Natural language processing based on textual polarity
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsBranimir K. Boguraev, Bharath Dandala, Lakshminarayanan Krishnamurthy, Benjamin P. Segal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Natural language processing (NLP) with awareness of textual polarity. An NLP system, such as a search engine or a Question-Answering (QA) system receives input text for processing. The input text may be a text fragment, a search phrase, a question having a general type, or a polar question having a yes or no answer. The NLP system identifies textual polarity and provides responses to the input text (for example, in answer form) based on identifying evidence whose selection, scoring, and processing, is informed by the textual polarity of the input text, and the textual polarity of candidate evidence passages.
Claims13
A computer program product for performing a textual query by a search engine, comprising a non-transitory tangible storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor of a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the processor, an electronic input text having a polarity value;
- identifying, by the processor, the polarity value of the electronic input text based on a polarity of a textual element of the electronic input text, wherein the identifying is based on determining that a change in the polarity of the textual element changes the polarity of the electronic input text, and wherein the polarity of the textual element gives a meaning to the electronic input text;
- generating, by the processor, a modified electronic input text by replacing the textual element of the electronic input text with a lexical substitute;
- wherein a polarity value of the modified electronic input text is different from the polarity value of the electronic input text, and wherein a meaning of the modified electronic input text is different from the meaning of the electronic input text;
- searching, by the processor, a database using at least a portion of the modified electronic input text as a query;
- and
- receiving, by the processor, search results based on the searching.
A computer system for performing a textual query by a search engine, comprising:
- one or more computer devices each having one or more processors and one or more tangible storage devices;
- and
- a program embodied on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the program having a plurality of program instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising instructions for:
- receiving an electronic input text having a polarity value;
- identifying the polarity value of the electronic input text based on a polarity of a textual element of the electronic input text, wherein the identifying is based on determining that a change in the polarity of the textual element changes the polarity of the electronic input text and wherein the polarity of the textual element gives a meaning to the electronic input text;
- generating a modified electronic input text by replacing the textual element of the electronic input text with a lexical substitute;
- wherein a polarity value of the modified electronic input text is different from the polarity value of the electronic input text, and wherein a meaning of the modified electronic input text is different from the meaning of the electronic input text;
- searching a database using at least a portion of the modified electronic input text as a query;
- and
- receiving search results based on the searching.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.