Natural language help interface

• US 6,728,700 B2
• Filed: 05/03/1999
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, William H., Guthridge, Joseph W. III, Richards, Jonathan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Debbie M.
• Application Number:
  US09/304,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20020165862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/100-104, 205/9, 345/707, 345/708, 345/705
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A help interface capable of receiving user-defined queries in a natural language and selecting the most appropriate answer from a plurality of potential answers, includes facilities for parsing and storing the character string content of the query in a buffer. Lists of punctuation characters as well as single and multiple word character strings are successively compared with the content of the buffer to eliminate punctuation, superfluous words, location reference words, and to identify synonyms to base words meaningful in the selection of an appropriate answer. The identified base words are used as references into a predefined rule set which inherently matches the base word with a potential answer and assigns a value based on the relationship of the potential answer to the base word. The cumulative values of all potential answers are computed and ranked with the highest ranking value presented to the user as a response to the query.

Claims

1. A computer program product for use with a computer system having a user interface, the computer program product comprising:

a computer useable medium having program code means embodied in the medium for enabling a user to obtain information from the computer system with user-defined queries, the medium further comprising;

program code means, responsive to user-defined query, for identifying a selected portion of the query;

program code, responsive to the user-defined query, for determining a location in the computer system to which the user-defined query relates;

program code means, responsive to the selected portion of the user-defined query, for comparing the selected portion of the user-defined query with a plurality of predefined information segments;

program code means, responsive to the program code means for comparing, for selecting one of the plurality of information segments which best corresponds to the user-defined query in accordance with a predetermined criteria;

program code means, responsive to the selected information segment, for presenting the selected information segment to the user through the user interface.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the user-defined query comprises at least one natural language word and wherein the program code means for identifying a selected portion of the user-defined query comprises program code means for identifying the natural language word.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the program code means for identifying further comprises program code means for associating the identified natural language word with a natural language base word.

4. The computer program product of claim 3 wherein the program code means for identifying further comprises program code means for classifying the base word as one of a verb base word and a non-verb base word.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 wherein the program code means for comparing the selected portion of the user-defined query further comprises program code means for comparing a non-verb base word with the plurality of information segments and for computing a value for the plurality of information segments according to a first predetermined criteria.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the program code means for comparing the selected portion of the user-defined query further comprises program code means for comparing a verb base word with only the information segments having a positive value as computed by the program code means for comparing non-verb base words.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the program code means for selecting one of the plurality of information segments further comprises program code means for ranking of the plurality of information segments according to respective computed value and for selecting one of the plurality of information segments according to a second predetermined.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the second predetermined criteria comprises selecting, from the plurality of information segments, the information segment having the greatest computed value for presentation to the user.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the computer system further comprises a display and wherein the program code means for presenting comprises program code means for presenting the selected information segment graphically.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the computer system further comprises an audio transducer and wherein the program code means for presenting comprises program code means for presenting the selected information segment audibly.

25. The computer program product of claim 3 wherein the identified natural language word is a synonym of the natural language base word.

11. An interface for user with a computer system comprising:

a user interface for receiving a user-defined query;

a memory for storing a plurality of predefined information segments and data representing a location last selected by the user in the computer system at time the user-defined query is submitted;

means, responsive to the user-defined query, for selecting one of the predefined information segments which corresponds to the user-defined query according to a predetermined criteria and the location in the computer system to which the user-defined query relates; and

means for presenting the selected information segment to the user.

12. The interface of claim 11 wherein the user-defined query comprises at least one natural language word and wherein the means for selecting further comprises means for identifying the natural language word.

13. The interface of claim 12 wherein the means for selecting further comprises:

means, responsive to the identified natural language word, for comparing the natural language word with the plurality of information segments and assigning a value to the plurality of information segments according to a predetermined criteria.

14. The interface of claim 13 wherein the means for selecting further comprises:

means, responsive to the assigned values of the information segments, for ranking the information segments according to the respective assigned value.

15. The interface of claim 14 wherein the predefined criteria comprises selecting, from the plurality of information segments, the information segment having the greatest assigned value.

16. The interface of claim 11 wherein the computer system further comprises a display and wherein the means for presenting further comprises means for presenting the selected information segment graphically.

17. The interface of claim 11 wherein the computer system further comprises an audio transducer and wherein the means for presenting further comprises means for presenting the information segment audibly.

18. In a computer system having a user interface, and a memory, a method of providing information to the user, the method comprising the steps of:

A. receiving a query through the user interface, the query being defined by the user in a natural language;

B. determining if the user-defined query relates to a location in the computer system other than a location last selected by the user at the time the user-defined query was submitted;

C. selecting from the memory one of a plurality of predefined information segments which corresponds to the query in accordance with a predetermined criteria and any location data contained within the user-defined query; and

D. presenting at least a portion of the selected information.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein step B comprises the steps of:

B1. identifying at least one natural language word; and

B2. comparing the at least one identified natural language word with a plurality of predefined information segments.

20. In a computer system having a user interface and plurality of predefined information segments stored in memory, a method of providing information to the user the method comprising the steps of:

A. receiving a query through the user interface, the query being defined in a natural language;

B. storing the user-defined query in a buffer;

C. storing, in memory, data representing a location last selected by the user in the computer system at time the user-defined query is submitted;

D. comparing the contents of the buffer to a predefined list of character strings;

E. generating a list of references to all character strings found within the buffer;

F. associating the character string references with a plurality of the predefined information segment;

G. assigning a value to the plurality of predefined information segments in response to the comparison in step F;

H. determining which of the predefined information segments has the value according to a predetermined criteria; and

I. presenting the predefined information segment determined in step H to the user as a response to the query.

21. In a computer system having a user interface and plurality of predefined information segments stored in memory, a method of providing information to the user the method comprising:

(A) receiving a query through the user interface, the query being defined in a natural language;

(B) storing the user-defined query in a buffer;

(C) storing, in memory, data representing a location last selected by the user in the computer system at time the user-defined query is submitted

(D) comparing the contents of the buffer to a predefined list of character strings;

(E) identifying and removing and characters from the buffer representing punctuation marks peculiar to the natural language;

(F) generating a list of references to all character strings found within the buffer;

(G) associating the character string references with a plurality of the predefined information segment;

(H) assigning a value to the plurality of predefined information segments in response to the comparison in (G);

(I) determining which of the predefined information segments has the value according to a predetermined criteria; and

(J) presenting the predefined information segment determined in (I) to the user as a response to the query.

22. In a computer system having a user interface and plurality of predefined information segments stored in memory, a method of providing information to the user the method comprising:

(A) receiving a query through the user interface, the query being defined in a natural language;

(B) storing the user-defined query in a buffer;

(C) storing, in memory, data representing a location last selected by the user in the computer system at time the user-defined query is submitted;

(D) comparing the contents of the buffer to a predefined list of character strings

(E) identifying and removing any character strings representing noise words from the buffer;

(F) generating a list of references to all character strings found within the buffer;

(G) associating the character string references with a plurality of the predefined information segment;

(H) assigning a value to the plurality of predefined information segments in response to the comparison in (G);

(I) determining which of the predefined information segments has the value according to a predetermined criteria; and

(J) presenting the predefined information segment determined in (I) to the user as a response to the query.

23. In a computer system having a user interface and plurality of predefined information segments stored in memory, a method of providing information to the user the method comprising;

(A) receiving a query through the user interface, the query being defined in a natural language;

(B) storing the user-defined query in a buffer;

(C) storing, in memory, data representing a location last selected by the user in the computer system at time the user-defined query is submitted;

(D) comparing the contents of the buffer to a predefined list of character strings and identifying and removing any character strings representing references to a location to which the user defined query relates;

(E) generating a list of references to all character strings found within the buffer;

(F) associating the character string references with a plurality of the predefined information segment;

(G) assigning a value to the plurality of predefined information segments in response to the comparison in (F);

(H) determining which of the predefined information segments has the value according to a predetermined criteria; and

(I) presenting the predefined information segment determined in (H) to the user as a response to the query.

24. In a computer system having a user interface and plurality of predefined information segments stored in memory, a method of providing information to the user the method comprising:

(A) receiving a query through the user interface, the query being defined in a natural language;

(B) storing the user-defined query in a buffer;

(C) storing, in memory, data representing a location last selected by the user in the computer system at time the user-defined query is submitted;

(D) comparing the contents of the buffer to a predefined list of character strings;

(E) identifying and removing any character strings from the buffer representing a synonym of one of the base words in the predefined list;

(F) generating a list of references to all character strings found within the buffer;

(G) associating the character string references with a plurality of the predefined information segment;

(H) at assigning a value to the plurality of predefined information segments in response to the comparison in (G);

(I) determining which of the predefined information segments has the value according to a predetermined criteria; and

(J) presenting the predefined information segment determined in (I) to the user as a response to the query.