the invention, the automated dialogue between the user and the system can constitute the indispensable initial information-gathering phase, before the user can talk directly with a human call-center operator, especially when all the lines are busy. The operator may then pick up the call directly afterwards or process the user requirements later and get back to them on the phone or through e-mail. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the user can carry out an off-line dialogue with the system through e-mail or other kinds of voice- or text-based messaging system. The invented system further allows for the constant updating of the various types of knowledge used and the learning of domain, application, and market-relevant information.
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