METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING NATURAL LANGUAGE INPUT IN A CARTOGRAPHIC SYSTEM

• US 20170177710A1
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: BURLIK, Volodimir
• Granted Patent: US 10,268,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications

Abstract

An approach is provided for classifying natural language input into plurality of query processing levels. The approach involves parsing at least one natural language input into one or more words, wherein the at least one natural language input represents at least one cartographic query. The approach also involves mapping the one or more words to at least one function of a cartography system. The approach further involves determining an availability of the at least one function, one or more parameters associated with the at least one function, or a combination thereof with respect to at least one component of the cartography system. The approach also involves classifying the at least one cartographic query into at least one of a plurality of query processing levels based, at least in part, on the availability. The approach further involves initiating an execution of the at least one function at the classified at least one query processing level, wherein the execution of the at least one function generates one or more results of the at least one cartographic query based, at least in part, on the one or more parameters. The approach also involves causing, at least in part, a presentation of the one or more results as cartographic information in a user interface of the cartography system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

parsing at least one natural language input into one or more words, wherein the at least one natural language input represents at least one cartographic query;

mapping the one or more words to at least one function of a cartography system;

determining an availability of the at least one function, one or more parameters associated with the at least one function, or a combination thereof with respect to at least one component of the cartography system;

classifying the at least one cartographic query into at least one of a plurality of query processing levels based, at least in part, on the availability;

initiating an execution of the at least one function at the classified at least one query processing level, wherein the execution of the at least one function generates one or more results of the at least one cartographic query based, at least in part, on the one or more parameters; and

causing, at least in part, a presentation of the one or more results as cartographic information in a user interface of the cartography system.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of the query processing levels include, at least in part, a first processing level at which the at least one function, the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof are executed in whole locally at the at least one component of the cartography system.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of the query processing levels include, at least in part, a second processing level at which the at least one function, the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof are executed, at least in part, by conducting at least one search external to the at least component of the cartography system.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of the query processing levels include, at least in part, a third processing level at which the at least one function, the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof are executed, at least in part, by routing between at least two locations.

5. A method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining the at least two locations based, at least in part, on the at least one function, the one or more parameters, contextual information, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining the routing between the at least two locations without regard to an input order of at least one location.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the one or more parameters from the natural language input.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the one or more parameters from at least one contextual cache,

wherein the at least one contextual cache stores one or more previous results, one or more previous functions, one or more previous parameters, or a combination thereof associated with at least one previous cartographic query.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the availability, the classifying of the at least one cartographic query, the execution of the at least one function, or a combination thereof is performed on receiving the at least one natural language input by the at least one component of the cartography system.

10. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

formatting the one or more results according to at least one format associated with at least one module external to the at least one component; and

transmitting the formatted one or more results to the at least one module to initiate the presentation of the one or more results in the user interface.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

parse at least one natural language input into one or more words, wherein the at least one natural language input represents at least one cartographic query;

map the one or more words to at least one function of a cartography system;

determine an availability of the at least one function, one or more parameters associated with the at least one function, or a combination thereof with respect to at least one component of the cartography system;

classify the at least one cartographic query into at least one of a plurality of query processing levels based, at least in part, on the availability;

initiate an execution of the at least one function at the classified at least one query processing level, wherein the execution of the at least one function generates one or more results of the at least one cartographic query based, at least in part, on the one or more parameters; and

cause, at least in part, a presentation of the one or more results as cartographic information in a user interface of the cartography system.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of the query processing levels include, at least in part, a first processing level at which the at least one function, the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof are executed in whole locally at the at least one component of the cartography system.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of the query processing levels include, at least in part, a second processing level at which the at least one function, the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof are executed, at least in part, by conducting at least one search external to the at least component of the cartography system.

14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of the query processing levels include, at least in part, a third processing level at which the at least one function, the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof are executed, at least in part, by routing between at least two locations.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the at least two locations based, at least in part, on the at least one function, the one or more parameters, contextual information, or a combination thereof.

16. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the routing between the at least two locations without regard to an input order of at least one location.

17. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the one or more parameters from the natural language input.

18. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

parsing at least one natural language input into one or more words, wherein the at least one natural language input represents at least one cartographic query;

mapping the one or more words to at least one function of a cartography system;

determining an availability of the at least one function, one or more parameters associated with the at least one function, or a combination thereof with respect to at least one component of the cartography system;

classifying the at least one cartographic query into at least one of a plurality of query processing levels based, at least in part, on the availability;

initiating an execution of the at least one function at the classified at least one query processing level, wherein the execution of the at least one function generates one or more results of the at least one cartographic query based, at least in part, on the one or more parameters; and

causing, at least in part, a presentation of the one or more results as cartographic information in a user interface of the cartography system.

19. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of the query processing levels include, at least in part, a first processing level at which the at least one function, the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof are executed in whole locally at the at least one component of the cartography system.

20. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the plurality of the query processing levels include, at least in part, a second processing level at which the at least one function, the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof are executed, at least in part, by conducting at least one search external to the at least component of the cartography system.

21-48. -48. (canceled)