International Business Machines Corporation

Nuance Communications, Inc.

Robert C Armes

Steven I Ross

Elizabeth Anne Brownholtz

Jeffrey G MacAllister

Julie F Alweis

A conversation manager processes spoken utterances from a user of a computer. The conversation manager includes a semantics analysis module and a syntax manager. A domain model that is used in processing the spoken utterances includes an ontology (i.e., world view for the relevant domain of the spoken utterances), lexicon, and syntax definitions. The syntax manager combines the ontology, lexicon, and syntax definitions to generate a grammatic specification. The semantics module uses the grammatic specification and the domain model to develop a set of frames (i.e., internal representation of the spoken utterance). The semantics module then develops a set of propositions from the set of frames. The conversation manager then uses the set of propositions in further processing to provide a reply to the spoken utterance.

System and method for relating syntax and semantics for a conversational speech application

A speech center coordinates speech services for a number of speech-enabled applications performing on a computer system. The speech center includes a conversation manager that manages conversations between a user and the speech-enabled applications. The conversation manager includes a context manager that maintains a context list of speech-enabled applications that the user has accessed. If the user speaks an utterance, the context manager determines which speech-enabled application should receive a translation of the utterance from the context list, such as by determining the most recently accessed application.

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Millbury, MA, United States of America

Robert C Armes