Association of semantic objects with linguistic entity categories

• US 8,185,509 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sap France (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Sap France (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Cras, Jean-Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): Ehichioya, Fred I
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Sabana
• Application Number:
  US12/326,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 707/794, 707/802, 707/705, 707/737, 707/793
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

A system includes determination of a name of a semantic object associated with a semantic layer, determination of a linguistic entity category associated with the name, and storage, in association with the semantic layer, of an association between the semantic object and the linguistic entity category. Also included may be determination of a plurality of values associated with the semantic object, and creation of a custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object and comprising a plurality of entities, wherein each of the plurality of entities corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of values.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a name of a semantic object associated with a semantic layer;

determining a linguistic entity category associated with the name of the semantic object associated with the semantic layer;

storing, in association with the semantic layer, an association between the semantic object and the linguistic entity category;

determining a plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

creating a custom linguistic entity category that is different than the determined linguistic entity category, associated with the semantic object and comprises a plurality of entities, wherein each of the plurality of entities of the custom linguistic entity category corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

adding the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object to a name catalog that includes a plurality of linguistic entity categories;

determining a stem of one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

adding the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object as a normal form of one entity of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object;

determining that the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object is an entity of a linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category;

in response to the determining that the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object is an entity of a linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category, adding a normal form and variants of the entity of the linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category as variants of the one of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object;

after the adding a normal form and variants of the entity of the linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category as variants of the one of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object, receiving text to process;

determining a stem of a word of the text; and

determining if the stem of the word of the text matches one of the plurality of linguistic entity categories of the name catalog to which the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object was added.

2. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

stemming the name of the semantic object to generate a stem, and

wherein determining the linguistic entity category comprises determining a linguistic entity category associated with the stem.

3. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein determining the linguistic entity category comprises determining the linguistic entity category from a plurality of linguistic entity categories comprising:

a Subject Type category, a Dimension Type category, an Analysis Type category and a Dimension category.

4. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a stem of each of the plurality of values,

wherein a normal form of each of the plurality of entities is the determined stem of its respective one of the plurality of values.

5. A computer-implemented method according to claim 4, further comprising:

determining that a normal form of one of the plurality of entities is a variant of an entity of a linguistic entity category;

determining one or more other variants of the entity of the linguistic entity category; and

associating the one or more variants with the one of the plurality of entities of the custom linguistic entity category.

6. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

indicating one or more semantic objects for which a custom dimension category will not be generated.

7. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a manual indication to associate another semantic object with one or more linguistic entity categories.

8. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object has a name that is the same as the name of the semantic object associated with the custom linguistic entity category.

9. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

for each other semantic object associated with the semantic layer, repeating said;

creating a custom linguistic entity category that is different than the linguistic entity category, associated with the semantic object and comprises a plurality of entities, wherein each of the plurality of entities of the custom linguistic entity corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

adding the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object to a name catalog that includes a plurality of linguistic entity categories;

determining a stem of one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

adding the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object as a normal form of one entity of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object;

determining that the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object is an entity of a linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category; and

in response to said determine that the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object is an entity of a linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category, add a normal form and variants of the entity of the linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category as variants of the one of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program code, the program code executable by a computer to:

determine a name of a semantic object associated with a semantic layer;

determine a linguistic entity category associated with the name;

store, in association with the semantic layer, an association between the semantic object and the linguistic entity category;

determine a plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

create a custom linguistic entity category that is different than the determined linguistic entity category, associated with the semantic object and comprises a plurality of entities, wherein each of the plurality of entities of the custom linguistic entity category corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

add the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object to a name catalog that includes a plurality of linguistic entity categories;

determine a stem of one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

add the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object as a normal form of one entity of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object;

determine that the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object is an entity of a linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category;

in response to said determine that the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object is an entity of a linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category, add a normal form and variants of the entity of the linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category as variants of the one of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object;

after said add a normal form and variants of the entity of the linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category as variants of the one of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object, receive text to process;

determine a stem of a word of the text; and

determine if the stem of the word of the text matches one of the plurality of linguistic entity categories of the name catalog to which the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object was added.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, the program code further executable by a computer to:

stem the name of the semantic object to generate a stem, and wherein determination of the linguistic entity category comprises determination of a linguistic entity category associated with the stem.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein determination of the linguistic entity category comprises determination of the linguistic entity category from a plurality of linguistic entity categories comprising:

a Subject Type category, a Dimension Type category, an Analysis Type category and a Dimension category.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, the program code further executable by a computer to:

determine a stem of each of the plurality of values, wherein a normal form of each of the plurality of entities is the determined stem of its respective one of the plurality of values.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, the program code further executable by a computer to:

determine that a normal form of one of the plurality of entities is a variant of an entity of a linguistic entity category;

determine one or more other variants of the entity of the linguistic entity category;

and associate the one or more variants with the one of the plurality of entities of the custom linguistic entity category.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, the program code further executable by a computer to:

indicate one or more semantic objects for which a custom dimension category will not be generated.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, the program code further executable by a computer to:

receive a manual indication to associate another semantic object with one or more linguistic entity categories.

17. A system comprising:

computing apparatus that includes hardware and is to;

determine a name of a semantic object associated with a semantic layer;

determine a linguistic entity category associated with the name;

store, in association with the semantic layer, an association between the semantic object and the linguistic entity category;

determine a plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

create a custom linguistic entity category that is different than the determined linguistic entity category, associated with the semantic object and comprises a plurality of entities, wherein each of the plurality of entities of the custom linguistic entity category corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

add the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object to a name catalog that includes a plurality of linguistic entity categories;

determine a stem of one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object;

add the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object as a normal form of one entity of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object;

determine that the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object is an entity of a linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category; and

in response to said determine that the stem of the one of the plurality of values associated with instances of the semantic object is an entity of a linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category, add a normal form and variants of the entity of the linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category as variants of the one of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object; and

after said add a normal form and variants of the entity of the linguistic entity category different than the custom linguistic entity category as variants of the one of the plurality of entities in the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object, receive text to process;

determine a stem of a word of the text; and

determine if the stem of the word of the text matches one of the plurality of linguistic entity categories of the name catalog to which the custom linguistic entity category associated with the semantic object was added.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein determination of the linguistic entity category comprises:

stemming the name of the semantic object to generate a stem, and

determining the linguistic entity category associated with the stem.

19. A system according to claim 17, wherein the linguistic entity category is determined from a plurality of linguistic entity categories comprising:

a Subject Type category, a Dimension Type category, an Analysis Type category and a Dimension category.

20. A system according to claim 17, wherein creation of the custom linguistic entity category comprises:

determination of a stem of each of the plurality of values,

wherein a normal form of each of the plurality of entities is the determined stem of its respective one of the plurality of values.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein creation of the custom linguistic entity category further comprises:

determination that a normal form of one of the plurality of entities is a variant of an entity of a linguistic entity category;

determination of one or more other variants of the entity of the linguistic entity category; and

association of the one or more variants with the one of the plurality of entities of the custom linguistic entity category.