Self-Learning PDA Training via Simulated User Interaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The development of accurate personal digital assistant (PDA) components is a complex, time-consuming, and expensive process that relies heavily on human experts for tasks like training data labeling, model guidance, and rule validation, and frequent updates are needed to adapt to changing applications and environments, making it challenging to find and manage expert resources.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented technique for training PDA components in a partially automated manner using a simulated user (SU) component that interacts with the PDA over multiple dialogs to generate training data, employing a self-learning strategy to improve performance iteratively and reduce the reliance on human experts by training both the PDA and SU components to mimic various user behaviors, including ideal and anomalous interactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If human experts are used to label training data, guide training processes, and validate models, then the accuracy and quality of PDA components is improved, but the development time and cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of PDA componentsVSAvoiddevelopment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs automated self-learning techniques where the PDA component trains itself by interacting with simulated users. The simulated user component generates training data autonomously through multiple dialogs, eliminating the need for human experts to manually label data and validate models, thus reducing development time while maintaining accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a simulated user component that copies and mimics the behavior of actual users. This simulation includes both ideal and anomalous user behaviors, allowing the PDA component to learn from diverse user patterns without requiring human experts to create training data, thereby reducing both time and cost

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If human experts manually create training data and validate models, then the quality of PDA components is improved, but the development cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality of PDA componentsVSAvoidresource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically generates training data through interactions between the PDA component and simulated users. The simulated user component autonomously creates diverse dialog scenarios and generates training data without requiring human expert resources, significantly reducing development cost while maintaining high quality through automated validation mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The simulated user component replicates actual user behaviors including ambiguous utterances, mind changes during dialogs, and various user types. This copying approach enables the system to generate comprehensive training data that represents real-world usage patterns without consuming human expert resources

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If manual training methods are used, then the accuracy of PDA components is improved, but the speed of development and updates is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of PDA componentsVSAvoiddevelopment speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables continuous self-learning through automated interactions between the PDA component and simulated users. The simulated user component continuously generates new training data by mimicking diverse user behaviors, allowing the PDA component to learn and improve continuously without interruption, thereby increasing development speed while maintaining accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The PDA component performs self-training by autonomously interacting with the simulated user component and processing generated training data. This self-service approach eliminates bottlenecks associated with manual training processes, enabling rapid development and frequent updates to adapt to changing applications and environments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Reliability

If the PDA component interacts with simulated users over multiple dialogs, then the robustness and accuracy of training data is improved, but the complexity of the training process increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverobustness of training dataVSAvoidtraining process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The simulated user component copies and replicates actual user behaviors including ambiguous utterances, mind changes during dialogs, and various user types. This copying mechanism generates robust training data that captures the complexity of real-world usage patterns, improving training data reliability while the automation reduces the operational complexity of the training process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs feedback mechanisms where the PDA component processes responses from simulated users and uses this information to iteratively improve its performance. The simulated user component provides feedback by generating diverse dialog scenarios and training data, enabling the PDA component to learn from both successful and failed interactions to improve robustness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10417566B2Self-learning technique for training a PDA component and a simulated user component
Publication Date: 2019.09.17 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US10417566B2 patent drawing
  • US10417566B2 patent drawing
  • US10417566B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A computer-implemented technique is described herein for training a personal digital assistant (PDA) component and a simulated user (SU) component via a self-learning strategy. The technique involves conducting interactions between the PDA component and the SU component over the course of plural dialogs, and with respect to plural tasks. These interactions yield training data. A training system uses the training data to generate and update analysis components used by both the PDA component and the SU component. According to one illustrative aspect, the SU component is configured to mimic the behavior of actual users, across a range of different user types.