Constrained natural language interface for a computer that employs a browse function
First Claim
1. In a computer implemented user interface, for responding to natural language-form inputs, that includes a knowledge data base with a plurality of entries, said interface providing a help function that includes a search capability for responding to said natural language-form inputs by providing matching data from said knowledge data base, said interface performing a method comprising the steps of:
- parsing a user'"'"'s natural language input into a syntactical structure;
filtering said syntactical structure into a goal-expression data structure comprising a verb and syntactical portions of said natural language input;
providing knowledge data base entries with goal-expression data structures that indicate a functional characteristic of each said entry;
comparing said goal expression data structure with said goal expression data structures in said knowledge data base to determine a match or matches; and
converting each said matching goal-expression data structure or structures into a constrained natural language-form and communicating said constrained natural language-form(s) to said user, said converting occurring for all matching goal expression data structures irrespective of whether any said matching goal expression data structure or structures are valid solutions that can be executed in the user'"'"'s software and hardware environment, in response to said user'"'"'s natural language input.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer includes a data/knowledge base with a plurality of entries and further employs a user/computer interface for responding to a natural language form input. The interface, in combination with the computer, provides a help function that includes a browse search capability that responds to the natural language-form input by responding with matching knowledge base data. The method includes the steps of: parsing a user'"'"'s natural language input into a case frame structure; filtering the case frame structure into a goal-expression that comprises a verb and remaining syntactical portions of the natural language input; providing each data/knowledge base entry with a goal-expression data structure that indicates a functional characteristic of the data/knowledge base entry; comparing the goal-expression with the goal-expression data structures to determine a match or matches; and paraphrasing the found matching goal-expression data structure or structures into a natural language-form and communicating the paraphrase or paraphrases to the user.
302 Citations
5 Claims
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1. In a computer implemented user interface, for responding to natural language-form inputs, that includes a knowledge data base with a plurality of entries, said interface providing a help function that includes a search capability for responding to said natural language-form inputs by providing matching data from said knowledge data base, said interface performing a method comprising the steps of:
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parsing a user'"'"'s natural language input into a syntactical structure; filtering said syntactical structure into a goal-expression data structure comprising a verb and syntactical portions of said natural language input; providing knowledge data base entries with goal-expression data structures that indicate a functional characteristic of each said entry; comparing said goal expression data structure with said goal expression data structures in said knowledge data base to determine a match or matches; and converting each said matching goal-expression data structure or structures into a constrained natural language-form and communicating said constrained natural language-form(s) to said user, said converting occurring for all matching goal expression data structures irrespective of whether any said matching goal expression data structure or structures are valid solutions that can be executed in the user'"'"'s software and hardware environment, in response to said user'"'"'s natural language input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification