Receiving a natural language request and retrieving a personal voice memo

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes receiving commands to store memos, identifying subjects related to the memos, storing, in a database, the memos, their related subjects, and associated time information, receiving a natural language request to retrieve a memo, the request having query information, identifying a subject related to the request, responsive to the request, querying the database for memos related to the subject, identifying multiple memos in response to the database query, identifying a memo, from the multiple identified memos, that has the most recent associated time information and providing a response in dependence on the identified memo.

We claim as follows: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving commands to store memos;   identifying subjects related to the memos;   storing, in a database, the memos, their related subjects, and associated time information;   receiving a natural language request to retrieve a memo, the request having query information;   identifying a subject related to the request;   responsive to the request, querying the database for memos related to the subject;   identifying multiple memos in response to the database query;   identifying a memo, from the multiple identified memos, that has the most recent associated time information; and   providing a response in dependence on the identified memo.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the natural language request is parsed according to a grammar rule for retrieving memos. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 identifying a trigger phrase from the received natural language request; and   selecting the grammar rule in dependence upon the identified trigger phrase.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the database storing the memo is a structured database, such that the memo is stored in a structured format. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the database storing the memo is an unstructured database, such that the memo is stored in an unstructured format. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing memos from the database after a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon, the computer program, when executed on one or more processors, causing the processors to perform a method comprising:
 receiving commands to store memos;   identifying subjects related to the memos;   storing, in a database, the memos, their related subjects, and associated time information;   receiving a natural language request to retrieve a memo, the request having query information;   identifying a subject related to the request;   responsive to the request, querying the database for memos related to the subject;   identifying multiple memos in response to the database query;   identifying a memo, from the multiple identified memos, that has the most recent associated time information; and   providing a response in dependence on the identified memo.   
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of  claim 7 , wherein the natural language request is parsed according to a grammar rule for retrieving memos. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
 identifying a trigger phrase from the received natural language request; and   selecting the grammar rule in dependence upon the identified trigger phrase.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of  claim 7 , wherein the database storing the memo is a structured database, such that the memo is stored in a structured format. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of  claim 7 , wherein the database storing the memo is an unstructured database, such that the memo is stored in an unstructured format. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises removing memos from the database after a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         13 . A system including one or more processors coupled to memory, the memory being loaded with computer instructions, the computer instructions, when executed on the one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to implement actions comprising:
 receiving commands to store memos;   identifying subjects related to the memos;   storing, in a database, the memos, their related subjects, and associated time information;   receiving a natural language request to retrieve a memo, the request having query information;   identifying a subject related to the request;   responsive to the request, querying the database for memos related to the subject;   identifying multiple memos in response to the database query;   identifying a memo, from the multiple identified memos, that has the most recent associated time information; and   providing a response in dependence on the identified memo.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the natural language request is parsed according to a grammar rule for retrieving memos. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 identifying a trigger phrase from the received natural language request; and   selecting the grammar rule in dependence upon the identified trigger phrase.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the database storing the memo is a structured database, such that the memo is stored in a structured format. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the database storing the memo is an unstructured database, such that the memo is stored in an unstructured format. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the actions further comprise removing memos from the database after a predetermined time period.