Systems and methods for dynamic user interaction for improving happiness

Abstract

A computing system for interacting with a user comprises a processor and a memory storing executable software which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to commence an interactive session with a user, receive input data from the user during the interactive session, analyze the received input data and output a response to the user to continue the interactive session with the user. The processor, prior to outputting the response, identifies one or more topics from the received input data, ascertains a tone of the received input data, generates a mirroring prompt based on the ascertained tone of the received input data, and output to the user the generated mirroring prompt. The processor outputs the mirroring prompt to the user during the interactive session to cause an increase in a level of engagement of the user with the interactive session.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing system for interacting with a user, the computing system comprising:
 at least one processor;   at least one memory storing executable software which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
 commence an interactive session with a user; 
 receive input data from the user during the interactive session; 
 analyze the received input data; and 
 output a response to the user to continue the interactive session with the user, 
   wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor, prior to outputting the response, to carry out the following steps:
 identify one or more topics from the received input data; 
 ascertain a tone of the received input data; 
 generate a mirroring prompt based on the ascertained tone of the received input data; and 
 output to the user the generated mirroring prompt, and 
   wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to output the mirroring prompt to the user during the interactive session to cause an increase in a level of engagement of the user with the interactive session.   
     
     
         2 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to generate the mirroring prompt having one or more phrases indicative of the identified one or more topics, and
 wherein the generated mirroring prompt is reflective of the ascertained tone.   
     
     
         3 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to generate the mirroring prompt having one or more phrases indicative of the identified one or more topics, and
 wherein the generated mirroring prompt is of a tone that has been previously determined as an appropriate tone for responding to the ascertained tone.   
     
     
         4 . The computing system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a database storing a plurality of selectable mirroring prompts,   wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to generate the mirroring prompt by selecting at least one of the stored selectable mirroring prompts.   
     
     
         5 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to generate the mirroring prompt by using natural language generation techniques. 
     
     
         6 . The computing system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a communication device capable of communicating with an external computer,   wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to, via the communication device, obtain from the external computer information about the identified one or more topics, and   wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to generate the mirroring prompt using the obtained information.   
     
     
         7 . The computing system of  claim 6 , wherein the information obtained from the external computer includes current information pertaining to the identified one or more topics accessible via the Internet. 
     
     
         8 . The computing system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one sensor in communication with the at least one processor, the at least one sensor being adapted to obtain supplemental user data,   wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to generate the mirroring prompt at least in part on the obtained supplemental user data.   
     
     
         9 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive session is part of a happiness track selected by the user, and
 wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to output the mirroring prompt to the user during the interactive session to further cause an increase in a level of happiness of the user in accordance with the selected happiness track.   
     
     
         10 . A method for a computing system to interact with a user, the computing system comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:
 commencing, by the at least one processor, an interactive session with a user;   receiving, by the at least one processor, input data from the user during the interactive session;   analyzing, by the at least one processor, the received input data; and   outputting, by the at least one processor, a response to the user to continue the interactive session with the user,   wherein prior to outputting the response, the at least one processor:
 identifies one or more topics from the received input data; 
 ascertains a tone of the received input data; 
   generates a mirroring prompt based on the ascertained tone of the received input data; and
 output to the user the generated mirroring prompt, and 
   wherein the outputting of the mirroring prompt to the user during the interactive session causes an increase in a level of engagement of the user with the interactive session.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor generates the mirroring prompt having one or more phrases indicative of the identified one or more topics, and
 wherein the generated mirroring prompt is reflective of the ascertained tone.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor generates the mirroring prompt having one or more phrases indicative of the identified one or more topics, and
 wherein the generated mirroring prompt is of a tone that has been previously determined as an appropriate tone for responding to the ascertained tone.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the computing system further comprises a database storing a plurality of selectable mirroring prompts, and
 wherein the at least one processor generates the mirroring prompt by selecting at least one of the stored selectable mirroring prompts.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor generates the mirroring prompt by using natural language generation techniques. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the computing system further comprises a communication device capable of communicating with an external computer,
 wherein the at least one processor, via the communication device, obtains from the external computer information about the identified one or more topics, and   wherein the at least one processor generates the mirroring prompt using the obtained information.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the information obtained from the external computer includes current information pertaining to the identified one or more topics accessible via the Internet. 
     
     
         17 . The method system of  claim 10 , wherein the computing system further comprises at least one sensor in communication with the at least one processor, the at least one sensor being adapted to obtain supplemental user data,
 wherein the at least one processor generates the mirroring prompt at least in part on the obtained supplemental user data.   
     
     
         18 . The method system of  claim 10 , wherein the interactive session is part of a happiness track selected by the user, and
 wherein the at least one processor outputs the mirroring prompt to the user during the interactive session to further cause an increase in a level of happiness of the user in accordance with the selected happiness track.   
     
     
         19 . A computing system for interacting with a user, the computing system comprising:
 at least one processor;   at least one memory storing executable software which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
 commence an interactive session with a user, the interactive session being part of a happiness track selected by the user; 
 receive input data from the user during the interactive session; 
 analyze the received input data; and 
 output a response, to the user, to continue the interactive session with the user, 
   wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor, during the interactive session, to carry out the following steps:
 identify one or more topics from the received input data; and 
 determine whether to output an option to the user for switching to a different happiness track. 
   
     
     
         20 . The computing system of  claim 19 , wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to determine to output the option to the user for switching to a different happiness track when relevance of the identified one or more topics to the selected happiness track is not greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         21 . The computing system of  claim 20 , wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to determine to output the option to the user for switching to a different happiness track when the identified one or more topics having relevance not greater than the threshold is detected a plurality of times. 
     
     
         22 . The computing system of  claim 19 , wherein the executable software stored in the at least one memory is adapted to cause the at least one processor to determine to output the option to the user for switching to a different happiness track based on tone of the received input data. 
     
     
         23 . A method for a computing system to interact with a user, the computing system comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:
 commencing, by the at least one processor, an interactive session with a user, the interactive session being part of a happiness track selected by the user;   receiving, by the at least one processor, input data from the user during the interactive session;   analyzing, by the at least one processor, the received input data; and   outputting, by the at least one processor, a response to the user to continue the interactive session with the user,   wherein during the interactive session, the at least one processor:
 identifies one or more topics from the received input data; and 
 determines whether to output an option to the user for switching to a different happiness track. 
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor determines to output the option to the user for switching to a different happiness track when relevance of the identified one or more topics to the selected happiness track is not greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one processor determines to output the option to the user for switching to a different happiness track when the identified one or more topics having relevance not greater than the threshold is detected a plurality of times. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor determines to output the option to the user for switching to a different happiness track based on tone of the received input data.