Method and system for processing, by an information retrieval system, user input modifying the information retrieval system

• US 7,873,657 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2007
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Information Research and Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Schabes, Yves, Roche, Emmanuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi; Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weinrich; Brian E
• Application Number:
  US11/622,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20080172623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 704/9, 707/771, 717/141
• US Class Current: 707/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

In a method and system for hosting a programming environment and processing user input within an information retrieval system, a definition of an expression is received from a user, during a first session between the user and an information retrieval system, the definition specifying an expression format, a response type, and a display format. The definition is stored. During a second session between the user and the information retrieval system, an expression having a semantic structure is received. The semantic structure of the expression is evaluated. A response to the expression is displayed to the user in a user interface according to the display format specified by the definition of the expression type.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of processing user input to an information retrieval component within a computer wherein the computer implemented method includes a defining session between a user and an information retrieval component and an execution session between the user and an information retrieval component, the computer implemented method comprising:

during the defining session;

(a) receiving and storing a user generated definition of an expression type wherein the expression type is capable of being characterized as a (i) query seeking information from the information retrieval component, (ii) a statement seeking to add new information to the information retrieval component, and (iii) a command to perform an action, wherein the definition of the expression type specifies an expression format having a semantic structure, a response type, and a display format;

during the execution session;

(b) receiving a user generated expression having a semantic structure that matches a semantic structure that was received and stored during the defining session;

(c) identifying an expression type for the received expression by determining;

(i) whether the received expression semantically matches a command;

(ii) whether the received expression is an answer to a question;

(iii) whether a query of the information retrieval component using the received expression exactly as phrased results in identification of stored information associated with the received expression; and

(iv) whether the received expression is an implicit command to add data to the information retrieval component;

(d) processing the received expression according to the response type specified by the definition of the expression type for the received expression; and

(e) causing a response to the received expression to be displayed to the user according to the display format specified by the definition of the identified expression type for the received expression.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

(g) modifying a user interface responsive to the display format specified in the received definition of an expression type.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the expression format represents a command to execute a computer program.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the display format identifies a format of an element of a user interface displaying a response of the specified response type to an expression having the defined expression format.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the display format modifies an element of a user interface displaying a response to the received expression.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received expression comprises a string having a semantic structure.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received expression comprises a plurality of words having a semantic structure.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received expression comprises a question having a semantic structure.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises evaluating a linguistic pattern of the received expression.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises evaluating a word order of the received expression.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying the received expression as an expression having the expression format specified by the received definition.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying the received expression as a command.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying the received expression as a command to execute a computer program.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying the received expression as a command to modify a user interface.

15. An information retrieval system hosted and executing within a computer network comprising:

an information retrieval component in communication with a search index and a collection of information; and

a user interface module in communication with the information retrieval component, the user interface module comprising;

a transceiver for receiving,

during a defining session between a user and the information retrieval system, a user generated definition of an expression type wherein the expression type can be one of a query seeking information from the information retrieval component, a statement seeking to add new information to the information retrieval component, and a command to perform an action, the definition of the expression type specifying an expression format having a semantic structure, a response type, and a display format, and

during an execution session between a user and the information retrieval system, a user generated expression having a semantic structure that matches a semantic structure that was received and stored during the defining session;

a semantic evaluator for evaluating the semantic structure of the received expression by determining;

(i) whether the semantic structure matches a command;

(ii) whether the semantic structure represents an answer to a question;

(iii) whether a query of the information retrieval component using the received expression exactly as phrased results in identification of stored information associated with the received expression; and

(iv) whether the semantic structure is an implicit command to add data to the information retrieval component;

a processor for processing the received expression according to the response type specified in the definition of the expression type for the received expression;

a display component displaying a generated response according to the display format specified in the definition of the expression type for the received expression; and

a storage device for storing the definition of an expression type.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the display component further comprises a means for modifying a user interface displayed to the user in the defining session, responsive to the display format specified in the definition.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the expression type identifies an expression as a command to execute a computer program.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the display format identifies a format for an element of a user interface displaying a response of the specified response type to an expression having the defined expression format.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the display format modifies an element of a user interface displaying a response to the received expression.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein an expression received during an execution session is a string having a semantic structure.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein an expression received during an execution session is a plurality of words having a semantic structure.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein an expression received during an execution session is a question having a semantic structure.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the semantic evaluator further comprises a means for evaluating a linguistic pattern of the expression.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the semantic evaluator further comprises a means for evaluating a word order of the expression.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the semantic evaluator further comprises a means for identifying the expression as a command.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the semantic evaluator further comprises a means for identifying the expression as a command to execute a computer program.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the semantic evaluator further comprises a means for identifying the expression as a command to modify a user interface.

28. A tangible computer readable medium storing a computer program product for processing input to an information retrieval system within a computer network, the computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for receiving a user generated definition of an expression type wherein the expression type can be one of a query seeking information from the information retrieval component, a statement seeking to add new information to the information retrieval component, and a command to perform an action, each expression type comprised of an expression format having a semantic structure, a response type and a display format;

computer program code for storing the expression types;

computer program code for receiving user generated input in the form of an expression having a semantic structure;

computer program code for matching the semantic structure of the expression to one of the stored semantic structures by determining;

(i) whether the semantic structure matches a command;

(ii) whether the semantic structure represents an answer to a question;

(iii) whether a query of the information retrieval component using the received expression exactly as phrased results in identification of stored information associated with the received expression; and

(iv) whether the semantic structure is an implicit command to add data to the information retrieval component;

computer program code for processing the expression according to the response type associated with the matched expression format; and

computer program code for displaying a result of the processed expression according to the display format associated with the matched expression format.