Request-based knowledge acquisition

• US 20050283495A1
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Wu, Yuh-Cherng
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

One implementation provides a method for acquiring knowledge from multiple knowledge bases in a knowledge repository. The method includes identifying first and second knowledge bases within the knowledge repository by analyzing a search request received from a client system. The first knowledge base contains knowledge of a first type and the second knowledge base contains knowledge of a second type. The method further includes generating instructions that, when executed, cause first and second requests to be sent to the knowledge repository in sequential fashion to acquire knowledge from the first and second knowledge bases, such that the second request is sent after the first request, and such that the second request includes knowledge of the first type from the first knowledge base acquired in response to the first request.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring knowledge from multiple knowledge bases in a knowledge repository, the method comprising:

identifying first and second knowledge bases within the knowledge repository by analyzing a search request received from a client system, the first knowledge base containing knowledge of a first type, and the second knowledge base containing knowledge of a second type; and

upon identification, generating instructions that, when executed, cause first and second requests to be sent to the knowledge repository in sequential fashion to acquire knowledge from the first and second knowledge bases, such that the second request is sent after the first request, and such that the second request includes knowledge of the first type from the first knowledge base acquired in response to the first request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search request contains textual characters provided by a user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising parsing the textual characters to identify keywords.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising using the identified keywords to construct corresponding values for predefined fields.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first and second knowledge bases includes matching content of the search request with content of the first and second knowledge bases.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein matching content of the search request with content of the first and second knowledge bases includes accessing an index that has been compiled from the first or second knowledge base.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the index has been compiled from both the first and second knowledge bases.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if no knowledge of the second type is acquired from the second knowledge base that satisfies the search request received from the client system, modifying the instructions that, when executed, cause a third request to be sent to the first knowledge base to acquire knowledge that satisfies the search request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if no knowledge of the second type is acquired from the second knowledge base that satisfies the search request received from the client system, modifying the instructions that, when executed, cause a third request to be sent to the second knowledge base to acquire knowledge that satisfies the search request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the search request contains values provided by a user for predefined fields.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a data store to be accessed, the data store containing information that specifies a sequential order in which to send the first and second requests.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information specifying the sequential order is based upon knowledge acquired in response to previous requests sent to the knowledge repository.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause third and fourth requests to be sent to the knowledge repository in sequential fashion to acquire knowledge from the first and second knowledge bases, such that the fourth request is sent after the third request, such that the fourth request includes knowledge of the first type from the first knowledge base acquired in response to the third request, and such that the third request is sent in parallel with the first request.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the search request from the client system;

executing the instructions; and

sending the knowledge acquired from the first and second knowledge bases to the client system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating a navigation index for the knowledge acquired from the first and second knowledge bases; and

displaying the navigation index to allow a user on the client system to identify the knowledge acquired from the first and second knowledge bases.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first knowledge base comprises a first separate data store, and wherein the second knowledge base comprises a second separate data store.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the client system includes a mobile device.

18. A method for acquiring knowledge from multiple knowledge bases that contain different types of knowledge, the method comprising:

obtaining search information by analyzing a search request received from a client system;

identifying a first knowledge base by matching the search information with contents of the first knowledge base;

identifying a second knowledge base by matching the search information with contents of the second knowledge base;

acquiring knowledge of a first type by sending a first request to the first knowledge base; and

acquiring knowledge of a second type by sending a second request to the second knowledge base, the second request being sent independently of the first request.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining that the acquired knowledge of the first and second types does not satisfy the search request;

upon such determination, identifying a third knowledge base based upon a previously identified relationship between the third knowledge base and either the first or the second knowledge base; and

acquiring knowledge of a third type by sending a third request to the third knowledge base.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein if the previously identified relationship is between the third knowledge base and the first knowledge base, the method comprises acquiring knowledge of the first type by sending an additional request to the first knowledge base, the additional request being sent independently of the third request.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein if the previously identified relationship is between the third knowledge base and the second knowledge base, the method comprises acquiring knowledge of the second type by sending an additional request to the second knowledge base, the additional request being sent independently of the third request.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the search request contains textual characters provided by a user.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising parsing the textual characters to identify keywords.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising using the identified keywords to construct corresponding values for predefined fields.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein matching the search information with contents of the first knowledge base includes accessing an index that has been compiled from the first knowledge base.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein matching the search information with contents of the second knowledge base includes accessing an index that has been compiled from the second knowledge base.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the search request contains values provided by a user for predefined fields.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving the search request from the client system; and

sending the acquired knowledge of the first and second types to the client system.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the first knowledge base comprises a first separate data store, and wherein the second knowledge base comprises a second separate data store.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the client system includes a mobile device.

31. A system for acquiring knowledge from multiple knowledge bases in a knowledge repository, the system being programmed to:

identify first and second knowledge bases within the knowledge repository by analyzing a search request received from a client system, the first knowledge base containing knowledge of a first type, and the second knowledge base containing knowledge of a second type; and

upon identification, generate instructions that, when executed, cause first and second requests to be sent to the knowledge repository in sequential fashion to acquire knowledge from the first and second knowledge bases, such that the second request is sent after the first request, and such that the second request includes knowledge of the first type from the first knowledge base acquired in response to the first request.

32. A system for acquiring knowledge from multiple knowledge bases that contain different types of knowledge, the system being programmed to:

obtain search information by analyzing a search request received from a client system;

identify a first knowledge base by matching the search information with contents of the first knowledge base;

identify a second knowledge base by matching the search information with contents of the second knowledge base;

acquire knowledge of a first type by sending a first request to the first knowledge base; and

acquire knowledge of a second type by sending a second request to the second knowledge base, the second request being sent independently of the first request.

33. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform a method for acquiring knowledge from multiple knowledge bases in a knowledge repository, the method comprising:

identifying first and second knowledge bases within the knowledge repository by analyzing a search request received from a client system, the first knowledge base containing knowledge of a first type, and the second knowledge base containing knowledge of a second type; and

upon identification, generating instructions that, when executed, cause first and second requests to be sent to the knowledge repository in sequential fashion to acquire knowledge from the first and second knowledge bases, such that the second request is sent after the first request, and such that the second request includes knowledge of the first type from the first knowledge base acquired in response to the first request.

34. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform a method for acquiring knowledge from multiple knowledge bases that contain different types of knowledge, the method comprising:

obtaining search information by analyzing a search request received from a client system;

identifying a first knowledge base by matching the search information with contents of the first knowledge base;

identifying a second knowledge base by matching the search information with contents of the second knowledge base;

acquiring knowledge of a first type by sending a first request to the first knowledge base; and

acquiring knowledge of a second type by sending a second request to the second knowledge base, the second request being sent independently of the first request.