System and method for enhancing online support services using natural language interface for searching database

• US 6,594,657 B1
• Filed: 06/08/1999
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Go Albert France
• Original Assignee: Albert-Inc. SA
• Inventors: Livowsky, Jean-Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US09/327,603
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/10, 707/5, 707/6, 707/102, 704/4, 704/7, 704/9, 704/257
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24522 Translation of natural language queries to structured queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method for enhancing an online support service using a natural language interface. The online support system is connected to a user computer by the Internet or other communication links, and is used by a user to search and retrieve information from a database. The system provides an interface for online support services that is user friendly and accepts natural language queries. The natural language interface processes misspelled queries and queries having syntax errors. Furthermore, the natural language interface allows the system to extract information from prior sessions and upgrade its own vocabulary and knowledge database. The method comprises the steps of accessing a server computer by the user computer, entering a query in a natural language form, processing the query by the natural language interface coupled to the server computer, searching the database coupled to the server computer using the processed query, retrieving results from the database, and providing the results to the user. The system comprises a server computer coupled to the user computer, the server computer configured to receive a query in a natural language form from the user computer, a natural language interface coupled to the server computer, the natural language interface being configured to process the query, and a database coupled to the server computer and the natural language interface, the database being adapted to store information, wherein the natural language interface searches the database using the processed query and provides the results to the user computer through the server computer.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing an online support system using a natural language interface, the online support system being used by a user to search and retrieve information from a database, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing a server computer by the user computer;

entering a query in natural language form;

processing the query by the natural language interface coupled to the server computer;

searching the database coupled to the server computer using the processed query;

retrieving results from the database;

providing the results;

creating a preference file for the user;

storing information about the user in the preference file, the information including information relating to the user'"'"'s identification and information regarding the user'"'"'s own vocabulary, use of synonyms, common spelling errors, and unique writing style;

retrieving stored information from the preference file to analyze the query;

generating synonyms of the query by the natural language interface;

searching the database using the synonyms;

assigning a coefficient to each of the synonyms based on closeness of meaning to associated words in the query, wherein each original word in the query has the highest coefficient with respect to each of the synonyms associated with each original word; and

prioritizing the synonyms.

2. A system for enhancing an online support service, the system being used by a user to search and retrieve information from a database, comprising:

a server computer coupled to the user computer, the server computer configured to receive a query in natural language form from the user computer;

a natural language interface coupled to the server computer, the natural language interface being configured to process the query;

a database coupled to the server computer and the natural language interface, the database being adapted to store information;

one or more preference files for storing information about the user, including personal information related to the user, and information regarding the user'"'"'s own vocabulary, use of synonyms, common spelling errors, and unique writing style, wherein the stored information is retrieved from the preference file to analyze the query;

means for generating synonyms of the query;

means for searching the database using the synonyms;

means for assigning a coefficient to each of the synonyms based on closeness of meaning to associated words in the query, wherein each original word in the query has the highest coefficient with respect to each of the synonyms associated with each original word; and

means for prioritizing the synonyms,

wherein the natural language interface searches the database using the processed query and provides the results to the user computer through the server computer.