Assistant Response Graphs for Out-of-Coverage Voice Requests

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing assistant systems struggle to effectively generate contextual responses for out-of-coverage (OOC) requests, lacking the ability to understand and respond to unsupported user inputs, leading to user frustration and reduced trust.

Innovation Solution

The system employs graph representations to bridge structured voice input data with natural-language responses, utilizing pattern matching and editing to generate contextual responses for OOC requests, enhancing user understanding and suggesting relevant supported tasks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the assistant system uses traditional pattern matching for voice inputs, then it can handle covered requests effectively, but it fails to generate appropriate responses for out-of-coverage requests

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapability to handle out-of-coverage requestsVSAvoidresponse accuracy for unsupported inputs

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces graph representations as an intermediary layer between voice input and natural language response generation. The graph structure serves as a mediator that can represent both covered and out-of-coverage requests in a unified framework, enabling the system to handle unsupported inputs by mapping them to the nearest supported tasks through graph pattern matching and editing operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms the voice input representation from traditional structured formats into graph-based representations, changing the parameter space of the input data. This transformation allows the system to capture semantic relationships and generate contextual responses for out-of-coverage requests by performing graph pattern matching and editing operations that are not possible with traditional parameter representations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the assistant system provides generic error messages for unsupported requests, then it maintains simple response logic, but it reduces user trust and increases frustration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser trust and satisfactionVSAvoidresponse generation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The graph-based system enables the assistant to automatically generate contextual and explanatory responses for out-of-coverage requests without requiring manual intervention or complex rule-based logic. The graph pattern matching and editing operations allow the system to self-serve by finding the nearest supported tasks and generating appropriate responses autonomously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The graph representation framework serves multiple functions: it represents both covered and out-of-coverage requests, performs pattern matching, identifies nearest supported tasks, and generates contextual responses. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate response generation logic for different request types, reducing overall system complexity while improving user experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If the assistant system implements graph representations and pattern editing for OOC requests, then it improves user sentiment and task completion, but it increases system complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuccessful task completion rateVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the response generation process into distinct graph-based operations: graph representation construction, graph pattern matching, graph editing, and response generation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and makes the overall complex system more manageable and maintainable

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12573391B2Generating contextual responses for out-of-coverage requests for assistant systems

Publication Date: 2026.03.10 META PLATFORMS INC

AI summary

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a voice input from a first user from a client system via an assistant xbot associated with an assistant system, determining that the voice input includes an out-of-coverage request including intents or slots that are unsupported by the assistant system, generating a contextual response for the out-of-coverage request, wherein the contextual response includes an implicit confirmation of the out-of-coverage request and a failure response to the out-of-coverage request, wherein the implicit confirmation references the voice input from the first user, and wherein the failure response indicates that the assistant system is unable to execute a task corresponding to the out-of-coverage request, and sending instructions for presenting the contextual response responsive to the voice input to the client system.