Hypothesis analysis methods, hypothesis analysis devices, and articles of manufacture

• US 8,140,464 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Sanfilippo, Antonio P., Gregory, Michelle L., Baddeley, Robert L., Paulson, Patrick R., Tratz, Stephen C., Hohimer, Ryan E., Cowell, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUSS, BENJAMIN J
• Application Number:
  US11/414,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,153 Days
• Field of Search: 706/12, 706 45- 46, 706/52, 706/911
• US Class Current: 706/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/911 Nonmedical diagnostics

Abstract

Hypothesis analysis methods, hypothesis analysis devices, and articles of manufacture are described according to some aspects. In one aspect, a hypothesis analysis method includes providing a hypothesis, providing an indicator which at least one of supports and refutes the hypothesis, using the indicator, associating evidence with the hypothesis, weighting the association of the evidence with the hypothesis, and using the weighting, providing information regarding the accuracy of the hypothesis.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented hypothesis analysis method comprising:

accessing an indicator which at least one of supports and refutes a hypothesis, wherein the indicator defines one of a plurality of different classifications of evidence with respect to the hypothesis;

using the indicator, associating evidence of the one of the classifications with the hypothesis;

weighting the association of the evidence with the hypothesis;

using the weighting, providing information regarding the accuracy of the hypothesis; and

wherein the associating comprises creating a first association of the evidence with the indicator and a second association of the indicator with the hypothesis, and wherein the weighting comprises first weighting the first association of the evidence with the indicator using a first type of weight and second weighting the second association of the indicator with the hypothesis using a second type of weight, and wherein the first and second types of weightings are different.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the evidence one of supports and refutes the indicator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the weighting comprises weighting responsive to user input.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the weighting comprises automatically weighting using processing circuitry.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the automatically weighting comprises automatically weighting using the processing circuitry in the absence of user input regarding the weighting.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first weighting indicates the strength of the evidence with respect to one of supporting and refuting the indicator.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the weighting indicates the reliability of the accuracy of the evidence.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising, using processing circuitry, automatically determining the reliability of the accuracy of the evidence in the absence of user input regarding the reliability of the accuracy of the evidence.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising controlling a display to depict an image including the hypothesis, the indicator, and the weighting including the indication of the reliability of the accuracy of the evidence.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining comprises processing previously stored information regarding trustworthiness of a source of the evidence using the processing circuitry.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing information regarding the accuracy of the hypothesis comprises providing the information automatically using processing circuitry.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the providing information comprises generating the information which indicates a probability that the hypothesis is correct using the processing circuitry in the absence of user input regarding the probability that the hypothesis is correct.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a hierarchy of the hypothesis and the evidence.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using processing circuitry, providing a plurality of plain text documents in the form of structured representations; and

selecting the evidence using the structured representations.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the providing the plain text documents in the form of structured representations comprises providing the plain text documents in a plurality of respective link node graphs which individually include a subject, predicate and object for an individual one of the plain text documents.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicator refutes and supports the hypothesis.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the associating comprises associating the evidence which one of supports and refutes the indicator.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the associating comprises associating the evidence which one of supports and refutes the hypothesis.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the associating comprises associating the evidence which one of supports and refutes the hypothesis and one of supports and refutes the indicator.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessing comprises accessing the indicator comprising textual content.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the hypothesis comprises one hypothesis, and the associating comprises associating the evidence with another hypothesis using the indicator.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the associating comprises simultaneously associating the evidence with the one and the another hypotheses using the indicator, and further comprising providing information regarding the accuracy of the another hypothesis using the association of the evidence with the another hypothesis using the indicator.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the weighting comprises weighting to indicate one of a plurality of extents to which the evidence one of supports and refutes the hypothesis.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the weighting comprises weighting to indicate a level of trustworthiness of a source of-the evidence.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessing comprises accessing the indicator which refutes the hypothesis.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the first weighting comprises providing a strength value which indicates a strength of the evidence supporting or refuting the indicator and a confidence value which indicates a reliability of accuracy of the evidence.

27. The method of claim 26 where the confidence value indicates trustworthiness of a source of the evidence.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the providing information regarding the accuracy of the hypothesis comprises processing the confidence value using processing circuitry in the absence of user input regarding the confidence value.

29. A hypothesis analysis device comprising:

processing circuitry configured to;

access an indicator which at least one of supports and refutes a hypothesis, wherein the indicator defines one of a plurality of different classifications of evidence with respect to the hypothesis;

use the indicator to associate evidence of the one of the classifications with the hypothesis comprising creating a first association of the evidence with the indicator and a second association of the indicator with the hypothesis;

weight the association of the evidence with the hypothesis comprising first weighting the first association of the evidence with the indicator using a first type of weight and second weighting the second association of the indicator with the hypothesis using a second type of weight, and wherein the first and second types of weightings are different; and

use the weighting of the association of the evidence with the hypothesis to provide information regarding the accuracy of the hypothesis.

30. An article of manufacture comprising:

processor-usable media configured to store programming which causes processing circuitry to perform processing comprising;

accessing an indicator which at least one of supports and refutes a hypothesis, wherein the indicator defines one of a plurality of different classifications of evidence with respect to the hypothesis;

using the indicator, associating evidence of the one of the classifications with the hypothesis;

weighting the association of the evidence with the hypothesis;

using the weighting, providing information regarding the accuracy of the hypothesis; and

wherein the associating comprises creating a first association of the evidence with the indicator and a second association of the indicator with the hypothesis, and wherein the weighting comprises first weighting the first association of the evidence with the indicator using a first type of weight and second weighting the second association of the indicator with the hypothesis using a second type of weight, and wherein the first and second types of weightings are different.