US 6,243,670 B1 · Method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for performing semantic analysis and generating a semantic structure having linked frames

Abstract

A method for performing a semantic analysis process on a computer system including a storage unit and an interface includes the steps of: receiving a syntactic tree generated from a natural language sentence text; determining whether an analysis object, which is one of nodes of the syntactic tree, is a verb phrase class which has a verb as a head or a non-verb phrase class which has mainly a noun as the head on the basis of subdivided type information of a phrase of the node with reference to first data stored in the storage unit; analyzing a relation between a verb in the analysis object and a deep case of the verb when the analysis object is the verb phrase class; analyzing a modificative relation in the analysis object when the analysis object is the non-verb phrase class; generating a semantic structure of the natural language sentence text wherein the semantic structure comprises semantic frames corresponding to nodes of the syntactic tree, at least two semantic frames of the semantic frames being linked by a head relation or a deep case relation or a modificative relation, and storing the semantic structure in the storage unit or displaying the semantic structure on a display which is connectable to the computer system via the interface.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method for performing a semantic analysis process on a computer system including a storage unit and an interface, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a syntactic tree generated from a natural language sentence text;
determining whether an, analysis object, which is one of nodes of said syntactic tree, is a verb phrase class which has a verb as a head or a non-verb phrase class which has mainly a noun as the head on the basis of subdivided type information of a phrase of said node with reference to first data stored in said storage unit;
analyzing a relation between a verb in said analysis object and a deep case of said verb when said analysis object is said verb phrase class;
analyzing a modificative relation in said analysis object when said analysis object is said non-verb phrase class;
generating a semantic structure of said natural language sentence text wherein said semantic structure comprises semantic frames corresponding to nodes of said syntactic tree, at least two semantic frames of said semantic frames being linked by a head relation or a deep case relation or a modificative relation;
and
storing said semantic structure in said storage unit or displaying said semantic structure on a display which is connectable to said computer system via said interface;
wherein said step of analyzing a relation between a verb and a deep case of said verb comprises the steps of:
(a) setting a head verb frame corresponding to a head verb node which is the head of said analysis object, and linking an analysis object frame corresponding to said analysis object and said head verb frame by said head relation;
(b) determining the voice of said analysis object with reference to voice information accompanying a node including said analysis object;
(c) determining a deep case to be extracted from deep cases included in verb semantic information accompanying said head verb node;
and
(d) obtaining a syntactic tree node corresponding to said deep case determined in said step (c), setting a deep case frame corresponding to said syntactic tree node, and linking said head verb frame and said deep case frame by said deep case relation.

10 more elements

A method for performing a semantic analysis process on a computer system including a storage unit and an interface, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a syntactic tree generated from a natural language sentence text;
determining whether an, analysis object, which is one of nodes of said syntactic tree, is a verb phrase class which has a verb as a head or a non-verb phrase class which has mainly a noun as the head on the basis of subdivided type information of a phrase of said node with reference to first data stored in said storage unit;
analyzing a relation between a verb in said analysis object and a deep case of said verb when said analysis object is said verb phrase class;
analyzing a modificative relation in said analysis object when said analysis object is said non-verb phrase class;
generating a semantic structure of said natural language sentence text wherein said semantic structure comprises semantic frames corresponding to nodes of said syntactic tree, at least two semantic frames of said semantic frames being linked by a head relation or a deep case relation or a modificative relation;
and
storing said semantic structure in said storage unit or displaying said semantic structure on a display which is connectable to said computer system via said interface;
wherein said step of analyzing a relation between a verb and a deep case of said verb comprises the steps of:
(a) obtaining a head verb node which is the head of said analysis object with reference to second data stored in said storage unit, setting a head verb frame corresponding to said head verb node, and linking an analysis object frame corresponding to said analysis object and said head verb frame by said head relation;
(b) determining the voice of said analysis object with reference to voice information accompanying a node including said analysis object;
(c) determining a deep case to be extracted from deep cases included in verb semantic information accompanying said head verb node;
(d) obtaining a syntactic tree node corresponding to said deep case determined in said step (c), setting a deep case frame corresponding to said syntactic tree node, and linking said head verb frame and said deep case frame by said deep case relation;
(e) performing said semantic analysis process for said deep case frame if said deep case frame is set in said step (d), and
(f) performing said step (c) when said step (e) completes, and completing said semantic analysis process if there is no deep case to be extracted in said deep cases included in verb semantic information when performing said step (c).

11 more elements

A method for performing a semantic analysis process on a computer system including a storage unit and an interface, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a syntactic tree generated from a natural language sentence text;
determining whether an, analysis object, which is one of nodes of said syntactic tree, is a verb phrase class which has a verb as a head or a non-verb phrase class which has mainly a noun as the head on the basis of subdivided type information of a phrase of said node with reference to first data stored in said storage unit;
analyzing a relation between a verb in said analysis object and a deep case of said verb when said analysis object is said verb phrase class;
analyzing a modificative relation in said analysis object when said analysis object is said non-verb phrase class;
generating a semantic structure of said natural language sentence text wherein said semantic structure comprises semantic frames corresponding to nodes of said syntactic tree, at least two semantic frames of said semantic frames being linked by a head relation or a deep case relation or a modificative relation;
and
storing said semantic structure in said storage unit or displaying said semantic structure on a display which is connectable to said computer system via said interface;
wherein said step of analyzing a relation between a verb and a deep case of said verb comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining a head verb node which is the head of said analysis object with reference to second data stored in said storage unit, setting a head verb frame corresponding to said head verb node, and linking an analysis object frame corresponding to said analysis object and said head verb frame by said head relation;
(b) determining a head verb frame to be processed from said head verb frames set in said step (a);
(c) determining the voice of said analysis object with reference to voice information accompanying a node including said analysis object;
(d) determining a deep case to be extracted from deep cases included in verb semantic information accompanying said head verb node;
(e) obtaining a syntactic tree node corresponding to said deep case determined in said step (d), setting a deep case frame corresponding to said syntactic tree node, and linking said head verb frame and said deep case frame by said deep case relation;
(f) determining a deep case frame to be processed from said deep case frames set in said step (e);
(g) performing said semantic analysis process for said deep case frame determined in said step (f), and
(h) performing said step (f) when said step (g) completes, performing said step (d) if there is no deep case frame to be processed in said deep case frames when performing said step (f), performing said step (b) if there is no deep case to be extracted in said deep cases included in verb semantic information when performing said step (d), and completing said semantic analysis process if there is no head verb frame to be processed in said head verb frames when performing said step (b).

13 more elements

A method for performing a semantic analysis process on a computer system including a storage unit and an interface, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a syntactic tree generated from a natural language sentence text;
determining whether an, analysis object, which is one of nodes of said syntactic tree, is a verb phrase class which has a verb as a head or a non-verb phrase class which has mainly a noun as the head on the basis of subdivided type information of a phrase of said node with reference to first data stored in said storage unit;
analyzing a relation between a verb in said analysis object and a deep case of said verb when said analysis object is said verb phrase class;
analyzing a modificative relation in said analysis object when said analysis object is said non-verb phrase class;
generating a semantic structure of said natural language sentence text wherein said semantic structure comprises semantic frames corresponding to nodes of said syntactic tree, at least two semantic frames of said semantic frames being linked by a head relation or a deep case relation or a modificative relation;
and
storing said semantic structure in said storage unit or displaying said semantic structure on a display which is connectable to said computer system via said interface;
wherein said step of analyzing a modificative relation comprises the steps of:
(a) obtaining a head node which is the head of said analysis object with reference to second data stored in said storage unit, setting a head frame corresponding to said head node, and linking an analysis object frame corresponding to said analysis object and said head frame by said head relation;
(b) performing said semantic analysis process for said head frame;
(c) obtaining a modificative phrase node which modifies said head node with reference to said second data stored in said storage unit, setting a modificative phrase frame corresponding to said modificative phrase node, and linking said head frame and said modificative phrase frame by said modificative relation;
(d) determining whether said modificative phrase frame is set when performing said step (c);
(e) performing said semantic analysis process for said modificative phrase frame if said modificative phrase frame is determined to be set in said step (d), and
(f) performing said step (c) when said step (e) completes, completing said semantic analysis process if said modificative phrase frame is not determined to be set in said step (d).

11 more elements

A method for performing a semantic analysis process on a computer system including a storage unit and an interface, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a syntactic tree generated from a natural language sentence text;
determining whether an, analysis object, which is one of nodes of said syntactic tree, is a verb phrase class which has a verb as a head or a non-verb phrase class which has mainly a noun as the head on the basis of subdivided type information of a phrase of said node with reference to first data stored in said storage unit;
analyzing a relation between a verb in said analysis object and a deep case of said verb when said analysis object is said verb phrase class;
analyzing a modificative relation in said analysis object when said analysis object is said non-verb phrase class;
generating a semantic structure of said natural language sentence text wherein said semantic structure comprises semantic frames corresponding to nodes of said syntactic tree, at least two semantic frames of said semantic frames being linked by a head relation or a deep case relation or a modificative relation;
and
storing said semantic structure in said storage unit or displaying said semantic structure on a display which is connectable to said computer system via said interface;
wherein said step of analyzing a modificative relation comprises the steps of:
(a) obtaining a head node which is the head of said analysis object with reference to second data stored in said storage unit, setting a head frame corresponding to said head node, and linking an analysis object frame corresponding to said analysis object and said head frame by said head relation;
(b) determining a head frame to be processed from said head frames set in said step (a);
(c) performing said semantic analysis process for said head frame determined in said step (b);
(d) obtaining a modificative phrase node which modifies said head node with reference to said second data stored in said storage unit, setting a modificative phrase frame corresponding to said modificative phrase node, and linking said head frame and said modificative phrase frame by said modificative relation;
(e) determining a modificative phrase frame to be processed from said modificative phrase frames set in said step (d);
(f) performing said semantic analysis process for said modificative phrase frame determined in said step (e), and
(g) performing said step (e) when said step (f) completes, performing said step (b) if there is no modificative phrase frame to be processed in said modificative phrase frames when performing said step (e), and completing said semantic analysis process if there is no head frame to be processed in said head frames when performing said step (b).

12 more elements

A method for searching information which uses a method for performing a semantic analysis process on a computer system including a storage unit and an interface, said method including the steps of:

receiving a syntactic tree generated from a natural language sentence text;
determining whether an, analysis object, which is one of nodes of said syntactic tree, is a verb phrase class which has a verb as a head or a non-verb phrase class which has mainly a noun as the head on the basis of subdivided type information of a phrase of said node with reference to first data stored in said storage unit;
analyzing a relation between a verb in said analysis object and a deep case of said verb when said analysis object is said verb phrase class;
analyzing a modificative relation in said analysis object when said analysis object is said non-verb phrase class;
generating a semantic structure of said natural language sentence text wherein said semantic structure comprises semantic frames corresponding to nodes of said syntactic tree, at least two semantic frames of said semantic frames being linked by a head relation or a deep case relation or a modificative relation;
and storing said semantic structure in said storage unit or displaying said semantic structure on a display which is connectable to said computer system via said interface, said method for searching information comprising the steps of:
receiving a natural language sentence text via said interface;
performing a morphological analysis process and a syntax analysis process of said natural language sentence text and generating a syntactic tree of said natural language sentence text;
performing said semantic analysis process for said syntactic tree and generating a semantic structure of said natural language sentence text;
extracting a keyword representing an intention of a user of said computer system from said semantic structure;
obtaining a category name and address information corresponding to said natural language sentence text from said keyword with reference to at least a knowledge database stored in said storage unit;
obtaining information to be searched with said category name and said address information with reference to an information database stored in said storage unit, said information database including said information which is classified by said category name and said address information, and
sending obtained information via said interface to another computer system or displaying said information on a display which is connectable to said computer system.

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