Method of decomposing prose elements in document processing

• US 20060009961A1
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QNATURALLY SYSTEMS INC.
• Original Assignee: QNATURALLY SYSTEMS INC.
• Inventors: Chan, Ning-Ping
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/253 Grammatical analysis; Style critique

Abstract

The present invention discloses a technology for decomposing prose elements in document processing. Grammar analysis of complex sentences can identify main clause, embedded clauses, phrases and cohesive ties that link the embedded clauses to the main clause. Cohesive ties are stripped down and a weighted punctuation for segmentation is applied to decompose complex sentences into simple sentences.

Claims

1. A language processing system for pre-processing complex sentences in a first language into manageable segments for ease of human understanding, comprising:

a grammar analysis module for identifying main clause, embedded clauses, phrases and all possible cohesive ties linking said embedded clauses to said main clause;

a cohesive tie stripping module for stripping down said possible cohesive ties; and

a punctuation module for applying a weighted punctuation for segmentation to decomposing said complex sentence into simple sentences.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said punctuation module is invoked to change one or more comma to a period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said punctuation module is invoked to supplying one or more comma or periods.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

if one ore more words are omitted in said complex sentence by ellipsis, said omitted one or more omitted words are added back or copied to make said complex sentence grammatically complete.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said complex sentence comprises one or more adjectival clauses.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said complex sentence comprises one or more coordination clauses.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said complex sentence comprises one or more appositions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein nonrestrictive clause takes more weight segmentation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein syntactic devices are isolated or stripped down, said syntactic devices comprising the following:

time and place relaters, logical connectors, substitution, disclosure reference, comparison, ellipsis and structure parallelism.

10. The system of claim 1, a database of complex sentences is used by said grammar analysis module.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said first language is English.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said cohesive ties are coordination conjunctions.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said coordination conjunctions comprises “

and”

, “

or”

, “

but”

, “

nor”

, “

yet”

, “

for”

, “

so”

, “

therefore” and

“

then”

.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a translation module which translates said decomposed simple sentences and phrases into a second language.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said second language is Chinese.

16. A method for pre-processing complex sentences in a first language into manageable segments for ease of human understanding, comprising the steps of:

performing grammar analysis on a complex sentence to identify main clause, embedded clauses, phrases and all possible cohesive ties linking said embedded clauses to said main clause;

isolating and stripping down said possible cohesive ties; and

applying a weighted punctuation for segmentation to decompose said complex sentence into simple sentences and phrases.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of applying a weighted punctuation further comprising the step of:

changing a comma to a period.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of applying a weighted punctuation further comprising the step of:

supplying one or more commas or periods.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

if one ore more words are omitted in said complex sentence by ellipsis, said omitted one or more omitted words are added back or copied or regenerated to make said complex sentence grammatically complete.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said complex sentence comprises one or more adjectival clauses.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said complex sentence comprises one or more coordination clauses.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein said complex sentence comprises one or more appositions.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein a nonrestrictive clause takes more weight segmentation.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein syntactic devices are isolated and stripped down, said syntactic devices comprising the following:

time and place relaters, logical connectors, substitution, disclosure reference, comparison, ellipsis and structure parallelism, in the forms of noun phrases, verb phrases, adverbial phrases, prepositional phrases, and adjunct-head.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein a database of complex sentences is used in said step of grammar analysis.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein said first language is English.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said cohesive ties are conjunctions.

28. The method claim 27, wherein said conjunctions comprises “

and”

, “

or”

, “

but”

, “

nor”

, “

yet”

, “

for”

, “

so”

, “

therefore” and

“

then”

.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

translating said decomposed simple sentences into a second language.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said second language is Chinese.

31. A machine translation system for translating complex sentences in a first language into simple sentences in a second language which is easy to be understood by speakers of said second language, comprising:

a grammar analysis module for identifying main clause, embedded clauses, and all possible cohesive ties linking said embedded clauses, phrases to said main clause;

a cohesive tie stripping module for stripping down said possible cohesive ties;

a punctuation module for applying a weighted punctuation for segmentation to decomposing said complex sentence into simple sentences; and

a translation module for translating said decomposed simple sentences into said second language.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said first language is English.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said second language is Chinese.

34. A method for translating complex sentences in a first language into simple sentences in a second language which is easy to be understood by speakers of said second language, comprising the steps of:

performing grammar analysis on a complex sentence to identifying main clause, embedded clauses, phrases and all possible cohesive linking said embedded clauses to said main clause;

isolating and stripping down said possible cohesive ties;

applying a weighted punctuation for segmentation to decomposing said complex sentence into simple sentences; and

translating said decomposed simple sentences into a second language.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said first language is English.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said second language is Chinese.

37. A computer usable medium containing instructions in computer readable form for carrying out a process for translating complex sentences in a first language into simple sentences in a second language which is easy to be understood by speakers of said second language, said process comprising the steps of:

performing grammar analysis on a complex sentence to identifying main clause, embedded clauses, phrases and all possible cohesive linking said embedded clauses to said main clause;

stripping down said possible cohesive ties;

applying a weighted punctuation for segmentation to decomposing said complex sentence into simple sentences; and

translating said decomposed simple sentences into a second language.

38. The computer usable medium of claim 37, wherein said first language is English.

39. The computer usable medium of claim 37 wherein said second language is Chinese.