Natural-language interface generating system
First Claim
1. A method for generating a context-free grammar comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating a domain-independent core grammar;
(b) generating a domain-independent core lexicon;
(c) generating a domain specification directed to a predetermined application; and
(d) inserting the domain specification into the domain-independent core grammar and lexicon to define a domain dependent context-free grammar.
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Abstract
A system for interactively generating a natural-language input interface, without any computer-skill programming work being required. The natural-language menu interface thus generated provides a menu-selection technique whereby a totally unskilled computer user, who need not even be able to type, can access a relational or hierarchical database, without any possibility of error. That is, the user addresses commands to the database system simply by selecting words from an appropriate menu of words which could legally follow in commands, so that the user inputs commands which are phrased entirely in English, and these commands cannot be misunderstood by the database system. The present invention provides an automatic interactive system whereby such an interface is constructed. The database is itself loaded in, and the interactive interface-construction system then addresses a series of queries to the user'"'"'s technical expert, in response to which the user must classify, which tables in the database are to be used, which attributes of particular tables in the database are key attributes, and, in particular, what the various connections between tables in the database are and what natural-language connecting phrases will describe those relations.
479 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method for generating a context-free grammar comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating a domain-independent core grammar; (b) generating a domain-independent core lexicon; (c) generating a domain specification directed to a predetermined application; and (d) inserting the domain specification into the domain-independent core grammar and lexicon to define a domain dependent context-free grammar. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for generating a grammar for use as a predictive grammar and parser in a natural language menu system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating a domain-independent core grammar; (b) generating a domain-independent core lexicon; (c) generating a domain specification directed to a predetermined natural language menu application; and (d) combining the results of steps (a), (b) and (c) into a domain dependent grammar by instantiating the unbound portions of the domain-independent core grammar and lexicon with the data contained in the domain specification. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A system for generating a context-free grammar suitable for use as an input to a natural language menu system, comprising:
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an input file containing a definition for a domain-independent context-free grammar; an input file containing a definition for a domain-independent lexicon; a file containing a domain specification which is specific to a preselected application to be run under the natural language menu system; a processor coupled to the grammar and lexicon input files and to the domain specification file, wherein the domain specification file is merged with the grammar and lexicon input files to create a domain dependent context free grammar. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A system for generating a user customized natural language menu interface from a database supplied by the user and from inputs supplied interactively by a user, comprising:
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display means for showing to a user expert a menu of options; input means coupled to said display means, for moving a cursor'"'"'s apparent position on said display means by the action of said user; means for the system to access said data base; means for displaying on said displaying means a generalized relation between two or more tables in said database, with generalized indications of corresponding natural-language connecting phrases; means for interactively receiving from said user a plurality of said relations between tables in said database, together with natural-language connecting phrases corresponding to said relations between tables and said database; and means for integrating said relations interactively selected by said user into a portable specification for natural-language-menu interface and for storing said portable specification.
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Specification