Questionless case-based knowledge base and a method for constructing the same

• US 5,720,001 A
• Filed: 05/08/1995
• Issued: 02/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Trung D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Downs, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US08/436,502
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 395/10, 395/50, 395/51, 395/60, 395/600, 364/419.19
• US Class Current: 706/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition

Abstract

A questionless case-based knowledge base suitable for access by an intelligent search engine and an associated method for constructing the same from pre-existing on-line documentation. A case structure for questionless cases is determined. The determined case structure includes a first field for containing a title for a case, a second field for containing a description of the case and a third field for containing a solution for the case. On-line documentation having information directed to a plurality of topics, each of which includes a title portion and a contents portion, is then provided. The information directed to each of the plurality of topics is then reconfigured into the determined case structure such that the title portion of each topic is configured as a first field of a corresponding case and the contents portion of each topic is configured as a second field of the corresponding case. A solution comprised of a path from the third field of the case to the second field of the case is then appended to each of the cases. The information reconfigured into questionless case structures are then combined to form a questionless case-based knowledge base.

Claims

1. A method for constructing, from pre-existing on-line documentation, a questionless case-based knowledge base suitable for access by an intelligent search engine, comprising the steps of:

determining a case for questionless cases;

receiving on-line documentation having a plurality of computer related topics, each comprised of a title portion and a contents portion;

reconfiguring said received on-line documentation into said questionless case-based knowledge base by transferring said title portion of each of said computer related topics into a first field of a corresponding questionless case and transferring said contents portion of each of said computer related topics into a second field of said corresponding questionless case; and

forming a third field for each of said produced questionless cases, said forming operates to at least form, for each of said questionless cases, a path to said second field of said questionless case.

2. A method for constructing, from pre-existing on-line documentation, a questionless case-based knowledge base, said questionless case-based knowledge base comprised of a plurality of questionless cases and suitable for access by an intelligent search engine, comprising the steps of:

determining a case structure for questionless cases, said determining of the case structure for questionless cases includes forming a first field for containing a title for a case, forming a second field for containing a description of said case, and forming a third field for containing a solution for said case;

transmitting on-line documentation comprised of a plurality of topics, each said topic having a title portion and a contents portion, to said intelligent search engine; and

reconfiguring said transmitted on-line documentation into a questionless case-base knowledge base comprised of a plurality of cases by reconfiguring each of said plurality of topics into said determined case structure for questionless cases and combining said plurality of topics respectively reconfigured into said determined case structure for questionless cases into said questionless case-based knowledge base.

3. A method for constructing a questionless case-based knowledge base according to claim 2 wherein the step of forming a third field containing a solution for said case further comprises the step of forming a path to said second field for said case.

4. A method for constructing a questionless case-based knowledge base according to claim 2 wherein the step of reconfiguring said transmitted on-line documentation into a questionless case-base knowledge base comprised of a plurality of questionless cases further comprises the steps of:

configuring said title portion of each of said topics as a first field of a corresponding questionless case configured in said determined case structure; and

configuring said contents portion of each of said topics as a second field of said corresponding questionless case configured in said determined cases structure.

5. A method for constructing a questionless case-based knowledge base according to claim 4 and further comprising the step of appending a solution to each of said plurality of questionless cases.

6. A method for constructing a questionless case-based knowledge base according to claim 5 wherein the step of appending a solution to each of said questionless cases further comprises the step of forming a path from said third field to said second field for each of said questionless cases.

7. A method for constructing, from pre-existing on-line documentation, a questionless case-based knowledge base accessible by an intelligent search engine in a computer, comprising the steps of:

transmitting, to said intelligent search engine, on-line documentation having information directed to a plurality of computer related topics, each of said computer related topics having a subject matter to which the computer related topic is directed, a title portion that identifies said subject matter of each of said computer related topics and a contents portion for describing said subject matter of each of said computer related topics; and

reconfiguring said title portion and said contents portion of said information into a corresponding questionless case for said questionless case-based knowledge by transferring said title portion of each of said computer related topics into a first field of said corresponding questionless case, and transferring said contents portion of each of said computer related topics into a second field of said corresponding questionless case; and

forming a third field for each of said questionless cases, said forming operates to at least form a path to said second field of said questionless case.

8. A method for constructing, from pre-existing on-line documentation, a questionless case-based knowledge base suitable for access by an intelligent search engine, comprising the steps of:

determining a case structure for questionless cases, said determining of the case structure for questionless cases includes forming a first field for containing a title for a case, forming a second field for containing a description of said case, and forming a third field for containing a solution for said case;

transmitting, to said intelligent search engine, on-line documentation having information directed to a plurality of computer related topics, each of said computer related topics having subject matter to which the computer related topic is directed, a title portion that identifies said subject matter of each of said computer related topics and a contents portion for describing said subject matter of each of said computer related topics;

reconfiguring said title portion and said contents portion of said information directed to each of said computer related topics into said determined case structure for questionless cases; and

combining said reconfigured information into said determined case structure for questionless cases into a questionless case-based knowledge base.

9. A method for constructing a questionless case-based knowledge base according to claim 8 wherein the step of forming a third field containing a solution for said case further comprises the step of forming a path to said second field for said case.

10. A method for constructing a questionless case-based knowledge base according to claim 9 wherein the step of reconfiguring said information into said determined case structure for questionless cases further comprises the step of:

configuring said title portion of each of said computer related topics as a first field of a corresponding questionless case configured in said determined case structure; and

configuring said contents portion of each of said computer related topics as a second field of said corresponding questionless case configured in said determined case structure.

11. A method for constructing a questionless case-based knowledge base according to claim 10 and further comprising the step of appending a solution to each of said questionless cases.

12. A method for constructing a questionless case-based knowledge base according to claim 11 wherein the step of appending a solution to each of said questionless cases further comprises the step of forming a path from said third field to said second field for each of said questionless cases.

13. A method for constructing a questionless case-based knowledge base according to claim 12 wherein said computer-related topics are related to a printer for a computer network.