Semantic authoring, runtime and training environment

• US 7,305,413 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ramsey, William D., Weise, David N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): VY, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US11/011,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 707 2- 4, 707/101, 707/102, 706/11, 706/934
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• 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 system for developing semantic schema for natural language processing has a semantic runtime engine and a semantic authoring tool. The semantic runtime engine is adapted to map a natural language input to a semantic schema and to return the mapped results to an application domain. The semantic authoring tool is adapted to receive user input for defining the semantic schema and to interact with the semantic runtime engine to test the semantic schema against a query.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for developing semantic schema for natural language processing comprising:

a semantic runtime engine that maps a natural language input to a semantic schema and returns mapped results to an application domain;

a semantic authoring tool that receives user input for defining the semantic schema and that also interacts with the semantic runtime engine to test the semantic schema against a query;

a test results interface component that is an available feature of the semantic authoring tool and provides a display of the outcome of the test without requiring user interaction with an application outside of the semantic authoring tool; and

wherein the semantic authoring tool is configured to initialize the semantic runtime engine with the semantic schema and the query, and further configured to display mapped results returned based on the semantic schema.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the semantic authoring tool is adapted to validate the semantic schema against the application domain via the semantic runtime engine.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the semantic runtime engine comprises:

a semantic engine adapted to map said natural language input to a semantic schema; and

an application domain adapted to perform an operation based on the mapped natural language input.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the semantic authoring tool comprises:

a compiler adapted to compile the semantic schema to a format for use by the semantic runtime engine.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the semantic authoring tool comprises:

a tuning feature adapted to bias results from the semantic runtime engine and to provide tuning information to the semantic runtime engine for adjusting a ranking order of mapped solutions.

6. A computer-implemented semantic authoring tool comprising:

a schema authoring tool that receives user input for defining a semantic schema representative of an application domain, wherein the semantic authoring tool also interacts with a semantic runtime engine to test the semantic schema against a query, and wherein the schema authoring tool includes a test results interface component that is an available feature of the schema authoring tool and provides a display of an indication of the outcome of the test within the schema authoring tool itself, wherein the semantic authoring tool is configured to initialize the semantic runtime engine with the semantic schema and the query, and further configured to display mapped results returned based on the semantic schema.

7. The semantic authoring tool of claim 6 further comprising:

a query input feature adapted to receive the query in the schema authoring tool in a natural language format.

8. The semantic authoring tool of claim 6 further comprising:

a display feature adapted to display the mapped results, which are received from the semantic runtime engine based on the semantic schema and the query.

9. The semantic authoring tool of claim 8 wherein the mapped results are displayed in a ranked order, the semantic authoring tool further comprising:

a tuning feature adapted to adjust the ranked order to bias the mapped results toward a desired preference.

10. The semantic authoring tool of claim 6 further comprising:

a compiler adapted to compile the semantic schema to a format for use by the semantic runtime engine.

11. The semantic authoring tool of claim 6 wherein the semantic runtime engine comprises:

a semantic engine adapted to map a natural language input to the semantic schema; and

an application domain adapted to act on the mapped natural language input.

12. The semantic authoring tool of claim 6 further comprising:

an order dependent feature adapted to receive user input and to specify an ordering of synonym mappings within the semantic schema.

13. A computer-implemented semantic authoring tool for authoring a natural language interface to an application domain comprising:

a design tool that receives user input for defining a semantic schema representative of the application domain, wherein the design tool also compiles the semantic schema and initializes a semantic runtime engine with the semantic schema, and wherein the design tool interacts with the semantic runtime engine to test and to adjust operation of the semantic runtime engine based on a query, and wherein the design tool includes a test results interface component that is an available feature of the design tool and provides a display of the outcome of the test without requiring user interaction with an application outside of the design tool; and

wherein the design tool is configured to initialize the semantic runtime engine with the semantic schema and the query, and further configured to display mapped results returned based on the semantic schema.

14. The semantic authoring tool of claim 13 wherein the design tool comprises:

a query input feature adapted to receive the input from a user and to provide the input to the semantic runtime engine.

15. The semantic authoring tool of claim 13 wherein the design tool comprises:

a compiler adapted to compile the semantic schema to a format for use by the semantic runtime engine.

16. The semantic authoring tool of claim 13 further comprising:

a display feature adapted to interact with the semantic runtime engine to display a list of results received from the semantic runtime engine based on the semantic schema and the input.

17. The semantic authoring tool of claim 16 wherein the results are displayed in a ranked order list and wherein the semantic authoring tool further comprises:

an adjustment feature adapted to select a result from the list of results, the selected result providing information to the semantic runtime engine for adjusting mapping of the semantic runtime engine.

18. The semantic authoring tool of claim 13 wherein the semantic runtime engine comprises:

a semantic engine adapted to map natural language input to the semantic schema; and

an application domain adapted to act based on the mapping of the natural language input to the semantic schema.

19. The semantic authoring tool of claim 13 wherein the design tool comprises computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium.