Systems and methods for reducing ambiguity of communications

• US 20040193557A1
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Olsen, Jesse Dale
• Application Number:
  US10/397,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20040193557A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/253 Grammatical analysis; Style critique

Abstract

Systems and methods for reducing ambiguity of intended communications are provided. One such method comprises: receiving information corresponding to an intended communication; in response to an input by an operator, automatically determining whether the intended communication is ambiguous; and enabling the operator to resolve the ambiguity.

Claims

1. A method for reducing ambiguity of an intended communication, comprising:

receiving information corresponding to an intended communication;

in response to an input by an operator, automatically determining whether the intended communication is ambiguous; and

enabling the operator to resolve the ambiguity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling comprises:

providing multiple meanings corresponding to at least a first word of the intended communication; and

enabling the operator to select one of the multiple meanings.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first word is a pronoun.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining comprises:

automatically determining whether at least one word of the intended communication has multiple meanings.

5. The methods of claim 4, wherein enabling comprises:

displaying multiple meanings corresponding to the at least one word; and

receiving an input corresponding to an operator-selected one of the meanings.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein enabling further comprises:

substituting the operator-selected meaning for the at least one word.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein enabling further comprises:

linking the operator-selected meaning to the at least one word.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an input by the operator, automatically translating the intended communication from a first language to a second language.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein ambiguity of the intended communication is resolved with respect to the second language.

10. A method for reducing ambiguity of a communication, comprising:

receiving information corresponding to words;

in response to an input by an operator, automatically determining whether each of the words has multiple meanings;

enabling the operator to select a particular meaning for each of the words; and

correlating the meanings selected with each of the words.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

provide a graphical user interface (GUI); and

wherein enabling the operator to select a particular meaning for each of the words comprises enabling the operator to select one of the multiple meanings for each of the words via the GUI.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to an input by the operator, automatically translating the intended communication from a first language to a second language.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether each of the words of the intended communication, which has been translated to the second language, has multiple meanings; and

enabling the operator to select a particular meaning for each of the words of the second language.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

automatically determining whether each group of words of the intended communication has multiple meanings; and

enabling the operator to select a particular meaning for each group of the words.

15. A system for reducing ambiguity of a communication comprising:

an unambiguation system operative to;

receive information corresponding to an intended communication;

in response to an input by an operator, automatically determine whether the intended communication is ambiguous; and

enable the operator to resolve the ambiguity.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the unambiguation system is stored on a computer-readable medium.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the unambiguation system comprises:

logic configured to provide multiple meanings corresponding to at least a first word of the intended communication and to enable the operator to select one of the multiple meanings.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the unambiguation system is further operative to provide a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI being operative to display multiple meanings corresponding to at least a first word of the intended communication to the operator.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for displaying multiple meanings corresponding to at least a first word of the intended communication to the operator.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a translation system communicating with the unambiguation system and operative to translate an intended communication from a first language to a second language.