Method and apparatus for creating and categorizing exemplar structures to access information regarding a collection of objects

• US 8,706,770 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renar Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Renar Company LLC
• Inventors: Wright, Linda
• Primary Examiner(s): Btit, Jacob F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROLAND, GRISELLE CORBO
• Application Number:
  US11/726,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,588 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/358 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method for managing a collection of objects, comprises selecting a property which is common to all of the objects; creating a plurality of exemplar structures, at least one exemplar structure for each object; prototypically categorizing the exemplar structures; and using the exemplar structures to access information regarding said collection. Each exemplar structure comprises an exemplar, which is a good example of the property; a broader term, which provides context to the exemplar; an object identifier, which identifies one of the collection of objects; and at least one attribute, which describes the exemplar.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage media including a plurality of exemplar structures created by a computer, each exemplar structure denoting at least one example of a property of an object selected by a user of the computer from a collection of objects having the same property, each exemplar structure including:

the user selected object;

an exemplar associated with the selected object and the property, wherein the exemplar represents one of a plurality of possible meanings of a property;

at least one broader term assigned to the exemplar to set the exemplar in a particular context, wherein the context defines which of the plurality of possible meanings the exemplar represents, and the user selects the broader term from a predefined database of broader terms;

a plurality of attributes associated with the exemplar, which are distinguishing features of the exemplar; and

a plurality of synsets associated with the attributes, wherein at least one synset and a corresponding rank are displayed by the computer for selection by the user each time one of the attributes is associated with the exemplar, and each synset is a cluster of like-meaning words representing one sense of a word.

2. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein if at least one of the attributes is a noun or verb, at least one hyponym is attached to at least one of the attributes.

3. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein if at least one of the attributes is an adjective, at least one synonym is attached to at least one of the attributes.

4. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the more attributes that the exemplar has in common with other exemplars of the particular context, the better the example of the property.

5. A computer configured to create a plurality of exemplar structures, each exemplar structure denoting at least one example of a property of an object selected by a user of the computer from a plurality of objects having the same property, each exemplar structure being embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage media and includes:

the user selected object;

an exemplar associated with the selected object and the property, wherein the exemplar represents one of a plurality of possible meanings of a property;

at least one broader term assigned to the exemplar to set the exemplar in a particular context, wherein the context defines which of the plurality of possible meanings the exemplar represents, and the user selects the broader term from a predefined database of broader terms;

a plurality of attributes associated with the exemplar, which are distinguishing features of the exemplar; and

a plurality of synsets associated with the attributes, wherein at least one synset and a corresponding rank are displayed by the computer for selection by the user each time one of the attributes is associated with the exemplar, and each synset is a cluster of like-meaning words representing one sense of a word.

6. The computer of claim 5 wherein if at least one of the attributes is a noun or verb, at least one hyponym is attached to at least one of the attributes.

7. The computer of claim 5 wherein if at least one of the attributes is an adjective, at least one synonym is attached to at least one of the attributes.

8. The computer of claim 5 wherein the more attributes that the exemplar has in common with other exemplars of the particular context, the better the example of the property.

9. A computer-implemented method of creating and prototypically categorizing exemplar structures to access information regarding a collection of objects having a common property, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of exemplar structures, wherein each exemplar structure denotes at least one example of the common property, and each exemplar structure is embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage media and includes;

one of the objects selected by a user of the computer;

an exemplar associated with the user selected object and the property, wherein the exemplar represents one of a plurality of possible meanings of a property;

at least one broader term assigned to the exemplar to set the exemplar in a particular context, wherein the context defines which of the plurality of possible meanings the exemplar represents, and the user selects the broader term from a predefined database of broader terms;

a plurality of attributes associated with the exemplar, which are distinguishing features of the exemplar;

a plurality of synsets associated with the attributes, wherein at least one synset and a corresponding rank are displayed by the computer for selection by the user each time one of the attributes is associated with the exemplar, and each synset is a cluster of like-meaning words representing one sense of a word; and

prototypically categorizing the exemplar structures by;

determining a number of common attributes and attribute combinations that exist between exemplars of the exemplar structures;

determining a value for each exemplar of the exemplar structures based on the number of common attributes and attribute combinations; and

categorizing the exemplars in accordance with their values.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein if at least one of the attributes is a noun or verb, at least one hyponym is attached to at least one of the attributes.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein if at least one of the attributes is an adjective, at least one synonym is attached to at least one of the attributes.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the more attributes that the exemplar has in common with other exemplars of the particular context, the better the example of the property.

13. A computer-implemented method of creating and prototypically categorizing exemplar structures to access information regarding a collection of objects having a common property, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of exemplar structures, wherein each exemplar structure denotes at least one example of the common property, and each exemplar structure is embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage media and includes;

one of the objects selected by a user of the computer;

an exemplar associated with the user selected object and the property, wherein the exemplar represents one of a plurality of possible meanings of a property;

at least one broader term assigned to the exemplar to set the exemplar in a particular context, wherein the context defines which of the plurality of possible meanings the exemplar represents, and the user selects the broader term from a predefined database of broader terms;

a plurality of attributes associated with the exemplar, which are distinguishing features of the exemplar;

a plurality of synsets associated with the attributes, wherein at least one synset and a corresponding rank are displayed by the computer for selection by the user each time one of the attributes is associated with the exemplar, and each synset is a cluster of like-meaning words representing one sense of a word; and

prototypically categorizing the exemplar structures by;

comparing at least two of the exemplar structures;

identifying a first attribute that is associated with a broader term and at least two exemplars; and

selecting an exemplar, from at least two exemplars, as best representing the first attribute.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein if at least one of the attributes is a noun or verb, at least one hyponym is attached to at least one of the attributes.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein if at least one of the attributes is an adjective, at least one synonym is attached to at least one of the attributes.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the more attributes that the exemplar has in common with other exemplars of the particular context, the better the example of the property.

17. A data management system for creating and prototypically categorizing exemplar structures to access information regarding a collection of objects having a common property, the system comprising:

a computer interface configured to create a plurality of exemplar structures, wherein each exemplar structure denotes at least one example of the common property, and each exemplar structure is embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage media and includes;

one of the objects selected by a user of the system;

an exemplar associated with the user selected object and the property, wherein the exemplar represents one of a plurality of possible meanings of a property;

at least one broader term assigned to the exemplar to set the exemplar in a particular context, wherein the context defines which of the plurality of possible meanings the exemplar represents, and the user selects the broader term from a predefined database of broader terms;

a plurality of attributes associated with the exemplar, which are distinguishing features of the exemplar;

a plurality of synsets associated with the attributes, wherein at least one synset and a corresponding rank are displayed by the computer for selection by the user each time one of the attributes is associated with the exemplar, and each synset is a cluster of like-meaning words representing one sense of a word; and

a processor configured to compare the exemplar structures in order to prototypically categorize the exemplar structures.

18. The data management system of claim 17 wherein the processor categorizes the exemplar structures by:

determining a number of common attributes and attribute combinations that exist between exemplars of the exemplar structures;

determining a value for each exemplar of the exemplar structures based on the number of common attributes and attribute combinations; and

categorizing the exemplars in accordance with their values.

19. The data management system of claim 17 wherein if at least one of the attributes is a noun or verb, at least one hyponym is attached to at least one of the attributes.

20. The data management system of claim 17 wherein if at least one of the attributes is an adjective, at least one synonym is attached to at least one of the attributes.

21. The data management system of claim 17 wherein the processor categorizes the exemplar structures by:

identifying a first attribute that is associated with a broader term and at least two exemplars; and

selecting an exemplar, from at least two exemplars, as best representing the first attribute.

22. The data management system of claim 17 wherein the more attributes that the exemplar has in common with other exemplars of the particular context, the better the example of the property.