Computing Perspective in Dialogue - Computational Linguistics and Talking Robots - page 193

If D < D ,then β = past , and if D diff D =1day,then γ = yesterday; and similarly for all the
other possible temporal relations between a STAR-0 and a STAR-1 differing in their T value.
In the input schema, an anchored STAR-0 content is represented by patterns
for a verb and for a STAR-0 which share the prn variable K (first two proplets).
This anchored STAR-0 content is reanchored to the speaker's current STAR-1
with the prn value K+M (third proplet); its S, T ,and R values L ,D ,and O ,
respectively, are potentially different from those of the STAR-0 (though the A
value N must be the same).
The output is represented by a modified pattern for the verb, an additional
proplet pattern for an (optional) adverbial modifier, and the STAR-1 pattern.
The restrictions on the variables are used to control the tense and the

temporal adverbial specified in the output schema of the inference.
Applying the inference STAR-1.1 to (i) J.-P.'s current STAR-1 and (ii) the
STAR-0 content 10.1.4 results in the following STAR-1 content (speak mode):

β and γ

10.2.3 STAR-1 CONTENT Moi wrote toi a letter yesterday.

⎡
⎣

⎤
⎦

⎡
⎣

⎤
⎦

verb: write
arg: moi toi letter
sem: past
mdr: yesterday
prn: 659+7

S: Paris
T: 1930-07-04
A: J.-P. Sartre
R: S. de Beauvoir
prn: 659+7

⎡
⎣

⎤
⎦

⎡
⎣

⎤
⎦

⎡
⎣

⎤
⎦

⎡
⎣

⎤
⎦

noun: moi
fnc: write
prn: 659+7

noun: toi
fnc: write
prn: 659+7

noun: letter
fnc: write
prn: 659+7

adj: yesterday
mdd: write
prn: 659+7

Compared to 10.1.4, the sem attribute of the verb has received the value past ,
and the adverbial modifier yesterday has been added as a proplet connected
to the verb. Also, the new prn value 659+7 has been assigned by the parser
not just to the verb and adj proplets matched by the output schema of the
STAR-1.1 inference, but to all proplets of the resulting content.
The output of the inference is written to the now front of the agent's Word
Bank. Thus, the original content and its STAR-0 are not overwritten. They may
be retrieved by using the first part of the new content's prn value, here 659 .
This is in concord with the content-addressable database of a Word Bank, in
which content is written once and never changed (Sect. 4.1). The antecedent
of a DBS inference may only read stored content, while the consequent may
only write to the now-front of the Word Bank - as reflected by the prn values
of the DBS inferences 10.2.2 and 10.2.4.
In addition to the temporal respecification provided by the STAR-1.1 infer-
ence there must be a STAR-1.2 inference for a possible respecification of the S

7 For simplicity, the difference in location between J.-P.'s apartment and the Café de Flore within Paris
is not reflected by the STARs' S values. Also, whole days are used for the T values. This soft treatment
of the spatio-temporal coordinates is more appropriate for modeling a natural agent's cognition than
are the unnaturally precise values provided by the natural sciences, though they may be used if needed.