Digital Assistant Interface for Unified Cross-Platform Intent Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing digital retail assistants and services are limited in their ability to understand and respond to general natural language queries, are not well integrated, and do not provide a unified experience across devices and platforms, leading to disjointed interactions and inefficiencies for users.

Innovation Solution

A digital assistant platform that integrates multiple natural language understanding providers, adapters, and handlers, allowing it to receive and process queries uniformly across various devices and platforms, leveraging a standardized query format and extensible architecture to provide responsive content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate specialized services are used for different digital interactions, then each service can handle its specific task effectively, but the system becomes fragmented and difficult to navigate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetask execution reliabilityVSAvoidservice navigation ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate digital services into a unified digital assistant interface. The natural language processing system consolidates product search, order tracking, account management, and customer support into a single accessible point, allowing users to interact with all services through one interface rather than navigating between separate services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The digital assistant is designed as a universal interface that handles multiple types of customer interactions through a single system. It can process product inquiries, track orders, manage accounts, and provide customer support all through one multi-functional platform that adapts to different user needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If multiple specialized services are integrated into a unified digital assistant, then user experience becomes seamless and easy to navigate, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser interaction easeVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The natural language processing system serves as an intermediary layer between the user and the multiple backend services. It translates user intent into appropriate service calls, managing the complexity of coordinating multiple specialized services while presenting a simple natural language interface to users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system architecture is segmented into distinct functional components: the natural language processing layer, the intent recognition module, and the service execution layer. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific tasks independently while working together as a unified system, managing overall complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If digital services are optimized for specific devices and platforms, then performance on those devices is maximized, but accessibility across different devices is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice-specific performanceVSAvoidcross-device adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The digital assistant is designed as a universal system that can operate across multiple device types and platforms including smartphones, tablets, smart speakers, and computers. The natural language interface and adaptive response system ensure consistent functionality and performance across all supported devices, eliminating device-specific limitations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12524623B2Extensible digital assistant interface using natural language processing to respond to user intent
Publication Date: 2026.01.13 TARGET BRANDS INC
  • US12524623B2 patent drawing
  • US12524623B2 patent drawing
  • US12524623B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A platform, method, and system for a digital assistant are disclosed. The digital assistant uses natural language processing to respond to user queries. The digital assistant is extensible, because it can interface with a variety of devices, with a variety of natural language understanding providers, and with a variety of handlers. One method includes receiving a query from a user device, standardizing the query, and transmitting it to one of a plurality of natural language understanding providers. The digital assistant then receives intent data related to the intent of the query. The digital assistant then transmits the intent data to one of a plurality of handlers. The handler processes the intent data and returns content to the digital assistant. The digital assistant then adapts the content and sends it to the user device.