Veveo said it has scored a U.S. patent tied to a speech-based platform that enables TV viewers to search for content and receive personal recommendations without having to repeat previous queries.
The seminal patent, U.S. No. 8,577,671, is entitled “Method of and system for using conversation state information in a conversational interaction system,” and covers a speech-based system’s ability to recognize whether a subsequent query is related to the previous one that a user input into a system.
The approach, Veveo said, allows the user to build on a previous query without repetition, and enables the device to “know” when a context has changed or is ambitious, “thereby giving users appropriate responses that appear natural and humanlike.”
Veveo, founded in 2004, is pitching its speech-driven platform to pay-TV operators as they seek out new systems that can help customers navigate ever-expanding linear and on-demand video libraries. Its announced customers include Comcast, Cablevision Systems, Rogers Communications, AT&T, DirecTV, and Nokia.
Of recent note, Veveo introduced a modularized version of its SmartRelevance Conversational Platform that can be plugged into third-party search and recommendation systems.
