Genders-usage assistant for composition of electronic documents, emails, or letters

• US 7,475,344 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2008
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Venkatsubra, Venkat, Patil, Sandeep Ramesh, Das, Ranadip, Banerjee, Dwip N
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US12/114,812
• Time in Patent Office: 247 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715/255, 715/256, 715/257, 715/271, 715/273, 715/727, 715/728, 715/733, 715/752, 715/808, 715/809, 704/1, 704/10, 704/231, 704/251, 704/270.1, 704/5, 704/7, 704/E15.002, 704/E15.009, 704/E15.021, 704/E15.022, 704/E15.026, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/219, 709/220, 709/FOR.109, 709/FOR.110, 707/1, 707/10, 707/102, 707/2, 707/203, 707/3, 707/4, 707/E17.005, 707/E17.015, 707/E17.029, 707/E17.039
• US Class Current: 715/271
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques

Abstract

The present invention, in one embodiment, aids the user during composition of emails/letters/documents with assistance for correct gender usage. In one example application, first an automated user information look-up process is initiated over centralized databases using the proper names mentioned in the composition. Once matches are found, gender-related information is retrieved and the composer is assisted with gender recognition tools while composing gender-sensitive statements. When mismatches between proper nouns and the corresponding adjectives/pronouns are found, this method proceeds with highlighting or otherwise flagging the mismatching words. Upon right-clicking the highlighted words, the user is given suggestions for the most probably correct options. Examples of the idea explained in this invention can be incorporated in existing software/systems of email/document editor/composers.

Claims

1. A method for providing an automatic gender-usage assistant for composition of an electronic document, said method comprising:

determining one or more proper nouns within a content of said electronic document,

wherein a first proper noun of said one or more proper nouns has a first gender attribute;

prompting a user to enter a first email address for said first proper noun;

looking up said first email address in a local database and retrieving a first gender information associated with said first email address, if said first gender information is available in said local database;

if said first gender information is not available in said local database, then looking up said first email address in a centralized database and retrieving said first gender information from said centralized database;

storing said first gender information in said local database, if said first gender information is not available in said local database;

checking grammar of said content;

determining all first referencing gender-specific portions of said content,

wherein said first referencing gender-specific portions comprise referencing gender-specific adjectives and referencing gender-specific personal pronouns that reference said first proper noun,

wherein said referencing gender-specific adjectives and said referencing gender-specific personal pronouns do not match said first gender information;

determining all non-referencing gender-specific portions of said content,

wherein said non-referencing gender-specific portions comprise non-referencing gender-specific adjectives or non-referencing gender-specific personal pronouns that do not reference any one of said one or more proper nouns;

indicating said first referencing gender-specific portions and said non-referencing gender-specific portions within one or more portions of said content;

if said user elects to get said automatic gender-usage assistant on a first referencing gender-specific portion of said first referencing gender-specific portions, then displaying a first graphical user interface assistant,

wherein said first graphical user interface assistant comprises said first email address, said first gender information, and a first grammar recommendation,

wherein said first grammar recommendation is a first matching adjective or a first matching personal pronoun that corresponds to said first referencing gender-specific portion and match said first gender information;

if said user elects to take said first grammar recommendation on said first referencing gender-specific portion, then replacing said first referencing gender-specific portion in said content by said first grammar recommendation;

if said user elects to get said automatic gender-usage assistant on a first non-referencing gender-specific portion of said non-referencing gender-specific portions, then displaying a second graphical user interface aid,

wherein said second graphical user interface aid comprises, for each of said one or more proper nouns, a second corresponding email address, a second corresponding gender information, and a second corresponding grammar recommendation, if said second corresponding email address and said second corresponding gender information are available,

wherein said second corresponding grammar recommendation is a second matching adjective or a second matching personal pronoun that corresponds to said first non-referencing gender-specific portion and match said second corresponding gender information; and

if said user elects to take said second corresponding grammar recommendation on said first non-referencing gender-specific portion, then replacing said first non-referencing gender-specific portion in said content by said second corresponding grammar recommendation.