Inferencing using disambiguated natural language rules

• US 7,383,173 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mueller, Erik T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth; David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng; Eunice
• Application Number:
  US11/520,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

A method and structure for automatically producing bridging inferences that join two related input sentences, by applying a lexicon and ontology data structure to a first input sentence to produce first input tagged sentences, applying the lexicon and ontology data structure to a second input sentence to produce second input tagged sentences, matching each first input tagged sentence to first rules, generating first inferred tagged sentences from the first rules, matching the first inferred tagged sentences to second rules, generating second inferred tagged sentences from the second rules, matching the second inferred tagged sentences to third rules, generating third inferred tagged sentences from the third rules, and so on, until a final inferred tagged sentence matches any second input tagged sentence. For each final inferred tagged sentence matching a second input tagged sentence, a bridging inference path is produced as output comprising a first input tagged sentence, a first inferred tagged sentence, a second inferred tagged sentence, a third inferred tagged sentence, and so on, and a final inferred tagged sentence. The first inferred tagged sentence in the briding inference path is the particular first inferred tagged sentence that resulted from application of a first rule to the first input tagged sentence. For the second through the last inferred tagged sentences in the bridging inference path, each inferred tagged sentence in the bridging inference path is the particular inferred tagged sentence that resulted from application of a rule to the previous inferred tagged sentence in the bridging inference path.

Claims

1. A method of automatically producing bridging inferences that join two related input phrases, said method comprising:

applying a lexicon and ontology data structure to a first input phrase to produce a first tagged input phrase and applying said lexicon and ontology data structure to a second input phrase to produce a second tagged input phrase;

matching said first tagged input phrase to first rules and matching said second tagged input phrase to second rules;

generating first inferred phrases from said first rules and generating second inferred phrases from said second rules;

matching said first inferred phrases to third rules and matching said second inferred phrases to fourth rules;

selecting a first rule of said first rules and a second rule of said second rules that cause said third rule to match said fourth rule; and

recording, as a bridging inference path, said first rule, said second rule, and said rule matching said third rule and said fourth rule, wherein said first rule, said second rule, said third rule, and said fourth rule each comprise a pattern element comprising a lexical entry and an optional variable.

2. The method according to claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing disambiguated natual language rules.

3. The method according to claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing rules that are disambiguated as to part of speech, word sense, and coreference.

4. The method according to claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing rules having:

a first portion;

a connector; and

a second portion.

5. The method according to claim 4, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing connectors comprising one of “

causes,”

“

triggers,” and

“

has-plan.”

6. The method according to claim 4, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said matching of said first tagged input phrase to first rules comprises matching said first tagged input phrase to said first portion of ones of said first rules, and said first inferred phrases comprise said second portion of matched ones of said first rules.

7. The method according to claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing said lexicon and ontology data structure to have one or more lexical entries, concepts, and character strings.

8. The method according to claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing said lexicon and ontology data structure to have:

maps from said character strings to said lexical entries;

maps from said lexical entries to said concepts;

maps from said concepts to said lexical entries; and

maps from said concepts to said concepts.

9. A method of automatically producing bridging inferences that join two related input phrases, said method comprising:

applying a lexicon and ontology data structure to a first input phrase to produce a first tagged input phrase and applying said lexicon and ontology data structure to a second input phrase to produce a second tagged input phrase;

matching said first tagged input phrase to first rules and matching said second tagged input phrase to second rules;

generating first inferred phrases from said first rules and generating second inferred phrases from said second rules;

matching said first inferred phrases to third rules and matching said second inferred phrases to fourth rules;

selecting a first rule of said first rules and a second rule of said second rules that cause said third rule to match said fourth rule; and

recording, as a bridging inference path, said first rule, said second rule, and said rule matching said third rule and said fourth rule, wherein said first rule, said second rule, said third rule, and said fourth rule each comprise a pattern element comprising a lexical entry and an optional variable, and wherein said first rule, said second rule, said third rule, and said fourth rule each comprise a first portion, a connector, and a second portion.

10. The method according to claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing disambiguated natual language rules.

11. The method according to claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing rules that are disambiguated as to part of speech, word sense, and coreference.

12. The method according to claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing connectors comprising one of “

causes,”

“

triggers,” and

“

has-plan.”

13. The method according to claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said matching of said first tagged input phrase to first rules comprises matching said first tagged input phrase to said first portion of ones of said first rules, and said first inferred phrases comprise said second portion of matched ones of said first rules.

14. The method according to claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing said lexicon and ontology data structure to have one or more lexical entries, concepts, and character strings.

15. The method according to claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprising providing said lexicon and ontology data structure to have:

maps from said character strings to said lexical entries;

maps from said lexical entries to said concepts;

maps from said concepts to said lexical entries; and

maps from said concepts to said concepts.

16. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of automatically producing bridging inferences that join two related input phrases, said method comprising:

applying a lexicon and ontology data structure to a first input phrase to produce a first tagged input phrase and applying said lexicon and ontology data structure to a second input phrase to produce a second tagged input phrase;

matching said first tagged input phrase to first rules and matching said second tagged input phrase to second rules;

generating first inferred phrases from said first rules and generating second inferred phrases from said second rules;

matching said first inferred phrases to third rules and matching said second inferred phrases to fourth rules;

selecting a first rule of said first rules and a second rule of said second rules that cause said third rule to match said fourth rule; and

recording, as a bridging inference path, said first rule, said second rule, and said rule matching said third rule and said fourth rule, wherein said first rule, said second rule, said third rule, and said fourth rule each comprise a pattern element comprising a lexical entry and an optional variable.

17. The program according to claim 16, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said method further comprises providing disambiguated natual language rules.

18. The program according to claim 16, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said method further comprises providing rules that are disambiguated as to part of speech, word sense, and coreference.

19. The program according to claim 16, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein said method further comprises providing rules having:

a first portion;

a connector; and

a second portion.