Method and system for defining semantic categories and actions

• US 7,716,163 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2001
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hunt, Lee C., Reynar, Jeff, Ammerlaan, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Sheree N
• Application Number:
  US09/907,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,220 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/203, 707/1, 707/6, 707/10, 715/513, 715/515, 382/225
• US Class Current: 707/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema to define a list of terms to be recognized as semantic categories is disclosed. Using an instance of the XML schema, a user may easily define terms to be recognized as semantic categories without having to compile a complete recognizer plug-in. The XML schema may be written using any editing tool or XML schema editing tool to create an instance of the schema. An instance of the semantic category list schema is also referred to as a semantic category list file. Typically, the user completes all of the properties of the XML schema and specifies the list of terms to recognize directly in the XML schema. In addition to specifying terms directly in the XML schema, the user may use a binary representation of the list of terms because of size constraints. The user may also define actions in the semantic category list file.

Claims

1. In a computer system for recognizing a semantic category in an electronic document, a semantic category list file stored in a directory associated with the computer system, the file comprising:

a semantic category list tool for creating the semantic category list file that includes elements of a semantic category list schema, wherein the semantic category is utilized to present a user with choices of actions that are executed in reference to a text and a type label of a string in the electronic document labeled with the type label as belonging to the semantic category, wherein the semantic category list schema is an XML schema and wherein the XML schema includes a binary representation of the elements;

a list of terms in the semantic category list file, wherein the terms are strings in the electronic document that are recognized as belonging to the semantic category, wherein the strings in the electronic document are labeled with a type label associating each string with a semantic category, and wherein an updated list of terms for the semantic category list file is stored in a semantic category term file; and

a list of a plurality of actions in the semantic category list file,

wherein the plurality of actions are actions performed in reference to each term in the list of terms in the semantic category list file,

wherein the list of terms and the list of a plurality of actions in the semantic category list file are defined according to an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema,

wherein the XML schema is utilized to define a recognizer for recognizing the strings belonging to the semantic category,

wherein the list of the plurality of actions is utilized to present a user with choices of actions that are executed in reference to each term, based on the type label associated with a text of each string,

wherein an update Universal Resource Locator (URL) of a web server is called to locate a semantic category update file,

wherein a lastcheckpoint value of the semantic category list file is sent to the web server,

prior to the updated list of terms for the semantic category list file is stored in a semantic category term file, determine whether a new update exists wherein a checkpoint value of the semantic category update file is greater than the lastcheckpoint value of the semantic category list file, and, if so, then download a plurality of semantic category terms from the semantic category update file to replace a plurality of semantic category terms in the semantic category list file,

if no update exists, leave the semantic category list file unchanged, and

store the updated semantic category list file in the directory.

2. The semantic category file of claim 1 wherein the semantic category term file is a compressed binary file.

3. The semantic category file of claim 1 wherein the semantic category file further comprises a localeID identifying a language in which the terms are to-be recognized.

4. The semantic category file of claim 3, wherein the lastcheckpoint value identifies a version number of the last update of the semantic category file.

5. The semantic category file of claim 3 further comprising a lastupdate value, wherein the last update value identifies a time of the last update of the semantic category file.

6. The semantic category file of claim 5 wherein the update URL is a website address to check for updates to the list of terms.

7. The semantic category file of claim 6 further comprising an update frequency value, wherein the update frequency value specifies how often the list of terms are updated.

8. The semantic category file of claim 1 further comprising an action identifier uniquely identifying the action that applies to the semantic category.

9. The semantic category file of claim 8 further comprising an action URL specifying the URL to activate for the action.

10. A computer-implemented method for creating a semantic category list file for recognizing a semantic category in an electronic document, the method comprising:

using a semantic category list tool for creating the semantic category list file that includes elements of a semantic category list schema, wherein the semantic category is utilized to present a user with choices of actions that are executed in reference to a text and a type label of a string in the electronic document labeled with the type label as belonging to the semantic category, wherein the semantic category list schema is an XML schema and wherein the XML schema includes a binary representation of the elements;

calling an update Universal Resource Locator (URL) of a web server to locate a semantic category update file;

sending a lastcheckpoint value of the semantic category list file to the web server;

determining whether a new update exists prior to performing the update by determining whether a checkpoint value of the semantic category update file is greater than the lastcheckpoint value of the semantic category list file, and, if so, then downloading a plurality of semantic category terms from the semantic category update file to replace a plurality of semantic category terms in the semantic category list file;

if no update is available, leaving the semantic category list file unchanged; and

storing the semantic category list file in a directory.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the semantic category list file comprises the following elements:

a list of terms, wherein the terms are strings that are recognized as the semantic category; and

a plurality of actions, wherein the plurality of actions are actions that are performed in reference to the semantic category.

12. A computer-implemented method for performing an update to a semantic category list file, comprising:

using a semantic category list tool determining whether to proceed with the update to the semantic category list file, wherein each semantic category in the semantic category list file is utilized to present a user with choices of actions that are executed based on a text and a type label of a string in an electronic document belonging to each semantic category, and wherein each referenced string in the electronic document is labeled with the type label associating the string with a semantic category;

calling an update Universal Resource Locator (URL) of a web server to locate a semantic category update file;

sending a lastcheckpoint value of the semantic category list file to the web server;

determining whether a new update exists prior to performing the update by determining whether a checkpoint value of the semantic category update file is greater than the lastcheckpoint value of the semantic category list file, and, if so, then downloading a plurality of semantic category terms from the semantic category update file to replace a plurality of semantic category terms in the semantic category list file;

if no update is available, leaving the semantic category list file unchanged; and

storing the updated semantic category list file in a directory.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising updating the lastcheckpoint value in the semantic category list file that is equal to the checkpoint value of the semantic category update file.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising setting a lastupdate value of the semantic category list file to a current time setting.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein determining whether to proceed with an update comprises determining whether the user has initiated an action associated with a semantic category list file, and, if so, then determining to perform an update.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein determining whether to proceed with an update comprises determining whether an interval of time specified in the semantic category list file has elapsed, and, if so, then determining to perform an update.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the interval of time comprises an update frequency element.