System for identifying connotative meaning

• US 6,389,415 B1
• Filed: 08/11/1999
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roedy Black Publishing Inc.
• Original Assignee: Connotative Reference Corporation
• Inventors: Chase, Wayne O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAYYAN, SUSAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/372,377
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 704/1, 704/9-10, 434/236, 434/169, 345/968
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/36 Creation of semantic tools, e.g. ontology or thesauri
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

In a distributed method of data gathering, connotative meanings of terms are selected from predefined emotional descriptors organized into a plurality of emotional categories. Respective judges select zero or one emotional descriptors from a given category and rate the term for intensity. Each term is evaluated by a plurality of judges for each emotional category. The results are processed to assure that the selected emotional descriptors were not selected by chance. Anomalous results are purged. Statistical analysis is performed to assure that the selected emotional descriptors were not selected by chance. Retained associations become part of the database for the corresponding record. There may be 0, 1 or more connotative associations for any given record. The completed data base is accessed through a computer interface to implement an electronic language reference tool.

Claims

1. A method for identifying connotative meaning of a plurality of data records, each record corresponding to a term and a specific denotative context for said term, the method comprising the steps of:

evaluating, multiple times, each one record of the plurality of records for a connotative association with each one of a plurality of predefined emotional descriptors within each one of a plurality of predefined emotional categories to achieve multiple samples of connotative association data for said each one record;

identifying any statistically significant connotative associations for each one record of the plurality of records based upon said multiple samples of connotative association data, wherein the identified statistically significant connotative associations are said identified connotative meanings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein there are no connotative meanings identified during the identifying step for at least one of the plurality of records.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the step of evaluating comprises the steps of:

displaying said one record of the plurality of records at a first display device;

selecting either one of no connotative association or a primary connotative association for the displayed record from a predefined set of emotional descriptors within a first emotional category of said plurality of emotional categories;

repeating the steps of displaying and selecting for other records among the plurality of records.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the step of evaluating further comprises the steps of:

displaying said one record of the plurality of records at a second display device;

selecting either one of no connotative association or a primary connotative association for the displayed record from a predefined set of emotional descriptors within a second emotional category of said plurality of emotional categories;

repeating the steps of displaying and selecting for additional records among the plurality of records.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first display device and second display device are the same display device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating comprises the steps of:

selecting a first plurality of connotative judges to evaluate a first set of records among said plurality of records for a connotative association with a plurality of emotional descriptors from a first category of the plurality of emotional categories to achieve a sample of connotative association data for said first category for each record among said first set of records; and

selecting a second plurality of connotative judges to evaluate a second set of records among said plurality of records for a connotative association with a plurality of emotional descriptors from a second category of the plurality of emotional categories to achieve a sample of connotative association data for said second category for each record among said second set of records.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first plurality of connotative judges is the same as the second plurality of connotative judges, wherein said first set of records is the same as said second set of records, and wherein said first emotional category is different from said second emotional category.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first plurality of connotative judges is the same as the second plurality of connotative judges, wherein said first set of records is different from said second set of records, and wherein said first emotional category is the same as said second emotional category.

9. A method for identifying connotative meaning of a plurality of data records, each record respectively corresponding to a term and a corresponding denotative context for said term, the method comprising the steps of:

evaluating, multiple times, each one record of the plurality of records for a connotative association to each one of a plurality of predefined emotional descriptors to achieve multiple samples of connotative association data for said each one record;

identifying any statistically significant connotative associations for each one record of the plurality of records based upon said multiple samples of connotative association data, wherein the identified statistically significant connotative associations are said identified connotative meanings.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of evaluating comprises the steps of:

selecting a first plurality of connotative judges to evaluate a first set of records among said plurality of records for a connotative association with a plurality of predefined first emotional descriptors to achieve a first sample of connotative association data for each record among said first set of records; and

selecting a second plurality of connotative judges to evaluate the first set of records among said plurality of records for a connotative association with a plurality of predefined second emotional descriptors to achieve a second sample of connotative association data for each record among said second set of records.

11. The method of claim 10, in which the first plurality of connotative judges is the same as the second plurality of connotative judges.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of evaluating comprises the steps of:

selecting a plurality of connotative judges, in which the connotatively judges cumulatively evaluate the plurality of records for a connotative association to each one of a plurality of predefined emotional descriptors to achieve multiple samples of connotative association data for said each record of said plurality of records.

13. The method of claim 12, in which said plurality of predefined emotional descriptors are organized into a plurality of mutually exclusive categories;

and in which no more than two emotional descriptors are selected to be associated with any given record by a given judge among the plurality of connotative judges from a given one of said categories.

14. A method for identifying connotative meaning of a plurality of data records, each record corresponding to a term and a specific denotative context for said term, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a first plurality of connotative judges to receive a first plurality of questionnaires, each one questionnaire among the first plurality of questionnaires including a first set of records from the plurality of records and a set of emotional descriptors;

selecting a second plurality of connotative judges to receive a second plurality of questionnaires, each one questionnaire among the second plurality of questionnaires including a second set of records from the plurality of records and a set of emotional descriptors;

for a first questionnaire of said first plurality of questionnaires, in which the set of emotional descriptors is associated with a first emotional category, displaying one record of the first set of records at a first display device accessible to one of the first plurality of connotative judges, selecting either one of no connotative association or a primary connotative association for the displayed record from said first emotional category of emotional descriptors, and repeating the steps of displaying and selecting for other records among the first set of records;

for a second questionnaire of said first plurality of questionnaires, in which the set of emotional descriptors is associated with a second emotional category, displaying one record of the first set of records at the first display device, selecting either one of no connotative association or a primary connotative association for the displayed record from said second emotional category of emotional descriptors, and repeating the steps of displaying and selecting for the second questionnaire for the other records among the first set of records.

15. The method of claim 14, in which said first plurality of judges evaluates each record among the first set of records for connotative association to emotional descriptors among different emotional categories in each one of the first plurality of questionnaires.

16. A method for identifying connotative meaning of a plurality of data records, each record corresponding to either one of a specific word or phrase and a specific denotative context for said one specific word or phrase, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying one record of the plurality of records;

selecting a connotative association for the displayed record from a predefined set of emotional descriptors within a given emotional category;

repeating the steps of displaying and selecting for other records among the plurality of records.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

selecting a plurality of connotative judges, in which the connotative judges cumulatively evaluate the plurality of records for a connotative association to each one of a plurality of predefined emotional descriptors to achieve multiple samples of connotative association data for said each record of said plurality of records.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

identifying any statistically significant connotative associations for each one record of the plurality of records based upon said multiple samples of connotative association data, wherein the identified statistically significant connotative associations are said identified connotative meanings.

19. A system for identifying connotative meaning of a plurality of data records, each record corresponding to either one of a specific word or phrase and a specific denotative context for said one specific word or phrase, the system comprising:

means for gathering multiple samples of connotative association data for each one record of said plurality of records, said gathering means comprising a list emotional descriptors;

means for identifying any statistically significant connotative associations for each one record of the plurality of records based upon said multiple samples of connotative association data, wherein the identified statistically significant connotative associations are said identified connotative meanings.

20. The system of claim 19, in which said gathering means comprises a plurality of questionnaires, each one questionnaire encompassing a set of records from said plurality of records and allowing selection of no more than two emotional descriptors for any given record of said set of records.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein each one questionnaire includes emotional descriptors from within not more than one emotional category.

22. The system of claim 20, in which the gathering means comprises:

a display at which a given questionnaires is displayed; and

an input device for receiving a selection of either one of no connotative association or a primary connotative association for a displayed record from said list of emotional descriptors.

23. The system of claim 20, in which the gathering means further comprises means for routing a first questionnaire among the plurality of questionnaires to a computer of a screened connotative judge.