Method of finding answers to questions
First Claim
1. A method of automatically finding one or more answers to a natural language question in a computer stored natural language text database, wherein said natural language text database has been analyzed with respect to syntactic functions of constituents, lexical meaning of word tokens, and initial clause boundaries, and wherein said natural language question comprises a question clause, comprising the steps of:
- analyzing, in an analyzing means of a computer system, a computer readable representation of said question clause with respect to syntactic functions of its constituents and the lexical meaning of its word tokens;
defining, in a defining means of a computer system, in response to the analysis step, a set of conditions for an initial clause in said natural language text database to constitute an answer to said question clause, said conditions comprising a condition stipulating that, for an initial clause in said natural language text database to constitute an answer to said questions clause, at least one of the constituents of said question clause should have a corresponding constituent in said initial clause having the same syntactic function and an equivalent lexical meaning;
identifying, in an answer finding means of a computer system, initial clauses in said natural language text database that satisfy said conditions; and
returning, in an answer finding means of a computer system, answers to said question clause by means of the identified initial clauses that match said conditions.
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Abstract
A method and a system for automatically finding one or more answers to a natural language question in a computer stored natural language text database is disclosed. The natural language text database has been analyzed with respect to syntactic functions of constituents, lexical meaning of word tokens and clause boundaries, and the natural language question comprises a question clause. A computer readable representation of the question clause is analyzed with respect to syntactic functions of its constituents and the lexical meaning of its word tokens. In response to the analysis a set of conditions for a clause in the natural language text database to constitute an answer to the question clause is defined. The conditions relate to the syntactic functions of constituents and the lexical meaning of word tokens in the clause. Furthermore, clauses that satisfy said conditions are identified in the natural language text database, and answers to the question clause is returned by means of the identified clauses that matches the conditions.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of automatically finding one or more answers to a natural language question in a computer stored natural language text database, wherein said natural language text database has been analyzed with respect to syntactic functions of constituents, lexical meaning of word tokens, and initial clause boundaries, and wherein said natural language question comprises a question clause, comprising the steps of:
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analyzing, in an analyzing means of a computer system, a computer readable representation of said question clause with respect to syntactic functions of its constituents and the lexical meaning of its word tokens; defining, in a defining means of a computer system, in response to the analysis step, a set of conditions for an initial clause in said natural language text database to constitute an answer to said question clause, said conditions comprising a condition stipulating that, for an initial clause in said natural language text database to constitute an answer to said questions clause, at least one of the constituents of said question clause should have a corresponding constituent in said initial clause having the same syntactic function and an equivalent lexical meaning; identifying, in an answer finding means of a computer system, initial clauses in said natural language text database that satisfy said conditions; and returning, in an answer finding means of a computer system, answers to said question clause by means of the identified initial clauses that match said conditions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17)
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16. A system for automatically finding one or more answers to a natural language question in a computer stored natural language text database, comprising:
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storage means comprising said natural language text database which has been analyzed with respect to syntactic functions of constituents, lexical meaning of word tokens, and initial clause boundaries; analyzing means for analyzing a computer readable representation of question clause of a natural language question with respect to syntactic functions of its constituents and lexical meaning of its word tokens; defining means, operatively connected to said analyzing means, for defining, in response to an analysis performed by the analyzing means, a set of conditions for an initial clause in said natural language text database to constitute an answer to said question clause, said conditions comprising a condition stipulating that, for an initial clause in said natural language text database to constitute an answer to said question clause, at least one of the constituents of said question clause should have a corresponding constituent in said initial clause having the same syntactic function and an equivalent lexical meaning; and answer finding means, operatively connected to said storage means and said defining means, for identifying in said natural language text database initial clauses that satisfy said conditions and for returning answers to said question clause by means of said clauses that satisfy said conditions.
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Specification