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Method and apparatus for semantic pattern matching for text retrieval

  • US 5,331,554 A
  • Filed: 12/10/1992
  • Issued: 07/19/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for locating information in a natural language text using a computer including a video monitor and a memory device for storing a data structure representing the natural language text,wherein said data structure has a tree structure having nodes and levels, each node representing information from associated locations in said text, each of said locations having a corresponding location identifier, the information in a node being a categorical subset of information represented by a parent node of that node, each node being one level below its parent node in the tree structure and containing node constituents, said parent node and the nodes at higher levels of the tree structure that represent more general categories of information than the information represented by a node being ancestors of that node,the method comprising the steps of:

  • formatting a query regarding information in the text into a query data structure;

    comparing the query data structure to a node to produce a comparison value representative of the degree of similarity between the query and the information represented by the node;

    enhancing the comparison value by an amount representative of the degree of similarity between the query and the information represented by ancestors of the node to produce an enhanced comparison value; and

    storing the location identifiers associated with the node if the enhanced comparison value exceeds a predetermined lower bound and the node contributes information responsive to the query.

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