Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Fuji Xexox Co., Ltd.

Misty L Azara

Livia Polanyi

Giovanni Lorenzo Thione

Martin Henk Van Den Berg

Annie E Zaenen

James D Baker

Techniques are provided for determining predictive models of discourse functions based on prosodic features of natural language speech. Inter and intra sentential discourse functions in a training corpus of natural language speech utterances are determined. The discourse functions are clustered. The exemplary prosodic features associated with each type of discourse function are determined. Machine learning, observation and the like are used to determine a subset of prosodic features associated with each type of discourse function useful in predicting the likelihood of each type of discourse function.

Systems and methods for determining predictive models of discourse functions

Techniques are provided for determining and using interaction models. Discourse functions, prosodic features and turn information are determined from the speech information in a training corpus. Statistics, decision trees, rules and/or various other methods are used to determine a predictive interaction model based on the discourse functions, the prosodic features and the turn information. Predictive interaction models are optionally determined for individual users, genres, languages and/or other characteristics of the speech information. The predictive interaction model is useable to predict turns in a dialogue based on the discourse functions and prosodic features identified in the speech information. Speech information is presented and/or received based on the predictive interaction model.

Systems and methods for determining and using interaction models

Techniques are provided for resolving ambiguity in natural language speech. Speech is recognized using automatic speech recognition. A theory of discourse analysis is determined and at least one set of candidate discourse functions is determined based on the theory of discourse analysis. Prosodic features in the speech and a correlation between the prosodic features and the discourse functions is determined. The sets of candidate discourse functions are ranked based on the prosodic features in the speech information and a correlation to the prosodic features expected for the determined discourse functions. Ambiguity is resolved between sets of candidate discourse functions based on the rank information.

Systems and method for resolving ambiguity

Systems and methods for analyzing speech containing at least one lexical item, said analysis to determine an attitude of a speaker towards an entity, comprising determining at least one actual valence for the at least one lexical item by analyzing the at least one lexical item in context; determining the attitude based on the at least one actual valence; associating the speaker, the entity and the attitude; and wherein the at least one lexical item encodes attitude information about the entity.

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Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Misty L Azara