Fact correction and completion during document drafting

• US 9,495,341 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Vagell, Vance J., Singh, Kartik, Duddu, Sarveshwar, Cooper, Sarah
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Application Number:
  US13/717,790
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method for fact correction and completion during document drafting. The method includes receiving a first user input comprising text being added to an electronic document and initiating a fact correction mode. The fact correction mode includes parsing the text to identify a factual proposition and determining the accuracy of the factual proposition. If the factual proposition is inaccurate, the mode includes displaying a visual indication of the inaccuracy of the factual proposition; receiving a second user input comprising an indication selecting the inaccurate factual proposition; displaying a menu that includes a correction element wherein the correction element is based on an accurate factual proposition related to the inaccurate factual proposition; receiving a third user input comprising an indication selecting the correction element; and modifying the electronic document by replacing at least a portion of the inaccurate factual proposition with at least a portion of the accurate factual proposition.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a first user input comprising text being added to an electronic document;

after a predetermined amount of text has been added to the electronic document, initiating a fact correction mode comprising;

identifying a factual proposition within the text added to the electronic document;

identifying entities for the factual proposition, attributes associated with the entities, and values associated with the attributes;

determining a similarity score by comparing the attributes to reference attributes from a source external to the electronic document,

wherein the reference attributes are associated with the entities identified in the factual proposition, and

wherein reference values are associated with the reference attributes;

if the similarity score is above a threshold value, comparing the values to the reference values to identify whether the factual proposition is inaccurate; and

if the factual proposition is inaccurate, outputting, for display, a visual indication of the inaccurate factual proposition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the fact correction mode further comprises:

if the factual proposition is accurate, ending the fact correction mode.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, a second user input comprising an indication selecting the visual indication associated with the inaccurate factual proposition;

in response to the second user input, outputting, for display, a menu comprising a correction element and a cancel element, wherein the correction element is based on an accurate factual proposition related to the inaccurate factual proposition, and wherein the cancel element, when selected, rejects the correction element;

receiving, at the computing device, a third user input comprising one of an indication selecting the correction element and an indication selecting the cancel element; and

in response to the third user input, modifying the electronic document, resulting in a corrected version of the electronic document, by replacing at least a portion of the inaccurate factual proposition with at least a portion of the accurate factual proposition if the third user input is an indication selecting the correction element and by removing the menu from the display without replacing any portion of the inaccurate factual proposition if the third user input is an indication selecting the cancel element.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the menu further includes a research element and wherein the fact correction mode further includes:

receiving, at the computing device, a fourth user input comprising an indication selecting the research element.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the visual indication of the inaccurate factual proposition is one of text coloring, text highlighting, or text underlining.

6. A computing device, comprising:

a display;

an input device;

one or more processors for controlling the operations of the computing device; and

a memory for storing data and program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

receive a first user input comprising text being added to an electronic document;

after a predetermined amount of text has been added to the electronic document, initiate a fact correction mode comprising;

identifying a factual proposition within the text added to the electronic document;

identifying entities for the factual proposition, attributes associated with the entities, and values associated with the attributes;

determining a similarity score by comparing the attributes to reference attributes from a source external to the electronic document,

wherein the reference attributes are associated with the entities identified in the factual proposition, and

wherein reference values are associated with the reference attributes;

if the similarity score is above a threshold value, comparing the values to the reference values to identify whether the factual proposition is inaccurate; and

if the factual proposition is inaccurate, outputting, for display, a visual indication of the inaccurate factual proposition.

7. The fact correction mode of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, a second user input comprising an indication selecting the visual indication associated with the inaccurate factual proposition;

in response to the second user input, outputting, for display, a menu that includes a correction element and a cancel element, wherein the correction element is based on an accurate factual proposition related to the inaccurate factual proposition, and wherein the cancel element, when selected, rejects the correction element;

receiving, at the computing device, a third user input comprising one of an indication selecting the correction element and an indication selecting the cancel element; and

in response to the third user input, modifying the electronic document by replacing at least a portion of the inaccurate factual proposition with at least a portion of the accurate factual proposition if the third user input is an indication selecting the correction element and by removing the menu from the display without replacing any portion of the inaccurate factual proposition if the third user input is an indication selecting the cancel element.

8. The computing device of claim 7 wherein the fact correction mode further includes:

receiving, at the computing device, a fourth user input comprising an indication to end the fact correction mode.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

saving the corrected version of the electronic document.

10. The computing device of claim 6 wherein the one or more processors are configured to initiate the fact correction mode in response to a user input comprising an indication to initiate the fact correction mode.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a first user input comprising text being added to an electronic document;

in response to the text added to the electronic document including a user-generated indicator for a missing portion of an incomplete factual proposition, initiating a fact completion mode that includes;

identifying the incomplete factual proposition within the text added to the electronic document;

identifying entities for the incomplete factual proposition and attributes associated with the entities;

determining a similarity score by comparing the entities to reference entities and the attributes to reference attributes from a source external to the electronic document, wherein reference values are associated with the reference attributes;

if the similarity score is above a threshold value, identifying one of the reference values as the missing portion of the incomplete factual proposition; and

outputting, for display, a visual indication of the identified reference value.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, a second user input comprising an indication selecting the visual indication associated with the incomplete factual proposition;

in response to the second user input, outputting, for display, a menu that includes a completion element from the matched reference values and a cancel element, wherein the completion element is based on the missing portion of the incomplete factual proposition, and wherein the cancel element, when selected, rejects the completion element;

receiving, at the computing device, a third user input comprising one of an indication selecting the completion element and an indication selecting the cancel element; and

in response to the third user input, modifying the electronic document, resulting in a corrected version of the electronic document, by adding text related to the missing portion to the incomplete factual proposition if the third user input is an indication selecting the completion element and by removing the menu from the display without adding any text related to the missing portion of the incomplete factual proposition if the third user input is an indication selecting the cancel element.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the menu further includes a research element and wherein the fact correction mode further includes:

receiving, at the computing device, a fourth user input comprising an indication selecting the research element.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

saving the corrected version of the electronic document.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein identifying the incomplete factual proposition includes displaying a visual indication of the incomplete factual proposition using one of text coloring, text highlighting, or text underlining.