System and method for enhancing e-commerce using natural language interface for searching database

A system for enhancing e-commerce on the Internet, the system allowing a user to purchase goods and services, the user being linked to the system via the Internet, comprising:

• a user interface for receiving a query in a natural language form;
• a natural language interface coupled to the user interface for processing the query;
• a service provider coupled to the user interface for receiving the processed query;
• one or more databases coupled to the user interface for storing information;
• and
• one or more preference files for storing information about the user, including personal information related to the user, and information regarding the user's own vocabulary, use of synonyms, common spelling errors, and unique writing style, wherein the stored information is retrieved from the preference file to analyze the query,
• wherein the system searches the databases using the processed query and provides the results to the user through the user interface.

A method for enhancing e-commerce using a natural language interface, comprising the steps of:

• accessing a user interface provided by a service provider;
• entering a query using a natural language interface, the query being formed in a natural language form;
• processing the query by the natural language interface;
• searching a database using the processed query;
• retrieving results from the database;
• providing the results to the user;
• creating a preference file for the user;
• storing information about the user in the preference file, the information including information relating to the user's identification and information regarding the user's own vocabulary, use of synonyms, common spelling errors, and unique writing style;
• retrieving stored information from the preference file to analyze the query;
• generating synonyms of the query by the natural language interface;
• searching the database using the synonyms;
• assigning a coefficient to each of the synonyms based on closeness of meaning to associated words in the query, wherein each original word in the query has the highest coefficient with respect to each of the synonyms associated with each original word;
• and
• prioritizing the synonyms.

A system for enhancing e-commerce on the Internet, the system allowing a user to purchase goods and services, the user being linked to the system via the Internet, comprising:

• a user interface for receiving a query in a natural language form;
• a natural language interface coupled to the user interface for processing the query;
• a service provider coupled to the user interface for receiving the processed query;
• one or more databases coupled to the user interface for storing information;
• one or more preference files for storing information about the user, including personal information related to the user, and information regarding the user's own vocabulary, use of synonyms, common spelling errors, and unique writing style, wherein the stored information is retrieved from the preference file to analyze the query;
• means for generating synonyms of the query by the natural language interface;
• means for searching the database using the synonyms;
• means for assigning a coefficient to each of the synonyms based on closeness of meaning to associated words in the query, wherein each original word in the query has the highest coefficient with respect to each of the synonyms associated with each original word;
• and
• means for prioritizing the synonyms,
• wherein the system searches the databases using the processed query and provides the results to the user through the user interface.