Semantic authoring, runtime and training environment

• US 20060129591A1
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ramsey, William D., Weise, David Neal
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system for developing semantic schema for natural language processing has a semantic runtime engine and a semantic authoring tool. The semantic runtime engine is adapted to map a natural language input to a semantic schema and to return the mapped results to an application domain. The semantic authoring tool is adapted to receive user input for defining the semantic schema and to interact with the semantic runtime engine to test the semantic schema against a query.

Claims

1. A system for developing semantic schema for natural language processing comprising:

a semantic runtime engine adapted to map a natural language input to a semantic schema and to return the mapped results to an application domain; and

a semantic authoring tool adapted to receive user input for defining the semantic schema and to interact with the semantic runtime engine to test the semantic schema against a query.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the semantic authoring tool is adapted to validate the semantic schema against an application domain via the semantic runtime engine.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the semantic runtime engine comprises:

a semantic engine adapted to map text input to a semantic schema; and

an application domain adapted to perform an operation based on the mapped text input.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the semantic authoring tool comprises:

a compiler adapted to compile the semantic schema to a format for use by the semantic runtime engine.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the semantic authoring tool comprises:

a tuning feature adapted to bias results from the semantic runtime engine and to provide tuning information to the semantic runtime engine for adjusting a ranking order of mapped solutions.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the semantic authoring tool is adapted to initialize the semantic runtime engine with the semantic schema and the query and to display mapped results returned by the semantic schema.

7. A semantic authoring tool comprising:

a schema authoring tool adapted to receive user input for defining a semantic schema representative of an application domain, the semantic authoring tool adapted to interact with a semantic runtime engine to test the semantic schema against a query.

8. The semantic authoring tool of claim 7 further comprising:

a query input feature adapted to receive the query in the schema authoring tool in a natural language format.

9. The semantic authoring tool of claim 7 further comprising:

a display feature adapted to display mapped results received from the semantic runtime engine based on the semantic schema and the query.

10. The semantic authoring tool of claim 9 wherein the mapped results are displayed in a ranked order, the semantic authoring tool further comprising:

a tuning feature adapted to adjust the ranked order to bias the mapped results toward a desired preferences.

11. The semantic authoring tool of claim 7 further comprising:

a compiler adapted to compile the semantic schema to a format for use by the semantic runtime engine.

12. The semantic authoring tool of claim 7 wherein the semantic runtime engine comprises:

a semantic engine adapted to map a natural language input to a semantic schema; and

an application domain adapted to act on the mapped natural language input.

13. The semantic authoring tool of claim 7 further comprising:

an order dependent feature adapted to receive user input and to specify an ordering of synonym mappings within the semantic schema.

14. A semantic authoring tool for authoring a natural language interface to an application domain comprising:

a design tool adapted to receive user input for defining a semantic schema representative of the application domain, the design tool adapted to compile the semantic schema and to initialize a semantic runtime engine with the semantic schema, the design tool adapted to interact with the semantic runtime engine to test and to adjust operation of the semantic runtime engine based on a query.

15. The semantic authoring tool of claim 14 wherein the design tool comprises:

a query input feature adapted to receive the input from a user and to provide the input to the semantic runtime engine.

16. The semantic authoring tool of claim 14 wherein the design tool comprises:

a compiler adapted to compile the semantic schema to a format for use by the semantic runtime engine.

17. The semantic authoring tool of claim 14 further comprising:

a display feature adapted to interact with the semantic runtime engine to display a list of results received from the semantic runtime engine based on the semantic schema and the input.

18. The semantic authoring tool of claim 17 wherein the results are displayed in a ranked order list and wherein the semantic authoring tool further comprises:

an adjustment feature adapted to select a result from the list, the selected result providing information to the semantic runtime engine for adjusting mapping of the semantic runtime engine.

19. The semantic authoring tool of claim 14 wherein the runtime comprises:

a semantic engine adapted to map natural language input to the semantic schema; and

an application domain adapted to act on mapped inputs.

20. The semantic authoring tool of claim 14 wherein the design tool comprises computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium.