Computer programming language, system and method for building text analyzers

• US 20020194223A1
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Text Analysis International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Text Analysis International, Inc.
• Inventors: De Hilster, David Scott, Meyers, Amnon
• Application Number:
  US09/981,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194223A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/211 Syntactic parsing, e.g. based on context-free grammar [CFG] or unification grammars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/216 using statistical methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking

Abstract

Methods of building text analyzer programs using a natural language programming language that uses sets of rules and their associated code actions to form individual passes in a multi-pass text analyzer.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing text in a natural language, the method comprising:

constructing a hierarchical tree representing a text in a natural language; and

applying a reduce rule to the hierarchical tree, the rule applicable only to an instance of a predetermined sub-hierarchy of the hierarchical tree.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying comprises

specifying the predetermined sub-hierarchy as a path through the hierarchical tree.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of applying further comprises

specifying the predetermined sub-hierarchy as a path through the hierarchical tree, the path a sequence of nodes starting at the root of the hierarchical tree.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of applying further comprises

specifying the predetermined sub-hierarchy as a path through the hierarchical tree, the path a sequence of nodes starting at an instance of a node other than the root of the hierarchical free.

5. A method for constructing a text analyzer, the method comprising:

enabling a user to specify reduce rules for a hierarchical tree representing text in a natural language; and

enabling the user to specify a rule applicable only to an instance of a predetermined sub-hierarchy of the hierarchical tree.

6. A data store wherein is located a computer program for constructing a text analyzer by:

enabling a user to specify reduce rules for a hierarchical tree representing text in a natural language; and

enabling the user to specify a rule applicable only to an instance of a predetermined sub-hierarchy of the hierarchical tree.

7. A computer system for creating a text analyzer, the computer system comprising:

the data store of claim 6; and

a CPU, communicatively coupled to the data store and for executing the computer program in the data store.

8. A method for analyzing text in a natural language, the method comprising:

constructing a hierarchical tree representing a text in a natural language;

applying rules to nodes of the hierarchical tree to transform the tree, the rules having elements and suggested nodes; and

associating data with a node that matches an element of a rule.

9. A method for analyzing text in a natural language, the method comprising:

constructing a hierarchical tree representing a text in a natural language;

applying rules to nodes of the hierarchical tree to transform the tree, a rule having an element and a suggested node; and

associating data with a node that matches a suggested node of a rule.

10. A method for analyzing text in a natural language, the method comprising:

constructing a hierarchical tree representing a text in a natural language;

applying rules to nodes of the hierarchical tree to transform the tree, a rule having a context that is an instance of a predetermined sub-hierarchy of the hierarchical tree; and

associating data with a node that matches the context of a rule.