Method and device for parsing question in knowledge base

A device, comprising:

• a receiver circuit, configured to receive a natural language question entered by a user;
• a memory storing program instructions for execution by a processor, wherein the program instructions comprise instructions for converting the natural language question into a query statement for querying a knowledge base;
• and the processor, by executing the instructions, configured to:
• perform phrase detection on the question received by the receiving circuit to determine a set of first candidate phrases;
• map the first candidate phases to a set of first resource items in the knowledge base, wherein the first resource items have consistent semantic meanings with the first candidate phrases;
• determine values of observed predicates and possible question parse spaces according to the first candidate phrases and the first resource items, wherein the observed predicates are used to indicate features of the first candidate phrases, features of the first resource items, and a relationship between the first candidate phrases and the first resource items, and wherein points in the possible question parse spaces are proposition sets, and truth or falsity of propositions in the proposition sets are represented by values of hidden predicates;
• perform uncertain inference on each proposition set in the possible question parse spaces according to the values of the observed predicates and the values of the hidden predicates, and calculate confidence of each proposition set;
• acquire a combination of true propositions in a proposition set whose confidence satisfies a preset condition, wherein the true propositions are used to indicate search phrases selected from the first candidate phrases, search resource items selected from the first resource items, and features of the search resource items;
• and
• generate a formal query statement according to the combination of the true propositions.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions for execution by a computer, wherein the instructions cause the computer to perform a process of converting a natural language question into a query statement for querying a knowledge base that comprises:

• performing phrase detection on the question entered by a user to determine a set of first candidate phrases;
• mapping the first candidate phrases to a set of first resource items in the knowledge base, wherein the first resource items have consistent semantic meanings with the first candidate phrases;
• determining values of observed predicates and possible question parse spaces according to the first candidate phrases and the first resource items, wherein the observed predicates represent features of the first candidate phrases, features of the first resource items, and a relationship between the first candidate phrases and the first resource items, and wherein points in the possible question parse spaces are proposition sets, and truth or falsity of propositions in the proposition sets are represented by values of hidden predicates;
• performing uncertain inference on each proposition set in the possible question parse spaces according to the values of the observed predicates and the values of the hidden predicates, and calculating confidence of each proposition set;
• acquiring a combination of true propositions in a proposition set and whose confidence satisfies a preset condition, wherein the true propositions are used to indicate search phrases selected from the first candidate phrases, search resource items selected from the first resource items, and features of the search resource items;
• and
• generating a formal query statement according to the combination of the true propositions.