System and method for dynamically determining the function of a lexical item based on context

• US 20040158452A1
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Polanyi, Livia, Zaenen, Annie
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/253 Grammatical analysis; Style critique

Abstract

A method for adaptively determining the attitudinal function of a lexical item occurring in a natural language document, comprising determining a base valence of the lexical item; identifying a contextual valence shifter (CVS) wherein the lexical item is within scope of the CVS; and determining an actual valence of the lexical item by adjusting the base valence based on the CVS.

Claims

1. A method for adaptively determining the attitudinal function of a lexical item occurring in a natural language document, comprising:

determining a base valence of the lexical item;

identifying a contextual valence shifter (CVS) wherein the lexical item is within scope of the CVS;

determining an actual valence of the lexical item by adjusting the base valence based on the CVS; and

wherein the CVS is one of;

a negator, an intensifier, a presupposition, a connector, and a modal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the negator CVS is a word or phrase that can negate the base valence.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the intensifier CVS is a word or phrase used for emphasis or de-emphasis that can strengthen or weaken the base valence, respectively.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the presupposition CVS can have a negative impact on the base valence if the consequences of a not born-out expectation are negative and can have a positive impact on the base valence if the consequences of the not born-out expectation are positive.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the connector CVS is a word or phrase that indicates a different point of view and can neutralize or negate the base valence.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the modal CVS is a word or phrase that establishes a condition wherein the condition can neutralize or negate the base valence.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the base valence represents positive or negative attitudinal information encoded in the lexical item.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

determining the base valence is based on taking into account the domain in which the lexical item occurs.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

determining the actual valence of the lexical item by adjusting the base valence based on a plurality of contextual valence shifters.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the lexical item can be a CVS.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the actual valence denotes an attitude of an author towards an entity or an event.

12. A method for adaptively determining the attitudinal function of a lexical item occurring in a natural language document, comprising:

categorizing the lexical item as positive, negative or neutral to determine a base valence of the lexical item;

analyzing the lexical item in context of a contextual valence shifter (CVS) to determine an actual valence of the lexical item; and

wherein the lexical item can be a CVS; and

wherein the actual valence denotes an attitude of an author towards an entity or an event.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the CVS is one of;

a negator, an intensifier, a presupposition, a connector, and a modal.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the negator CVS is a word or phrase that can negate the base valence.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the intensifier CVS is a word or phrase used for emphasis or de-emphasis that can strengthen or weaken the base valence, respectively.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the presupposition CVS can have a negative impact on the base valence if the consequences of a not born-out expectation are negative and can have a positive impact on the base valence if the consequences of the not born-out expectation are positive.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the connector CVS is a word or phrase that indicates a different point of view and can neutralize or negate the base valence.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the modal CVS is a word or phrase that establishes a condition wherein the condition can neutralize or negate the base valence.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the base valence represents positive or negative attitudinal information encoded in the lexical item.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein:

determining the base valence is based on taking into account the domain in which the lexical item occurs.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein:

determining the actual valence of the lexical item by adjusting the base valence based on a plurality of contextual valence shifters.

22. A system for adaptively determining the attitudinal function of a lexical item occurring in a natural language document, comprising:

a base valence calculator to determine a base valence of the lexical item;

a contextual valence adjuster coupled to the base valence calculator, the contextual valence adjuster to determine an actual valence by adjusting the base valence based on a contextual valence shifter (CVS); and

wherein the CVS is one of;

a negator, an intensifier, a presupposition, a connector, and a modal.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the base valence calculator utilizes a thesaurus; and

wherein the thesaurus provides the base valence of the lexical item.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein:

the thesaurus uses domain information to determine the base valence.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the base valence calculator analyzes the natural language document to determine a domain for the lexical item.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the negator CVS is a word or phrase that can negate the base valence.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the intensifier CVS is a word or phrase used for emphasis or de-emphasis that can strengthen or weaken the base valence, respectively.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the presupposition CVS can have a negative impact on the base valence if the consequences of a not born-out expectation are negative and can have a positive impact on the base valence if the consequences of the not born-out expectation are positive.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the connector CVS is a word or phrase that indicates a different point of view and can neutralize or negate the base valence.

30. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the modal CVS is a word or phrase that establishes a condition wherein the condition can neutralize or negate the base valence.

31. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the base valence represents positive or negative attitudinal information encoded in the lexical item.

32. The system of claim 22 wherein:

determining the actual valence of the lexical item by adjusting the base valence based on a plurality of contextual valence shifters.

33. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the lexical item can be a CVS.

34. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the actual valence denotes an attitude of an author towards an entity or an event.

35. A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor cause a system to:

determine a base valence of the lexical item;

identify a contextual valence shifter (CVS) wherein the lexical item is within scope of the CVS;

determine an actual valence of the lexical item by adjusting the base valence based on the CVS; and

wherein the CVS is one of;

a negator, an intensifier, a presupposition, a connector, and a modal.

36. The machine readable medium of claim 35 wherein:

the negator CVS is a word or phrase that can negate the base valence.

37. The machine readable medium of claim 35 wherein:

the intensifier CVS is a word or phrase used to emphasis or de-emphasis that can strengthen or weaken the base valence, respectively.

38. The machine readable medium of claim 35 wherein:

the presupposition CVS can have a negative impact on the base valence if the consequences of a not born-out expectation are negative and can have a positive impact on the base valence if the consequences of the not born-out expectation are positive.

39. The machine readable medium of claim 35 wherein:

the connector CVS is a word or phrase that indicates a different point of view and can neutralize or negate the base valence.

40. The machine readable medium of claim 35 wherein:

the modal CVS is a word or phrase that establishes a condition wherein the condition can neutralize or negate the base valence.

41. The machine readable medium of claim 35 wherein:

the base valence represents positive or negative attitudinal information encoded in the lexical item.

42. The machine readable medium of claim 35 wherein:

determining the base valence is based on taking into account the domain in which the lexical item occurs.

43. The machine readable medium of claim 35 wherein:

determining the actual valence of the lexical item by adjusting the base valence based on a plurality of contextual valence shifters.

44. The machine readable medium of claim 35 wherein:

the lexical item can be a CVS.

45. The machine readable medium of claim 35 wherein:

the actual valence denotes an attitude of an author towards an entity or an event.