Interactive System with State-Based Stoppage Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

In interactive search systems, an increase in the number of reverse questions can lead to user frustration, causing them to abandon the search process prematurely.

Innovation Solution

An interactive system that includes an interaction execution unit to prompt additional user input, an interaction stoppage unit to control the interaction based on user or system-defined conditions, and a response content provision unit to stop the interaction and provide a response when a prescribed condition is met, thereby reducing user dropout.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the interaction execution unit repeatedly performs interactions to narrow down response content candidates, then the precision of the response content is improved, but the number of interactions increases causing user frustration and dropout

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of response contentVSAvoiduser experience

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by proactively providing interim response content to the user during the interaction process. Instead of waiting until the end of the interaction to provide any content, the system generates and displays preliminary response candidates at intermediate stages, giving users early feedback and reducing perceived waiting time. This preliminary provision of content helps maintain user engagement while the interaction continues to refine the final response.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring interaction states and providing interim response content based on current interaction progress. The feedback loop involves detecting when the interaction should be stopped (through the interaction stoppage unit), selecting appropriate interim response content, and presenting it to the user. This feedback ensures users are informed of the system's progress and receive useful content even before the interaction fully completes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the interaction execution unit continues the interaction until a prescribed condition is met, then the reliability of the response content is improved, but the time required for the search process increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of response contentVSAvoidtime required for search process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by generating and providing interim response content before the interaction fully completes. This allows the system to start delivering valuable content earlier in the process, reducing the effective time users perceive as wasted, while the interaction continues in the background to refine the final high-reliability response.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial action by providing interim response content that may not be the final optimal answer but is sufficient to partially satisfy the user's information need. This partial fulfillment occurs during the interaction process, allowing the system to maintain reliability standards for the final response while giving users immediate partial benefits that reduce perceived time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Loss of time

If the interaction stoppage unit stops the interaction early based on interaction state, then the time required is reduced, but the precision of the response content may decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime required for search processVSAvoidprecision of response content

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The feedback principle is applied by continuously monitoring the interaction state and using this information to determine when to stop the interaction and what interim content to provide. The system feedback mechanism ensures that stopping early does not sacrifice precision unnecessarily, as the decision to stop is based on real-time assessment of interaction quality and user engagement state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs partial action by providing interim response content that satisfies部分 of the user's information need when the interaction is stopped early. This partial fulfillment compensates for the incomplete interaction, maintaining adequate precision for practical purposes while reducing time requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11514910B2Interactive system

Publication Date: 2022.11.29 NTT DOCOMO INC

AI summary

A server is an interactive system that performs the interaction by performing a reverse question with respect to an input by the user and providing response content. An input acquisition unit and an answer generation unit constitute an interaction execution unit that repeatedly performs the interaction until a question sentence and an answer, which are the response content, satisfy a prescribed condition. Further, the stoppage determination execution unit performs control for stopping the interaction performed by the input acquisition unit and the answer generation unit based on the interaction state by the user or the other user. In a case where the interaction is stopped, the output unit provides the question sentence and the answer thereof at the time of stoppage to the communication terminal.