Multimodal Control Interpretation for Incomplete User Requests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control systems for multimodal interactions, such as those used by aircraft pilots, face complexity in managing multiple input modalities and require intricate time window definitions, limiting their adaptability and effectiveness in handling diverse human senses like speech, sight, and movement.
Innovation Solution
A control system comprising a modal state change detection module and a multimodal interpretation module that can handle multiple distinct modal inputs from various human senses, detecting discrete state changes and completing incomplete user requests using up-to-date data from other modalities, with a disambiguation module to resolve ambiguities, allowing for flexible and adaptive management of various input modalities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a time window mechanism is used to manage multiple modalities, then temporal correlation between modal inputs can be achieved, but the system complexity increases significantly due to the need for complex time window definitions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the time window management functionality from the core modality processing logic and implements it as a separate, dedicated module. This extraction isolates the temporal correlation mechanism, making it easier to define and manage time windows without complicating the overall system architecture. The time window module independently handles temporal relationships between modal inputs while other modules focus on their specific processing tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the multimodal processing into distinct functional modules: a time window module for temporal correlation, a modality management module for handling individual modalities, and an interpretation module for processing user requests. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently, reducing the complexity of time window definitions while maintaining accurate temporal relationships across all modal inputs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If known mechanisms are used to handle modal inputs, then speech and touch modalities can be managed, but the system cannot be adapted to other modalities like sight or movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal modality management module that can handle any type of modality input through a standardized interface. This module provides generic functions for receiving, processing, and correlating modal inputs regardless of their specific type (speech, touch, sight, movement, etc.). The standardized interface and generic processing logic enable the system to adapt to new modalities without requiring fundamental architectural changes, thus increasing versatility while controlling complexity.
3Measurement precision
If discrete state change detection is implemented for each modal input, then accurate user intent can be detected, but the data processing load increases due to continuous monitoring of multiple modalities
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary filtering and preprocessing of modal inputs before detailed state change detection. The time window module pre-correlates inputs from different modalities, and the modality management module pre-processes each modality's data stream to identify potential state changes. This preliminary action reduces the amount of data requiring intensive processing, thereby lowering energy consumption while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the detection of state changes in one modality can trigger or suppress detection in other modalities. When a significant state change is detected in one modality, the system adjusts its monitoring intensity for other modalities accordingly. This feedback-based adaptive monitoring maintains high detection accuracy for critical changes while reducing processing energy during stable periods.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a control system (14) comprising: - a modal state change detection module (32) configured to receive distinct modal inputs; the detection module being configured to detect a discrete state change of each modal input and to determine characteristic data of the current discrete state; the detection module also being configured to detect a user request; - a multimodal interpretation module (34) configured, at each detected state change, to store and update the characteristic data of the current discrete state of the modal input following the detected state change; the multimodal interpretation module being configured, at each detected incomplete request, to complete the incomplete request from the updated stored characteristic data of the current discrete state of another modal input.