Generating programmatic interfaces from natural language expressions of authorizations for provision of information

• US 7,802,231 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cole, Russel Elliot, Baisley, Donald Edward, Dirckze, Ravi Anthony Joseph, Ziebell, Jonathan Virgil
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Thomas K
• Application Number:
  US10/836,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,335 Days
• Field of Search: 717/114, 717/116
• US Class Current: 717/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/211 Syntactic parsing, e.g. based on context-free grammar [CFG] or unification grammars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention is a technique for translating a business rule. An operation for a rule to authorize a provision of information is created. A current container is established. A propositional expression in the rule describing the provision of the information is processed. If the current container is null, a context for the propositional expression is recorded as null, else an object type in the current container is recorded as a resulting context from the propositional expression.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using one or more processors of a computing system to execute computer-executable instructions that cause the computing system to;

create an operation for a rule to authorize a provision of information;

establish a current container;

process a propositional expression in the rule describing the provision of the information, which includes;

if the propositional expression includes a pronominal reference having a referent term that is a subject of an interrogative operator, executing a first processing block; and

if a propositional demonstrative or propositional interrogative is applied to the propositional expression, executing one or more processing blocks other than the first processing block; and

if the current container is null

record that a context for the propositional expression is null,

else record that object type in the current container is a resulting context from the propositional expression.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the propositional expression comprises:

setting the current container to be null;

establishing the context for the propositional expression in the rule; and

parsing the propositional expression.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein establishing the context for the propositional expression comprises:

finding a pronominal reference in the propositional expression having a referent term to be a term in a previously processed propositional expression;

selecting a most recently processed propositional expression having the referent term; and

if the referent term is not a subject of an interrogative operator or a parametric operator

if the current container is not full

setting the current container to be the object type of a resulting

context from the propositional expression,

else setting the current container to null,

else setting the current container to be the object type generated for the referent term.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein parsing the propositional expression comprises:

reading in logical order a role expression in the propositional expression if a propositional interrogative is applied to the propositional expression, the role expression being not a pronominal reference and including no definite article or expression of a specifically referenced instance;

if the role expression contains an indefinite article or has no quantification,

generating an object type for a term in the role expression, and

if the current container is null

adding a parameter having a parameter type to be the object type to the operation,

else adding an attribute having an attribute type to be the object type generated for the term to the object type designated by the current container; and

if the current container is null,

adding a Boolean attribute to the operation to indicate whether the provision of information represents a true or false proposition,

else adding a Boolean attribute to the object type designated by the current container to indicate whether the provision of information represents a true or false proposition.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein parsing the propositional expression comprises:

reading in logical order a role expression in the propositional expression if the propositional expression is an expression to which a propositional demonstrative is applied or contains a term to which an interrogative operator is applied, the role expression being not a pronominal reference;

if the role expression contains an interrogative operator,

generating an object type for the term in the role expression, and

if the current container is null,

adding a parameter having a parameter type to be a collection that contains objects having the object type to the operation,

else

adding an attribute having an attribute type to be a collection that contains objects having the object type to the object type designated by the current container, and

setting the current container to the object type generated for the term,

else if the role expression contains no definite article or expression of a specifically referenced instance,

if the role expression contains an indefinite article or has no quantification,

generating an object type for the term in the role expression, if the current container is null,

adding a parameter having a parameter type to be the object type generated for the term to the operation,

else adding an attribute having an attribute type to be the object type generated for the term to the object type designated by the current container.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein generating the object type for the term comprises:

creating the object type; and

if the term in an identification scheme of the term has a numerical or lexical type

adding an attribute of the numerical or lexical type to the created object type,

else

generating a temporary object type for the term, and

adding an attribute having an attribute type to be same as the temporary object type to the object type.

7. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising;

creating an operation for a rule to authorize a provision of information;

establishing a current container;

processing a propositional expression in the rule describing the provision of the information, wherein processing the propositional expression includes;

if the propositional expression includes a pronominal reference having a referent term that is a subject of an interrogative operator, executing a first processing block; and

if a propositional demonstrative or propositional interrogative is applied to the propositional expression, executing one or more processing blocks other than the first processing block; and

if the current container is null

recording that a context for the propositional expression is null,

else recording that object type in the current container is a resulting context from the propositional expression.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the data causing the machine to perform processing the propositional expression comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

setting the current container to be null;

establishing the context for the propositional expression in the rule; and

parsing the propositional expression.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8 wherein the data causing the machine to perform establishing the context for the propositional expression comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

finding a pronominal reference in the propositional expression having a referent term to be a term in a previously processed propositional expression;

selecting a most recently processed propositional expression having the referent term; and

if the referent term is not a subject of an interrogative operator or a parametric operator

if the current container is not full

setting the current container to be the object type of a resulting context from the propositional expression,

else setting the current container to null,

else setting the current container to be the object type generated for the referent term.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 8 wherein the data causing the machine to perform parsing the propositional expression comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

reading in logical order a role expression in the propositional expression if a propositional interrogative is applied to the propositional expression, the role expression being not a pronominal reference and including no definite article or expression of a specifically referenced instance;

if the role expression contains an indefinite article or has no quantification,

generating an object type for a term in the role expression, and if the current container is null

adding a parameter having a parameter type to be the object type to the operation,

else adding an attribute having an attribute type to be the object type generated for the term to the object type designated by the current container; and

if the current container is null,

adding a Boolean attribute to the operation to indicate whether the provision of information represents a true or false proposition,

else adding a Boolean attribute to the object type designated by the current container to indicate whether the provision of information represents a true or false proposition.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 8 wherein the data causing the machine to perform parsing the propositional expression comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

reading in logical order a role expression in the propositional expression if the propositional expression is an expression to which a propositional demonstrative is applied or contains a term to which an interrogative operator is applied, the role expression being not a pronominal reference;

if the role expression contains an interrogative operator,

generating an object type for the term in the role expression, and

if the current container is null,

adding a parameter having a parameter type to be a collection that contains objects having the object type to the operation,

else

adding an attribute having an attribute type to be a collection that contains objects having the object type to the object type designated by the current container, and

setting the current container to the object type generated for the term,

else if the role expression contains no definite article or expression of a specifically referenced instance,

if the role expression contains an indefinite article or has no quantification,

generating an object type for the term in the role expression, if the current container is null,

adding a parameter having a parameter type to be the object type generated for the term to the operation,

else adding an attribute having an attribute type to be the object type generated for the term to the object type designated by the current container.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the data causing the machine to perform generating the object type for the term comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

creating the object type; and

if the term in an identification scheme of the term has a numerical or lexical type

adding an attribute of the numerical or lexical type to the created object type,

else

generating a temporary object type for the term, and

adding an attribute having an attribute type to be same as the temporary object type to the object type.

13. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

create an operation for a rule to authorize a provision of information;

establish a current container;

process a propositional expression in the rule describing the provision of the information, wherein processing the propositional expression includes establishing a context for the propositional expression in the rule, which further includes;

finding a pronominal reference in the propositional expression having a referent term to be a term in a previously processed propositional expression;

selecting a most recently processed propositional expression having the referent term; and

if the referent term is not a subject of an interrogative operator or a parametric operator,

if the current container is not full

 

setting the current container to be the object type of a resulting context from the propositional expression,

else setting the current container to null,

else setting the current container to be the object type generated for the referent term; and

if the current container is null,

record that the context for the propositional expression is null,

else record that object type in the current container is a resulting context from the propositional expression.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the instructions causing the processor to process the propositional expression comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

set the current container to be null; and

parse the propositional expression.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the instructions causing the processor to parse the propositional expression comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

read in logical order a role expression in the propositional expression if a propositional interrogative is applied to the propositional expression, the role expression being not a pronominal reference and including no definite article or expression of a specifically referenced instance;

if the role expression contains an indefinite article or has no quantification,

generate an object type for a term in the role expression, and if the current container is null

add a parameter having a parameter type to be the object type to the operation,

else add an attribute having an attribute type to be the object type generated for the term to the object type designated by the current container; and

if the current container is null,

add a Boolean attribute to the operation to indicate whether the provision of information represents a true or false proposition,

else add a Boolean attribute to the object type designated by the current container to indicate whether the provision of information represents a true or false proposition.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the instructions causing the processor to parse the propositional expression comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

read in logical order a role expression in the propositional expression if the propositional expression is an expression to which a propositional demonstrative is applied or contains a term to which an interrogative operator is applied, the role expression being not a pronominal reference;

if the role expression contains an interrogative operator,

generate an object type for the term in the role expression, and if the current container is null,

add a parameter having a parameter type to be a collection that contains

objects having the object type to the operation,

else

add an attribute having an attribute type to be a collection that contains objects having the object type to the object type. designated by the current container, and

set the current container to the object type generated for the term,

else if the role expression contains no definite article or expression of a specifically referenced instance,

if the role expression contains an indefinite article or has no quantification,

generate an object type for the term in the role expression,

if the current container is null,

add a parameter having a parameter type to be the object type generated for the term to the operation,

else add an attribute having an attribute type to be the object type generated for the term to the object type designated by the current container.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the instructions causing the processor to generate the object type for the term comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

create the object type; and

if the term in an identification scheme of the term has a numerical or lexical type,

add an attribute of the numerical or lexical type to the created object type,

else

generate a temporary object type for the term, and

add an attribute having an attribute type to be same as the temporary object type to the object type.