Systems and methods for interactive topic-based text summarization

• US 20040122657A1
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chen, Francine R., Zaenen, Annie E., Brants, Thorsten H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces

Abstract

Techniques for determining interactive topic-based summarization are provided. A text to be summarized is segmented. Discrete keyword, key-phrase, n-gram, sentence and other sentence constituent based summaries are generated based on statistical measures for each text segment. Interactive topic-based summaries are displayed with human sensible omitted text indicators such as alternate colors, fonts, sounds, tactile elements or other human sensible display characteristics useful in indicating omitted text. Individual and/or combinations of discrete keyword, key-phrase, n-gram, sentence, noun phrase and sentence constituent based summaries are dynamically displayed to provide an overview of topic and subtopic development within a text. A hierarchical and interactive display of texts based on the use of discrete sentence constituent based summaries which associates expansible and contractible displayed text provides contextualized access to an interactive topic-based text summary and to an original text.

Claims

1. A method of determining interactive topic-based text summaries comprising the steps of:

determining a text to summarize;

determining at least one text segment of the determined text;

determining at least one sentence constituent based summary type;

determining at least one discrete interactive topic-based text summary for a determined segment based on the determined sentence constituent based summary type and a statistical measure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical measure is a measure of determined segment characterization and differentiation from at least one other segment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one other segment is at least one of the n-preceding and m- following segments and where n+m>

0.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the sentence constituent based summary type is at least one of a keyword, a key-phrase, an n-gram, a sentence and a noun phrase.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the measure of text region characterization and other region differentiation is at least one of mutual information, log odds ratio, χ

², G² distributions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sentence constituent based summary type is determined based on at least one of a device characteristic, a user preference and a user selection.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

dynamically determining at least one text segment to summarize based on dynamic user selections;

dynamically displaying at least one discrete interactive topic-based text summary based on the at least one dynamically determined text segment and wherein a human sensible display characteristic indicates omitted text.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the human sensible display characteristic is at least one of a visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory and taste characteristic.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one visual characteristic is at least one of a text font, color, italics, bolding and placement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical measure is at least one of four components of mutual information based on presence in a segment and presence in other segments.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical measure is at least two of four components of mutual information based on presence in a segment and presence in other segments.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of normalizing key-phrase probabilities based on key-phrase length.

13. A system for determining interactive topic-based text summaries comprising:

an input/output circuit for receiving, a selected sentence constituent based summary type, a selected text;

a processor that retrieves the selected text from the input/output circuit, segments the text and determines a text segment to summarize;

a probability and latent class determining circuit for determining distributions of the selected sentence constituent type in the segmented text and in at least one text segment;

a statistical measure determining circuit for determining a statistical measure of at least one text segment; and

wherein the processor determines a discrete interactive topic-based summary for at least one text segment based on the received sentence constituent based summary type, the determined distributions and a statistical measure of the segment.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the statistical measure is a measure of text segment characterization and other segment differentiation.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein other segments are at least one of n-preceding text segments of a determined text segment and m- following text segments and where n+m>

0.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the sentence constituent based summary type is at least one of a keyword, a key-phrase, an n-gram, a sentence and a noun phrase.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the measure of text segment characterization and other segment differentiation is at least one of mutual information, log odds ratio, χ

², G² distributions.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the sentence constituent based summary type is determined based on at least one of a device characteristic, a user preference and a user selection.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a display circuit that displays at least one discrete interactive topic-based text summary based on a dynamic selection of the selected text segment and using a human sensible display characteristic to indicate omitted text.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the human sensible display characteristic is at least one of a visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory and taste characteristic.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the visual characteristic is at least one of text font, text color, text italics, text bolding and placement.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the statistical measure is at least one of four components of mutual information based on presence in a segment and presence in other segments.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the statistical measure is at least two of four components of mutual information based on presence in a segment and presence in other segments.

24. The system of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

normalizing key-phrase probabilities based on key-phrase length.

25. Computer readable storage medium comprising:

computer readable program code embodied on the computer readable storage medium, the computer readable program code usable to program a computer to a method of determining interactive topic-based text summaries comprising the steps of;

determining a text to summarize;

determining at least one text segment of the determined text;

determining at least one sentence constituent based summary type;

determining at least one discrete interactive topic-based text summary based on the determined sentence constituent based summary type and a statistical measure.

26. A carrier wave encoded to transmit a control program, useable for determining an interactive topic-based text summary, to a device for executing the program, the control program comprising:

instructions for determining a text to summarize;

instructions for determining at least one text segment of the determined text;

instructions for determining at least one sentence constituent based summary type;

instructions for determining at least one discrete interactive topic-based text summary based on the determined sentence constituent based summary type and a statistical measure.