Chatbot Interface Combining Menu Navigation and Natural Language
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chatbots either rely on cumbersome menu-based systems or require extensive natural language input, leading to inefficiencies and frustration in user interactions, as menu-based chatbots are constrained and difficult to navigate, while natural-language-based chatbots may require excessive input and lack clarity on available actions.
Innovation Solution
A combined menu-based and natural-language-based user interface that allows users to dynamically choose between menu navigation and natural language input for interacting with chatbots, enabling efficient communication by forwarding user inputs to chatbots and receiving contextually relevant menus or responses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a menu-based system is used for chatbot interaction, then the structure is clear and navigation is guided, but the system becomes cumbersome and difficult to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines menu-based interaction and natural language processing into a single chatbot system. The menu provides structured options while natural language processing handles open-ended queries, allowing the system to leverage the strengths of both approaches simultaneously rather than requiring users to navigate complex menus for every interaction type.
Solution Approach 2:
The chatbot is designed to handle multiple types of user inputs through a single interface. It can process both structured menu selections and unstructured natural language queries, making the system versatile enough to adapt to different user preferences and query types without requiring separate interaction modes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If natural language input is required for chatbot interaction, then flexibility is increased, but the input required becomes excessive and lacks clarity on available actions
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares and presents a menu of available actions to users before they need to input their requests. This preliminary presentation of options helps users understand what actions are available and reduces the time they need to spend formulating their input, as they can see the expected input types and available choices in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The menu acts as an intermediary between the user and the natural language processing system. It provides structure and guidance to user inputs, helping to clarify intentions without requiring users to write extensive natural language descriptions. The menu mediates by translating user selections into structured commands that the chatbot can process efficiently.
3Loss of information
If a menu-based system is used, then available actions are clearly presented, but the communication speed decreases due to navigation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The chatbot dynamically adapts its response format based on the user's input type and the current context. It can switch between presenting structured menus when actions need clarity and accepting direct natural language commands when speed is prioritized, making the system responsive to the user's immediate needs rather than following a rigid interaction pattern.
Data Source
AI summary
A user is allowed to communicate with a chatbot. A menu is provided to the user that includes a list of actions that can be performed by the user. Whenever natural language input asking a question is received from the user, this input is forwarded to the chatbot, a response to this input is received from the chatbot, this response is provided to the user, and the menu is again provided to the user. Whenever natural language input is received from the user requesting an action that is not one of the actions in the menu, this input is forwarded to the chatbot, a response to this input is received from the chatbot, where this response includes another menu that includes a list of subsequent actions that are related to the requested action and can be performed by the user, and this other menu is provided to the user.