Processing input text to generate the selectivity value of a word or word group in a library of texts in a field is related to the frequency of occurrence of that word or word group in library

• US 7,181,451 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Word Data Corporation
• Original Assignee: Word Data Corporation
• Inventors: Dehlinger, Peter J., Chin, Shao
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US10/261,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20040006558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 7, 707100-1041, 707 1- 2, 704 2- 9, 704218-220, 715530-536, 715/515
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/237 Lexical tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

Disclosed is an automated system, machine-readable storage medium embodying computer-executable code, and method for generating descriptive words and optionally, multi-word groups derived from a digitally encoded, natural-language input text that describes a concept, invention, or event in a selected field. The system includes (a) an electronic digital computer, (b) a database of words and optionally, word-groups derived from a plurality of texts, and (c) machine-readable storage medium embodying computer-executable code for accessing the database. The database provides, or can be used to calculate, a selectivity value for each of the words and optionally, word groups contained in or derived from the input text. Words and optionally, word groups having an above-threshold selectivity value are selected as descriptive terms from the input text.

Claims

1. Machine-readable storage medium embodying computer-executable code which is operable, when used to control an electronic computer, to identify descriptive words or word groups contained in a digitally encoded input text, by the steps of:

(i) processing the input text to generate a list of text words or word groups formed of proximately arranged words in said input text,

(ii) selecting a text word or word group from (i) as a descriptive word or word group if that word or word group, respectively, has an above-threshold selectivity value in at least one library of texts in a field, where

the selectivity value of a word or word group in a library of texts in a field is related to the frequency of occurrence of that word or word group in said library, relative to the frequency of occurrence of the same word or word group, respectively, in at least one other library of texts in at least one other fields, respectively, and

(iii) storing or displaying the words or word groups selected in (ii) as descriptive words or word groups, respectively.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein said processing includes removing generic words from the input text, to generate a list of non-generic words.

3. The storage medium of claim 2, wherein said processing includes classifying non-generic words into those having a verb root and remaining non-generic words.

4. The storage medium of claim 1 wherein the selectivity value associated with a word in a database containing words from texts in said libraries is related to the greatest selectivity value determined with respect to each of a plurality N≧

2 of libraries of texts in different fields.

5. The sede storage medium 4, wherein the threshold selectivity value is greater than 1.25.

6. An automated method for generating descriptive words or word groups contained in a digitally encoded input text by the operation of machine-readable storage medium embodying computer-executable code when used to control the operation of an electronic computer to carry out the steps of:

(i) processing the input text to generate a list of text words or word groups formed of proximately arranged words in said input text,

(ii) selecting a text word or word group from (i) as a descriptive word if that word or word group has an above-threshold selectivity value in at least one library of texts in a field, where

the selectivity value of a word or word group in a library of texts in a field is related to the frequency of occurrence of that word or word group in said library, relative to the frequency of occurrence of the same word or word group, respectively, in at least one other library of texts in at least one other fields, respectively, and

(iii) storing or displaying the words or word groups selected in (ii) as descriptive words or word groups, respectively.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the selectivity value associated with a word in a database containing words from texts in said libraries is related to the greatest selectivity value determined with respect to each of a plurality N≧

2 of libraries of texts in different fields.