PROVIDING ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS USING LOGICAL SYNTHESIS OF CANDIDATE ANSWERS
First Claim
1. A method of generating answers to questions, comprising:
- receiving an input query;
decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries;
conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answer to each of the subqueries;
for each of the candidate answers for each of the subqueries, applying a candidate ranking function to determine a ranking for said each of the candidate answers;
for each of the subqueries, selecting one of the candidate answers to the subquery based on the ranking of said one of the candidate answers; and
applying a logical synthesis component to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected ones of the candidate answers to the subqueries.
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Abstract
A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an input query, decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries, and conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answer to each of the subqueries. A ranking function is applied to each of the candidate answers to determine a ranking for each of these candidate answers; and for each of the subqueries, one of the candidate answers to the subquery is selected based on this ranking. A logical synthesis component is applied to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected the candidate answers to the subqueries. In one embodiment, the procedure applied by the logical synthesis component to synthesize the candidate answer for the input query is determined from the input query.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of generating answers to questions, comprising:
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receiving an input query; decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries; conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answer to each of the subqueries; for each of the candidate answers for each of the subqueries, applying a candidate ranking function to determine a ranking for said each of the candidate answers; for each of the subqueries, selecting one of the candidate answers to the subquery based on the ranking of said one of the candidate answers; and applying a logical synthesis component to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected ones of the candidate answers to the subqueries. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for generating answers to questions, comprising:
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a computer device comprising at least one distinct software module, each distinct software module being embodied on a tangible computer-readable medium;
a memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative for;receiving an input query; decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries; conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answers to each of the subqueries; for each of the candidate answers for each of the subqueries, applying a candidate ranking function to determine a ranking for said each of the candidate answers; for each of the subqueries, selecting one of the candidate answers to the subquery based on the ranking of said one of the candidate answers; and applying a logical synthesis component to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected ones of the candidate answers to the subqueries. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An article of manufacture, comprising:
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at least one tangible computer readable medium having computer readable program code logic to generate answers to questions, the computer readable program code logic, when executing, performing the following; receiving an input query; decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries; conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answers to each of the subqueries; for each of the candidate answers for each of the subqueries, applying a candidate ranking function to determine a ranking for said each of the candidate answers; for each of the subqueries, selecting one of the candidate answers to the subquery based on the ranking of said one of the candidate answers; and applying a logical synthesis component to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected ones of the candidate answers to the subqueries. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of generating answers to questions, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of input queries; using a natural language processing to decompose at least one of the input queries into a plurality of different subqueries; conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify candidate answers for each of the input queries, including identifying candidate answers to each of the subqueries; for each of the candidate answers, applying a candidate ranking function to each of the candidate answers to determine a ranking for said each of the candidate answers; applying a logical synthesis component to synthesize a resultant candidate answer for said at least one of the input queries from at least one of the candidate answers to each of the subqueries; and applying the candidate ranking function to said resultant candidate answer to determine a ranking for said resultant candidate answer to said at least one of the input queries. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 25)
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24. A system for generating answers to questions, comprising:
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a computer device comprising at least one distinct software module, each distinct software module being embodied on a tangible computer-readable medium;
a memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative for;receiving a plurality of input queries; using a natural language processing to decompose at least one of the input queries into a plurality of different subqueries; conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify candidate answers for each of the input queries, including identifying candidate answers to each of the subqueries; for each of the candidate answers, applying a candidate ranking function to each of the candidate answers to determine a ranking for said each of the candidate answers; applying a logical synthesis component to synthesize a resultant candidate answer for said at least one of the input queries from at least one of the candidate answers to each of the subqueries; and applying the candidate ranking function to said resultant candidate answer to determine a ranking for said resultant candidate answer to said at least one of the input queries.
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Specification