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US 8,712,759 B2Granted
Specializing disambiguation of a natural language expression
AssigneeClausal Computing Oy
InventorTatu J. Ylonen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disambiguation of the meaning of a natural language expression proceeds by constructing a natural language expression, and then incrementally specializing the meaning representation to more specific meanings as more information and constraints are obtained, in accordance with one or more specialization hierarchies between semantic descriptors. The method is generalized to disjunctive sets of interpretations that can be specialized hierarchically.
Claims18
A method of semantically parsing a natural language expression, comprising:
- constructing, by a processor, a first ambiguous meaning representation for a first natural language expression;
- fully or partially disambiguating, by a processor, the first meaning representation by specializing it by replacing a first semantic descriptor in it by a second, more specific semantic descriptor;
- associating with at least one semantic descriptor in the meaning representation a weight indicating an evaluation of how good an alternative it is;
- and
- adjusting at least one such weight in response to a later parsing or disambiguation action.
2 more elements
A method of semantically parsing a natural language expression, comprising:
- constructing, by a processor, a first ambiguous meaning representation for a first natural language expression;
- and
- fully or partially disambiguating, by a processor, the first meaning representation by specializing it by replacing a first semantic descriptor in it by a second, more specific semantic descriptor;
- wherein:
- the constructed meaning representation comprises a first pointer to a first semantic descriptor that is logically organized in one or more specialization hierarchies;
- the disambiguating comprises changing the pointer to point to the second semantic descriptor;
- and
- the second semantic descriptor is a specialization of the first semantic descriptor according to a first specialization hierarchy.
5 more elements
A method of semantically parsing a natural language expression, comprising:
- constructing, by a processor, a first ambiguous meaning representation for a first natural language expression;
- fully or partially disambiguating, by a processor, the first meaning representation by specializing it by replacing a first semantic descriptor in it by a second, more specific semantic descriptor;
- and
- combining the first meaning representation with a second meaning representation associated with a second natural language expression to form a third meaning representation comprising a relation between the first and second meaning representations, the relation type identified by a fourth meaning representation.
1 more element
A method of semantically parsing a natural language expression, comprising:
- constructing, by a processor, a first ambiguous meaning representation for a first natural language expression;
- fully or partially disambiguating, by a processor, the first meaning representation by specializing it by replacing a first semantic descriptor in it by a second, more specific semantic descriptor;
- and
- dynamically generating at least one specialization relation in at least one specialization hierarchy by one or more hierarchy generating rules;
- wherein at least one of the
- hierarchy generating rules generates a metaphoric interpretation for a class of natural language expressions.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a means for constructing a first ambiguous meaning representation for a first natural language expression;
- and
- a means for fully or partially disambiguating the first meaning representation by specializing it by replacing a first semantic descriptor in it by a second, more specific semantic descriptor;
- wherein:
- the constructed meaning representation comprises a first pointer to a first semantic desriptor that is logically organized in one or more specialization hierarchies;
- the disambiguating comprises changing the pointer to point to the second semantic descriptor;
- and
- the second semantic descriptor is a specialization of the first semantic descriptor according to a first specialization hierarchy.
5 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium operable to cause a computer to
- perform semantic parsing, comprising:
- computer readable program code means for constructing a first ambiguous meaning representation for a natural language expression;
- and
- computer readable program code means for fully or partially disambiguating the first meaning representation by specializing it by replacing a first semantic descriptor in it by a second, more specific semantic descriptor;
- wherein:
- the constructed meaning representation comprises a first pointer to a first semantic descriptor that is logically organized in one or more specialization hierarchies;
- the disambiguating comprises changing the pointer to point to the second semantic descriptor;
- and
- the second semantic descriptor is a specialization of the first semantic descriptor according to a first specialization hierarchy.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.