Learning method and system based on questioning

• US 6,480,698 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2001
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC), IP Learn LLC
• Original Assignee: Mindfabric Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Tong, Peter P., Ho, Chi Fai
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US09/935,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20020018984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/156, 434/162, 434/169, 434/185, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/322, 434/323, 434/327, 434/350, 434/362, 434/365, 704/3, 704/8, 704/9, 704/258, 707/1-4, 325/326, 706/927
• US Class Current: 434/362
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/927 Education or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

An apparatus and a system to teach a user a subject based on his questions. The system allows the user to control his learning process, and helps to fill in gaps of misunderstanding in the subject. In one embodiment, the system, including a database, presents study materials on the subject to the user. After working on the presented materials, the user enters his question into the system, which generates an answer to the question, and presents it to him. Then the system compares the question with one or more questions previously entered by the user to determine his understanding level in the subject. Based on the determination, the system may present to the user appropriate study materials. The user typically asks more than one question, and the process of answering his question by the system repeats.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a user with information on a subject, said method comprising:

retrieving information on the subject for the user to learn about the subject, the information to be presented to the user;

determining a plurality of responses associated with the subject that are related to a natural-language initial question asked by the user requesting information on the subject;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of responses from the user; and

forwarding information associated with the selected one of the plurality of responses to the user, thereby further providing the user with information on the subject.

2. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method uses semantic and grammatical processing.

3. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 2, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

4. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of responses are stored in a database.

5. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 2, wherein said determining of the plurality of responses associated with the subject operates to identify the plurality of responses from a large pool of predetermined responses.

6. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 2, wherein said method further comprises:

forwarding, after said determining and prior to said receiving, the plurality of responses to the user for the selection of one of the plurality of responses.

7. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of responses are natural language questions.

8. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer-implemented method is performed by a first computer, and wherein the initial question is asked by the user from a second computer, the second computer coupleable to first computer through a network.

9. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 8, wherein the information forwarded to the user is an answer to the selected one of the plurality of responses.

10. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1,

wherein said computer-implemented method is performed by a first computer, and

wherein the initial question is asked by the user from a second computer, the second computer coupleable to first computer through a network.

11. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining comprises:

comparing at least a component in the initial question to numerous components stored in a database to produce comparison information; and

selecting the plurality of responses based on the comparison information.

12. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

determining whether the initial question is ambiguous; and

resolving the ambiguity if the initial question is ambiguous.

13. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method uses semantic and grammatical processing.

14. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12,

wherein said determining whether the initial question is ambiguous operates to identify a word in the initial question that is ambiguous due to its spelling, and

wherein said resolving operates to resolve the ambiguity in the initial question by at least replacing the word with another word having a correct spelling.

15. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, said method is performed by a first computer, which is coupleable through a network to a second computer, where the initial question is entered.

16. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12,

wherein said determining whether the initial question is ambiguous operates to identify a word in the initial question, and

wherein said resolving operates to resolve the ambiguity in the initial question by at least removing the word from the initial question.

17. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of responses associated with the subject are further related to at least one additional input from the user.

18. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining of the plurality of questions comprises:

determining whether a word in the initial question has multiple meanings, and

determining the plurality of responses by considering the multiple meanings.

19. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining of the plurality of responses ignores at least one grammatical component.

20. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 19, wherein said method uses semantic and grammatical processing.

21. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method uses at least one grammatical rule and at least one semantic rule.

22. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of responses determined are independent of a word from the natural-language question.

23. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 22, wherein said method uses semantic and grammatical processing.

24. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the information forwarded to the user is an answer to the selected one of the plurality of responses, and

wherein the plurality of responses are stored in a database.

25. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a referral request from the user requesting that the initial question be referred to a human representative; and

enabling a human representative to respond to the question.

26. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 25,

wherein said method is performed by a first computer, which is coupleable through a network to a second computer, where the initial question is entered, and

wherein said method uses semantic and grammatical processing.

27. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining operates to resolve ambiguity.

28. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

determining whether clarification of the initial natural language question about a subject from the user is needed; and

promoting the user to clarify the initial natural language question when clarification of the natural language question is determined to be needed.

29. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 28,

wherein said method is performed by a first computer, which is coupleable through a network to a second computer, where the initial question is entered, and

wherein said method uses semantic and grammatical processing.

30. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the initial question includes a plurality of words, and

wherein said method depends on grouping more than one of the words in the initial question together to be analyzed, and identifying a synonym of at least one of the words in the initial question.

31. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the initial question includes a plurality of words, and

wherein said method depends on grouping more than one of the words in the initial question together to be analyzed, and identifying a synonym of the more than one of the words in the initial question.

32. A computer-implemented method for providing a user with information on a subject, said method comprising:

retrieving information on the subject for the user to learn about the subject, the information to be presented to the user;

determining a plurality of responses associated with the subject that are related to a natural-language question asked by the user requesting information on the subject;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of responses from the user; and

thereafter directing the user to materials associated with the selected one of the plurality of responses.

33. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 32, wherein the plurality of responses are predetermined.

34. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 32,

wherein said computer-implemented method is performed by a server computer, and

wherein the question is asked by the user from a client computer, the client computer coupleable to the server computer through a network.

35. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 34, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

36. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 32, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a referral request from the user requesting that the initial question be referred to a human representative; and

enabling a human representative to respond to the question.

37. A server computer that couples to a network and serves to provide users of client computers also connected to the network with information on subjects, said server computer being configured to:

retrieve information on a subject for the user to learn about the subject, the information to be presented to the user;

determining a plurality of responses associated with the subject that are related to a natural-language question asked by a user from a client computer, the question asked by the user requesting information on the subject;

receive a selection of one of the plurality of responses from the user; and

direct the user to information associated with the selected one of the plurality of responses.

38. A server computer as recited in claim 37, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

39. A server computer as recited in claim 37, wherein said server computer further being configured to:

determine whether the question is ambiguous; and

resolve the ambiguity if the initial question is ambiguous.

40. A server computer as recited in claim 39, wherein said server computer further being configured to:

forward the plurality of responses to the user for the selection of one of the plurality of reponses.

41. A computer-implemented method for assisting a user in learning a subject, said computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a response to a natural language question from a user, the response being determined using a database, and the response being for the user to learn about the subject;

sending the response to the user;

receiving a referral request from the user requesting that the question be referred to a human representative; and

enabling a human representative to respond to the question.

42. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein, said method further comprises enabling the user to issue the referral request requesting that the question be referred to a human representative after the response has been received by the user.

43. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein, said method further comprises enabling the user to issue, by a single action, the referral request requesting that the question be referred to a human representative after the response has been received by the user.

44. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein, after the response has been received from the user, said method further comprises enabling the user to issue the referral request requesting that the question be referred to a human representative without having to re-enter the question.

45. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein said enabling comprises sending a message to the human representative.

46. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 45, wherein the message is an electronic mail message.

47. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 45, wherein said computer-implemented method further comprises:

sending a responsive electronic mail message to the user, the responsive electronic mail message being from a human representative.

48. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein the response sent includes at least an answer to the question.

49. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein the response sent includes at least a message indicating to the user that the question cannot be answered.

50. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 49, wherein the message further informs the user that the question can be referred to a human representative.

51. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein said computer-implemented method further comprises:

retrieving, before said determining, information on the subject for the user to learn about the subject, the information to be presented to the user.

52. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein said computer-implemented method is performed at a server computer, and

wherein the user interacts with a client terminal to receive the sent response and initiate the referral request, the client terminal capable of electronically communicating with the server computer over a network.

53. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 52, wherein the network includes at least the Internet.

54. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 52, wherein said computer-implemented method further comprises:

sending a responsive electronic mail message to the user, the responsive electronic mail message being from a human representative.

55. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 52, wherein said method uses at least one grammatical rule and at least one semantic rule.

56. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 52, wherein the question includes a plurality of words, and

wherein said method depends on grouping more than one of the words in the question together to be analyzed, and identifying a synonym of at least one of the words in the question.

57. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 52, wherein the question includes a plurality of words, and

wherein said method depends on grouping more than one of the words in the question together to be analyzed, and identifying a synonym of the more than one of the words in the question.

58. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 41, wherein said method uses grammatical and semantic processing.

59. A computer-implemented method for assisting a user in learning a subject, said computer-implemented method comprising:

determining whether clarification of an initial natural language question about a subject from a user is needed;

prompting the user to clarify the initial natural language question when said determining determines that clarification of the natural language question is needed;

thereafter determining a response to a subsequent natural language question about the subject from the user, the response being determined using a database; and

sending the response to the user so as to help the user learn about the subject.

60. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 59, wherein said prompting comprises promoting the user to re-enter the initial natural language question.

61. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 59, wherein said promoting comprises prompting the user to enter the initial natural language question in a different way.

62. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 59, wherein said prompting comprises prompting the user to select one of a plurality of replies about the subject.

63. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 62, wherein the plurality of replies are clarified versions of the initial language question.

64. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 59, wherein the response includes at least an answer to the question.

65. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 59, wherein said method uses grammatical and semantic processing.

66. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 59, wherein said computer-implemented method is performed at a server computer, and

wherein the user interacts with a client terminal to receive said prompting and the response, the client terminal capable of electronically communicating with the server computer over a network.

67. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 66, wherein the network includes at least the Internet.

68. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 66, wherein said method uses at least one grammatical rule and at least one semantic rule.

69. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 66, wherein the initial natural language question includes a plurality of words, and

wherein said method depends on grouping more than one of the words in the initial natural language question together to be analyzed, and identifying a synonym of at least one of the words in the initial natural language question.

70. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 66, wherein the initial natural language question includes a plurality of words, and

wherein said method depends on grouping more than one of the words in the initial natural language question together to be analyzed, and identifying a synonym of the more than one of the words in the initial natural language question.

71. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 59, wherein said computer-implemented method further comprises:

retrieving, before said determining, information on the subject for the user to learn about the subject, the information to be presented to the user.