Structured natural language query and knowledge system

• US 7,263,517 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomedical Objects Incorporated, NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Biomedical Objects Incorporated
• Inventors: Sheu, Phillip, Kitazawa, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil; Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAINT CYR, LEONARD
• Application Number:
  US10/286,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24522 Translation of natural language queries to structured queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• 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 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A structured natural language query and knowledge system is provided to allow a user who lacks programming skills to enter a database query or a rule in the form of a structured natural language sentence. The scope of the sentence is preferably defined by an improved object relational query language, an object relational algebra, or both. Command and conditions that appear in natural language form are defined with corresponding formal query texts. A user is prompted to compose a structured natural language sentence using the defined commands and conditions. The user-selected command and its arguments appear as the verb phrase of a structured natural language sentence. The user-selected conditions and their parameters appear as the adjective phrases of the sentence. The sentence is parsed and changed into a translated formal query text for formal database query and rule processing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of creating a query in an object-relational algebra, the method comprising:

prompting a user to choose one or more previously defined object-relational algebra general method and/or one or more object-relational algebra operators, the one or more operators being chosen from a group including a select operator, a Cartesian product operator, a project operator, an aggregate operator, a union operator, and a difference operator;

prompting the user to choose from a list of defined data source elements as one or more arguments to the one or more methods selected and/or the one or more operators selected;

if the user chose select operator, prompting the user to choose one or more conditions from at least a set of defined conditions, and prompting the user to specify one or more parameters for each selected condition;

if the user chose project operator, prompting the user to select one or more attributes from the set of attributes of the argument data source element for the purpose of projection;

if the user chose aggregate operator, prompting the user to select one or more attributes to separate members of the argument data source element into different groups, and prompting the user to specify one or more aggregate functions to each of said groups; and

using object-relational algebra to create a query with the responses received from the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the result of the query as a data source element.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising defining the corresponding natural language text for the data source element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the argument data source elements is one or more objects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the previously defined object-relational algebra general methods was defined by a programmer or user using a definition module adapted to allow the programmer or user to define customized general methods for later selection by a user and to define corresponding natural language text for the defined general methods.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined conditions were defined by a programmer or user using a definition module adapted to allow the programmer or user to define customized conditions for later selection by a user and to define corresponding natural language text for the defined conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for one or more data source elements chosen by the user as an argument to the chosen method or operator, prompting the user to choose one or more conditions from at least a set of defined conditions, and prompting the user to specify one or more parameters for each selected condition.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting a user to select one or more object classes from a set of defined object classes before prompting the user to choose one or more object-relational algebra general methods and/or one or more object-relational algebra operators.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein prompting a user to choose one or more previously defined object-relational algebra general methods and/or one or more object-relational algebra operators comprises providing the user with a menu of options comprising natural language text corresponding to the previously defined object-relational algebra general methods and/or one or more object-relational algebra operators.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein prompting the user to choose from a list of defined data source elements comprises providing the user with a menu of options comprising natural language text corresponding to the defined data source elements.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein prompting the user to choose one or more conditions from at least a set of defined conditions comprises providing the user with a menu of options comprising natural language text corresponding to the defined conditions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein prompting the user to choose one or more aggregate functions from at least a set of defined aggregate functions comprises providing the user with a menu of options comprising natural language text corresponding to the defined aggregate functions and their parameters.