Intelligent data search

• US 20040260534A1
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Pak, Wai H., Zhang, Yunfei, Caltabiano, Marc Alexander, Saputra, Sia Henry
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1822 Parsing for meaning understanding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A method, system, computer system, computer program product and application programming interface to search a variety of types of documents for material related to concepts expressed in a natural language text. The invention includes analyzing the natural language text to determine an underlying concept and identifying one or more categories of searchable material in a knowledge base that are related to the underlying concept. The invention includes intelligently providing documents from the knowledge base in these categories, both automatically and with the assistance of a customer service agent.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

analyzing natural language text to identify a set of categories of data in a knowledge base;

when the set includes one category,

providing first data associated with the one category from the knowledge base; and

when the set includes more than one category;

presenting the set of categories for selection of a selected category; and

providing second data associated with the selected category from the knowledge base.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating the selected category with a representation of the natural language text in the knowledge base.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein

the providing the first data comprises:

automatically sending a response to the natural language text, wherein

the response comprises the first data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein

the providing the second data comprises:

sending a response to the natural language text, wherein

the response comprises the second data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein

the presenting the set of categories comprises:

providing a score for each category.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein

the data in the knowledge base comprise at least one of

a solution;

a resolution; and

a template.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein

the data in the knowledge base comprise a solution to a problem stated in the natural language text.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein

the solution comprises a plurality of language-specific versions of the solution;

the solution is associated with one category of a plurality of categories; and

each language-specific version of the solution is associated with the one category.

9. An application program interface comprising:

an analyzing function to analyze natural language text to identify a set of categories of data in a knowledge base;

a providing function to provide data associated with a category from the knowledge base; and

a presenting function to present the set of categories for selection of a selected category.

10. The application programming interface of claim 9 further comprising:

an associating function to associate a given category with a representation of the natural language text.

11. A system comprising:

analyzing means for analyzing natural language text to identify a set of categories of data in a knowledge base;

first providing means for providing first data associated with one category from the knowledge base;

presenting means for presenting the set of categories for selection of a selected category when the set includes more than one category; and

second providing means for providing second data associated with the selected category from the knowledge base.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

associating means for associating the selected category with a representation of the natural language text in the knowledge base.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein

the first providing means comprise:

sending means for automatically sending a response to the natural language text, wherein

the response comprises the first data.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein

the second providing means comprise:

sending means for sending a response to the natural language text, wherein

the response comprises the second data.

15. A system comprising:

an analyzing module configured to analyze natural language text to identify a set of categories of data in a knowledge base;

a first providing module configured to provide first data associated with one category from the knowledge base;

a presenting module configured to present the set of categories for selection of a selected category when the set includes more than one category; and

a second providing module configured to provide second data associated with the selected category from the knowledge base.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

an associating module configured to associate the selected category with a representation of the natural language text in the knowledge base.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein

the first providing module comprises:

a sending module configured to automatically send a response to the natural language text, wherein

the response comprises the first data.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein

the second providing module comprises:

a sending module configured to send a response to the natural language text, wherein

the response comprises the second data.

19. A computer system comprising:

a processor for executing instructions; and

a memory for storing the instructions, wherein the instructions comprise;

analyzing instructions configured to analyze natural language text to identify a set of categories of data in a knowledge base;

first providing instructions configured to provide first data associated with one category from the knowledge base;

presenting instructions configured to present the set of categories for selection of a selected category when the set includes more than one category; and

second providing instructions configured to provide second data associated with the selected category from the knowledge base.

20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the instructions further comprise:

associating instructions configured to associate the selected category with a representation of the natural language text in the knowledge base.

21. The computer system of claim 19 wherein

the first providing instructions comprise:

sending instructions configured to automatically send a response to the natural language text, wherein

the response comprises the first data.

22. The computer system of claim 19 wherein

the second providing instructions comprise:

sending instructions configured to send a response to the natural language text, wherein

the response comprises the second data.

23. A computer-readable medium comprising:

analyzing instructions configured to analyze natural language text to identify a set of categories of data in a knowledge base;

first providing instructions configured to provide first data associated with one category from the knowledge base;

presenting instructions configured to present the set of categories for selection of a selected category when the set includes more than one category; and

second providing instructions configured to provide second data associated with the selected category from the knowledge base.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein

the instructions further comprise:

associating instructions configured to associate the selected category with a representation of the natural language text in the knowledge base.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein

the first providing instructions comprise:

sending instructions configured to automatically send a response to the natural language text, wherein

the response comprises the first data.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein

the second providing instructions comprise:

sending instructions configured to send a response to the natural language text, wherein

the response comprises the second data.