REPORT GENERATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100114927A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McClamroch, Kenneth Lee, Sun, Peter, Becker, Jennifer G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/759
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and system for receiving a natural language query. The natural language query is parsed into a plurality of base concepts. One or more base concepts chosen from the plurality of base concepts is processed to define a selected report template. The selected report template is selected from a plurality of default report templates. At least one of the base concepts chosen from the plurality of base concepts is mapped to a data field within data via a mapping dictionary. The data includes a plurality of records. A query is executed on at least a portion of the data to identify a result record set. The result record set defines at least a portion of the plurality of records.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a natural language query;

parsing the natural language query into a plurality of base concepts;

processing one or more base concepts chosen from the plurality of base concepts to define a selected report template, wherein the selected report template is selected from a plurality of default report templates;

mapping, via a mapping dictionary, at least one of the base concepts chosen from the plurality of base concepts to a data field within data, wherein the data includes a plurality of records; and

executing a query on at least a portion of the data to identify a result record set, wherein the result record set defines at least a portion of the plurality of records.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

processing the result record set to define an answer to the natural language query.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

presenting the answer to a user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein presenting the answer to the user includes:

formatting the answer in accordance with the selected report template.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is configured as:

a spreadsheet, a database, or a flat file.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the mapping dictionary includes metadata configured to define one or more mappings between the at least one base concept and the data field within the data store.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the metadata includes one or more complimentary concepts that are related to the base concepts, wherein the complimentary concepts are configured to define at least a portion of the one or more mappings between the at least one base concept and the data field within the data store.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the complimentary concepts are chosen from the group consisting of:

related concepts, sub-concepts, and super-concepts.

9. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a natural language query;

parsing the natural language query into a plurality of base concepts;

processing one or more base concepts chosen from the plurality of base concepts to define a selected report template, wherein the selected report template is selected from a plurality of default report templates;

mapping, via a mapping dictionary, at least one of the base concepts chosen from the plurality of base concepts to a data field within data, wherein the data includes a plurality of records; and

executing a query on at least a portion of the data to identify a result record set, wherein the result record set defines at least a portion of the plurality of records.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions for:

processing the result record set to define an answer to the natural language query.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising instructions for:

presenting the answer to a user.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the instructions for presenting the answer to the user include instructions for:

formatting the answer in accordance with the selected report template.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the data is configured as:

a spreadsheet, a database, or a flat file.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the mapping dictionary includes metadata configured to define one or more mappings between the at least one base concept and the data field within the data store.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the metadata includes one or more complimentary concepts that are related to the base concepts, wherein the complimentary concepts are configured to define at least a portion of the one or more mappings between the at least one base concept and the data field within the data store.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the complimentary concepts are chosen from the group consisting of:

related concepts, sub-concepts, and super-concepts.

20. The computing system of claim 10 wherein the seventh software module is further configured to:

format the answer in accordance with the selected report template.

17. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory architecture coupled with the at least one processor;

a first software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the first software module is configured to receive a natural language query;

a second software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the second software module is configured to parse the natural language query into a plurality of base concepts;

a third software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the third software module is configured to process one or more base concepts chosen from the plurality of base concepts to define a selected report template, wherein the selected report template is selected from a plurality of default report templates;

a fourth software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the fourth software module is configured to map, via a mapping dictionary, at least one of the base concepts chosen from the plurality of base concepts to a data field within data, wherein the data includes a plurality of records; and

a fifth software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the fifth software module is configured to execute a query on at least a portion of the data to identify a result record set, wherein the result record set defines at least a portion of the plurality of records.

18. The computing system of claim 17 further comprising a sixth software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the sixth software module is configured to process the result record set to define an answer to the natural language query.

19. The computing system of claim 18 further comprising:

a seventh software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the seventh software module is configured to present the answer to a user.