# US 2019/0171745 A1 · Open ended question identification for investigations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0171745 A1 - Document ID: US20190171745A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/831,859 - Filed: 2017-12-05 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-05 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Eric V. Kline; Sarbajit K. Rakshit - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190171745A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/24575: {using context} - G06F 9/453: {Help systems} - G06F 16/24573: {using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata} - G06F 16/90332: {Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems} - G06F 16/9035: Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles - G06F 16/9038: Presentation of query results - G06F 40/30: Semantic analysis - G06N 5/01: Dynamic search techniques; Heuristics; Dynamic trees; Branch-and-bound - G06N 5/041: {Abduction} - H04W 4/38: for collecting sensor information - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention include methods and systems for question identification. Aspects of the invention include receiving, by a processor, an investigation profile, wherein the investigation profile associated with an investigation comprises a plurality of questions. Observation data associated with the investigation is received and one or more concepts are extracted from the observational data. The one or more concepts are mapped to the plurality of questions to generate one or more answers to the plurality of questions. The one or more answers to the plurality of questions are analyzed to identify unanswered questions from the plurality of questions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for question identification, the method comprising: receiving, by a processor, an investigation profile associated with an investigation, wherein the investigation profile comprises a plurality of questions; receiving, by the processor, observational data associated with the investigation; extracting one or more concepts from the observational data; mapping the one or more concepts to the plurality of questions to generate one or more answers to the plurality of questions; identifying unanswered questions from the plurality of questions based at least in part on the mapping the one or more concepts to the plurality of questions; and displaying, in a graphical sequence diagram, the unanswered questions and the one or more answers to the plurality of questions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more answers to the plurality of questions are displayed sequentially in the graphical sequence diagram based on an occurrence of events in the investigation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating one or more new questions based at least in part on the mapping the one or more concepts to the one or more questions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising displaying, in the graphical sequence diagram, the one or more new questions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the one or more new questions are displayed proximately to related answered questions in the graphical sequence diagram. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unanswered questions displayed in the graphical sequence diagram are marked with an indicia. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alert based at least in part on the identifying unanswered questions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the alert is electronically transmitted to at least one investigator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving additional observational data associated with the investigation; extracting one or more additional concepts from the additional observational data; and mapping the one or additional concepts to the identified unanswered questions to generated one or more new answers to the identified unanswered questions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising updating the graphical sequence diagram with the one or more new answers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the observational data comprises at least one of an image, a video, and a text. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a confidence score for each of the one or more answers. ### Claim 13 A system for question identification, the system comprising: a processor communicatively coupled to a memory, the processor configured to: receive an investigation profile associated with an investigation, wherein the investigation profile comprises a plurality of questions; receive observational data associated with the investigation; extract one or more concepts from the observational data; map the one or more concepts to the plurality of questions to generate one or more answers to the plurality of questions; identify unanswered questions from the plurality of questions based at least in part on the mapping the one or more concepts to the plurality of questions; and display, in a graphical sequence diagram, the unanswered questions and the one or more answers to the plurality of questions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more answers to the plurality of questions are displayed sequentially in the graphical sequence diagram based on an occurrence of events in the investigation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to generate one or more new questions based at least in part on the mapping the one or more concepts to the one or more questions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to display, in the graphical sequence diagram, the one or more new questions. ### Claim 17 A computer program product for question identification comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, where the program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising: receiving, by a processor, an investigation profile associated with an investigation, wherein the investigation profile comprises a plurality of questions; receiving, by the processor, observational data associated with the investigation; extracting one or more concepts from the observational data; mapping the one or more concepts to the plurality of questions to generate one or more answers to the plurality of questions; identifying unanswered questions from the plurality of questions based at least in part on the mapping the one or more concepts to the plurality of questions; and displaying, in a graphical sequence diagram, the unanswered questions and the one or more answers to the plurality of questions. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the one or more answers to the plurality of questions are displayed sequentially in the graphical sequence diagram based on an occurrence of events in the investigation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising generating one or more new questions based at least in part on the mapping the one or more concepts to the one or more questions. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising displaying, in the graphical sequence diagram, the one or more new questions.