SEMANTIC NETWORK METHODS TO DISAMBIGUATE NATURAL LANGUAGE MEANING

• US 20100030723A1
• Filed: 10/10/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DataCloud Technologies, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: QPS Tech LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Au, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/55
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/237 Lexical tools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1815 Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning

Abstract

A computer implemented data processor system automatically disambiguates a contextual meaning of natural language symbols to enable precise meanings to be stored for later retrieval from a natural language database, so that natural language database design is automatic, to enable flexible and efficient natural language interfaces to computers, household appliances and hand-held devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

employing a processor to execute computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium for performing the following acts;

receiving a natural language query;

converting unstructured data into one or more disambiguated semantic meanings using one or more semantic distance disambiguation functions to traverse the unstructured data and a plurality of semantic network nodes included in a semantic network dictionary;

converting a first set of the one or more disambiguated semantic meanings not corresponding to the plurality of semantic network nodes into additional semantic network nodes;

adding the additional semantic network nodes to the semantic network dictionary; and

outputting to an output device, a semantically-relevant response to the natural language query, the semantically-relevant response corresponding to the one or more disambiguated semantic meanings.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of semantic network nodes is associated with a stored natural language context.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more semantic distance disambiguation functions is at least one of a minimum distance or a maximum distance.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the output device is at least one of a voice synthesizer or a display device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the output device is a hand-held device.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising:

employing a processor to execute computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium for performing the following acts;

receiving a natural language query;

traversing a semantic network dictionary using at least one semantic distance disambiguation function, the semantic network dictionary comprising a plurality of semantic network nodes having a topology;

providing one or more disambiguated semantic meanings corresponding to a first set of the plurality of semantic network nodes;

shifting the topology of the plurality of the semantic network nodes upon detecting an imbalance in the topology; and

outputting to an output device, a semantically-relevant response to the natural language query, the semantically-relevant response corresponding to the one or more disambiguated semantic meanings, wherein the shifted topology increases efficiency of the semantic distance disambiguation functions in traversing the semantic network dictionary.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of semantic network nodes is associated with a stored natural language context.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first set of the plurality of semantic network nodes inherits from at least one of the plurality of semantic network nodes.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the topology comprises at least one link, wherein the at least one link connects one or more of the plurality of semantic network nodes.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the at least one semantic distance disambiguation function is at least one of a minimum average distance or a maximum average distance.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, the computer-implemented method further comprising:

computing a semantic efficiency number for the semantic network dictionary; and

increasing the semantic efficiency number by shifting the topology.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the output device is a voice synthesizer.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the output device is a hand-held display device.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having control logic stored thereon, the control logic comprising computer-readable program code for:

receiving a natural language query;

traversing a semantic network dictionary using at least one semantic distance disambiguation function, the semantic network dictionary comprising a plurality of semantic network nodes having a topology;

providing one or more disambiguated semantic meanings corresponding to a first set of the plurality of semantic network nodes;

shifting the topology of the plurality of the semantic network nodes in response to detecting an imbalance in the topology; and

outputting to an output device, a semantically-relevant response to the natural language query, the semantically-relevant response corresponding to the one or more disambiguated semantic meanings.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first set of the plurality of semantic network nodes inherits from at least one of the plurality of semantic network nodes.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of semantic network nodes is associated with a stored natural language context.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the topology comprises at least one link, wherein the at least one link connects one or more of the plurality of semantic network nodes.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the at least one semantic distance disambiguation function is at least one of a minimum average distance or a maximum average distance.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the control logic further comprises computer-readable program code for:

computing a semantic efficiency number for the semantic network dictionary; and

increasing the semantic efficiency number by shifting the topology.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the output device is a voice synthesizer.

21. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the output device is a display device.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having control logic stored thereon, the control logic comprising computer-readable program code for:

receiving a natural language query;

converting unstructured data into one or more disambiguated semantic meanings using one or more semantic distance disambiguation functions to traverse the unstructured data and the plurality of semantic network nodes;

converting a first set of the one or more disambiguated semantic meanings not corresponding to the plurality of semantic network nodes into additional semantic network nodes;

adding the additional semantic network nodes to a semantic network dictionary; and

outputting to an output device, a semantically-relevant response to the natural language query, the semantically-relevant response corresponding to the disambiguated semantic meanings.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein at least one of the plurality of semantic network nodes is associated with a stored natural language context.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the output device is a voice synthesizer.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the output device is a display device.