Method, system, and apparatus for processing information based on the discovery of semantically labeled strings

• US 20050108195A1
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yalovsky, David, Abbar, Mohamed Anas, Moore, Thomas G.
• Application Number:
  US10/948,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/295 Named entity recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus for providing information related to a location or geographic region. When a string is entered into an application program, the string is analyzed to determine whether the string relates to one or more locations or geographic regions. If the string relates to a location or geographic region, the string is associated with additional information related to the location or geographic region. A list of actions may be provided, wherein each action allows for the selection of the additional information. In one embodiment, a geographical map, telephone area codes or time conversion information may be selected and displayed. In other embodiments, currency conversions related to a specific country may be selected and displayed.

Claims

1. In a system for creating and editing an electronic document, a method for discovering information related to a location, wherein the method comprises:

determining if a string contained within the electronic document relates to a location;

if it is determined that the string relates to a location, associating the string with a list of actions that may be performed, wherein the list of actions identifies information related to the location;

receiving a selection of a specific action from the list of actions; and

generating a display of the selected information related to the location based on the selection of the specific action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the string identifies a name of the location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to the location identifies a telephone area code related to the location, and wherein the display of the selected information includes a display of the telephone area code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to the location includes a geographic map of the location, and wherein the display of the selected information includes a display of the geographic map of the location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to the location includes a result of a currency conversion, and wherein the display of the selected information includes a display of the result.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to the location includes a list of additional locations, wherein the additional locations have a geographical relation to the location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of a specific additional location from the list of additional locations;

associating a second list of actions that may be performed, wherein the second list of actions identifies information related to the specific additional location; and

generating a display of the second list of actions.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

9. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 1.

10. In a system for creating and editing an electronic document, a method for discovering information related to a location, wherein the method comprises:

determining if a string contained within the electronic document relates to a location;

if it is determined that the string relates to a location, associating the string with a list of items, wherein the list of items provides a link to information related to the location, and wherein the one or more items directly displays additional information related to the location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the string identifies a name of the location.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the additional information includes a telephone area code related to the location.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the additional information a result of a currency conversion.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the additional information includes a list of additional locations, wherein the additional locations have a geographical relation to the location.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 10.

16. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 10.

17. A system for creating and editing an electronic document and discovering information related to a location, the system comprising:

means for determining if a string contained within the electronic document relates to a location;

means for associating the string with a list of actions that may be performed, wherein the list of actions identifies information related to the location, wherein associating the string with a list of actions is in response to determining that the string relates to a location;

means for receiving a selection of a specific action from the list of actions; and

means for generating a display of the selected information related to the location based on the selection of the specific action.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the string identifies a name of the location.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the location identifies a telephone area code related to the location, and wherein the display of the selected information includes a display of the telephone area code.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the location includes a geographic map of the location, and wherein the display of the selected information includes a display of the geographic map of the location.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the location includes a result of a currency conversion, and wherein the display of the selected information includes a display of the result.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the location includes a list of additional locations, wherein the additional locations have a geographical relation to the location.