Context specific analysis

• US 7,689,431 B1
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WinWay Corp.
• Original Assignee: WinWay Corp.
• Inventors: Nixon, Barbara B., Carmel, Erez
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US10/370,931
• Time in Patent Office: 2,595 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/253 Grammatical analysis; Style critique

Abstract

An automatic critique of resumes, cover-letters, and/or other types of documents is provided. The invention employs an input document, a processing device, and a set of rules specific to the document type. The processing device searches the document for specific patterns described by the rules, generates a list of potential errors in the document, generates advice on how to correct the errors and may produce various figures of merit for the document.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of performing an evaluation specific to job seeking documents, comprising the steps of:

accessing a resume that is stored electronically, said accessing being performed by a computer, said resume includes multiple sections of different types of data;

automatically, by said computer, evaluating said resume using global document rules that are specific for resumes but are not specific to one type of data, said global document rules define one or more error conditions in resumes, said evaluating using global document rules includes applying said global document rules to actual data in said resume and identifying one or more of said error conditions that exist in said actual data in said resume based on said global document rules;

automatically, by said computer, evaluating said resume using multiple sets of section rules that are specific to resumes, each set of section rules defines one or more error conditions in and specific to a subset of one or more sections of said resume, each set of section rules is different from other sets of section rules and is applied to a different sections of said resume, said evaluating using multiple sets of section rules includes applying said multiple sets of section rules to actual data in said resume and identifying one or more of said error conditions that exist in said actual data in said resume based on said multiple sets of section rules, said global document rules define error conditions for multiple sections of said resume; and

in response to said evaluating said resume using global document rules and said evaluating said resume using multiple sets of section rules, creating a report about said identified one or more error conditions that exist in said actual data and outputting said report, said creating the report is performed by said computer.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said evaluating said resume using multiple sets of section rules includes accessing a section of said resume, determining a type of section accessed, and applying the appropriate set of section rules for the determined type of section accessed.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said resume is in free form format or field section format.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said evaluating said resume using global document rules includes using said global document rules to identify actual content in said resume that is not incorrect but can be improved;

said evaluating said resume using multiple sets of section rules includes using said multiple sets of section rules to identify actual content in said resume that is not incorrect but can be improved; and

said report that includes advice identifying how to improve said content that is not incorrect but can be improved.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said set of global document rules and said section rules check data other than date data and spelling.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said evaluating said resume using multiple sets of section rules includes:

automatically, by said computer, determining whether said resume includes a reference to a destination accessible via a computer network; and

if said resume includes a reference to a destination accessible via the computer network, then automatically accessing said destination via the computer network to verify that said destination exists.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving said resume in a free form format; and

converting said resume to a format that includes fields, said step of converting includes accessing paragraphs, parsing said paragraphs into specific fields for said section and repeating said accessing and parsing for additional sections of said first job seeking document, said section corresponds to one set of said section rules.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said applying said global document rules to actual data in said resume includes checking attributes that apply to the entire resume.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said identifying one or more of said error conditions that exist in said actual data in said resume based on said global document rules includes identifying one or more of uneven margins, margins outside of range, page less than one third full, greater than two pages, inconsistent indentation, inconsistent fonts, inconsistent case, missing sections, duplicate sections and improperly ordered sections.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said evaluating said resume using global document rules includes determining how many action verbs are included in said resume, said report indicates how many action verbs are included in said resume.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said evaluating said resume using global document rules includes determining how many quantitative expressions are included in said resume, said report indicates how many quantitative expressions are included in said resume.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said evaluating said resume using global document rules includes determining whether said resume includes more than a predetermined number of pages and said report indicates whether said resume includes more than said predetermined number of pages.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether salary information is included in said resume, said report indicates whether salary information is included in said resume.

14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether unwanted personal information is included in said resume, said report indicates whether unwanted personal information is included in said resume.

16. A method according to claim 9, wherein:

said evaluating said resume using multiple sets of section rules includes using said multiple sets of section rules to identify actual content in said resume that is not incorrect but can be improved, said report identifies actual content in said resume that is not incorrect but can be improved.

15. A method of performing an evaluation specific to job seeking documents, comprising the steps of:

accessing a resume that includes multiple sections of different types of data;

automatically, by said computer, evaluating said resume using multiple sets of section rules that are specific to resumes, each set of section rules defines one or more error conditions in and specific to a corresponding section of said resume, each set of section rules is different from other sets of section rules and is applied to a different section of said resume, said evaluating comprises;

accessing a section of said resume,

determining a type of section accessed,

applying the appropriate set of section rules for the determined type of section accessed to actual data in said resume and identifying one or more of said error conditions that exist in said actual data, and

repeating said accessing a section, determining a type and applying for other sections of the resume, each time using a different set of section rules; and

creating a report about said identified one or more error conditions that exist in said actual data and outputting said report, said creating the report is performed by a computer.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein:

said creating a report includes generating statistics.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein:

said multiple sets of section rules include a rules that check data other than date data.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein said applying sets of evaluation rules comprises:

accessing a source outside of said resume to verify whether content of said resume is accurate.

20. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving said resume in a free form format; and

converting said resume to a field/section format.

21. A method of performing an evaluation specific to job seeking documents, comprising the steps of:

receiving a resume from a first entity;

automatically, by a computer, evaluating one or more data items in said resume using rules specific to resumes, said step of evaluating includes using said rules to recognize actual content stored in said resume and received from said first entity that is not incorrect but can be improved;

automatically, by said computer, generating a report that identifies said content that is not incorrect but can be improved; and

providing said report to said first entity.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein:

said step of evaluating includes identifying dates that are sufficiently early in time to allow an inference of age.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein:

said advice includes recommending that content should be removed.

24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

converting said first job seeking document from a free form format to a format that includes fields.

25. A method of performing an evaluation specific to job seeking documents, comprising the steps of:

accessing content of a resume;

evaluating said resume using a set of one or more rules specific to resumes, said set of one or more rules include global document rules that are not specific to one type of data, said global document rules define one or more error conditions in resumes, said evaluating includes applying said global document rules to actual data in said resume and identifying one or more of said error conditions that exist in said actual data in said resume based on said global document rules, said evaluating said resume includes determining how many action verbs are included in said resume; and

creating a report about said identified one or more error conditions that exist in said actual data and outputting said report, said report indicates how many action verbs are included in said resume.

26. A method of performing an evaluation specific to job seeking documents, comprising the steps of:

accessing content of a resume;

evaluating said resume using a set of one or more rules specific to resumes, said set of one or more rules include global document rules that are not specific to one type of data, said global document rules define one or more error conditions in resumes, said evaluating includes applying said global document rules to actual data in said resume and identifying one or more of said error conditions that exist in said actual data in said resume based on said global document rules, said evaluating said resume includes determining how many quantitative expressions are included in said resume; and

creating a report about said identified one or more error conditions that exist in said actual data and outputting said report, said report indicates how many quantitative expressions are included in said resume.

27. A method of performing an evaluation specific to job seeking documents, comprising the steps of:

accessing content of a resume;

evaluating said resume using a set of one or more rules specific to resumes, said set of one or more rules include global document rules that are not specific to one type of data, said global document rules define one or more error conditions in resumes, said evaluating includes applying said global document rules to actual data in said resume and identifying one or more of said error conditions that exist in said actual data in said resume based on said global document rules, said evaluating said resume includes determining whether said resume includes more than a predetermined number of pages; and

creating a report about said identified one or more error conditions that exist in said actual data and outputting said report, and said report indicates whether said resume includes more than said predetermined number of pages.