Information processing method and system

Abstract

The present invention relates to processing of textual information in order to automatically answer user-submitted questions pertaining to a given knowledge domain. A proposed system (500) includes a user input interface (510) adapted to receive a user-formulated question (QU) on a natural language format. A transforming module (520), on one hand, converts the user formulated question (QU) into a question template format (QUT) including at least one entity term indicative of a respective main concept embodied in the user formulated question (QU), and on the other hand, converts the user formulated question (QU) into a data instance matching format (QUD) adapted to query a structured database (570), which represents at least a part of a conceptual model of the knowledge domain. A lexicon database (540) contains a multitude of concepts (C) which each is related to a specific question template. A template-matching engine (550) matches the question-template formatted user question (QUT) against the lexicon database (540) to retrieve a matching template cluster (CTQm) associated with a matching query template (TYm) and a matching answer template (αTm), and including at least one matching question template. This template, in turn, has at least one entity slot which is linked to the structured database (570). A data instance-matching engine (560) matches the data-instance-matching formatted user question (QUD) against the structured database (570) to identify at least one matching data instance (Di). A central processing unit (530) fills at least one particular entity slot of the at least one matching question template with the identified at least one matching data instance (Di). A search engine (580) queries the structured database (570) with the matching query template (TYm) to retrieve information ([i]) to complete the matching answer template (αTm). A presentation interface (590) presents an answer (α) based on the retrieved information ([i]) and the matching answer template (αTm).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.