Abstract: A system for generating images representative of a store shelf includes a retail space management system for generating information describing product and shelf sizes and locations in three dimensions, and including a code which is unique to each product. The products are typically commodity goods. A product database is used to store images of product packages which are accessible using codes unique to each product. A three-dimensional modeling and display system which takes size and location information from the retail space management system and generates three-dimensional models of each shelf and product and accesses the product database using the codes provided by the retail space management system to obtain images for each product. It generates a display of each product on each shelf by combining the obtained images and the generated three-dimensional models. The consumer may manipulate the display to change what is being viewed, to examine product packages and to purchase products.

Abstract: Natural-language sentences are represented in accordance with a con-strained grammar and vocabulary structured to permit direct substitution of linguistic units in one language for corresponding linguistic units in another language. The vocabulary may be represented in a series of physically or logically distinct databases, each containing entries representing a form class as defined in the grammar. Translation involves direct lookup between the entries of a reference sentence and the corresponding entries in one or more target languages.

Abstract: An improved trie compression method that compresses by merging partially identical subtrees. States of the trie are selected, and the nodes of those states examined find nodes that are identical to one another. The most frequently occurring identical node is selected as a substate, and the states are separated into a first group of states that have the substate node therein and a second group of states that do not. The nodes in the first group of states are reordered such that the substate is at the end thereof. Then, the substate of each state is merged into a single node, replaced by a pointer from each state. Compression is performed recursively by choosing a new substate for the remaining nodes of the first group, and for subsequently separated groups, until no further identical nodes are available for merging.

Abstract: A natural language understanding system is described which provides for the generation of concept codes from free-text medical data. A probabilistic model of lexical semantics, in the preferred embodiment of the invention implemented by means of a Bayesian network, is used to determine the most probable concept or meaning associated with a sentence or phrase. The inventive method and system includes the steps of checking for synonyms, checking spelling, performing syntactic parsing, transforming text to its “deep” or semantic form, and performing a semantic analysis based on a probabilistic model of lexical semantics. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, spell checking and transformational processing as well as semantic analysis make use of semantic probabilistic determinations.

Abstract: The invention pertains to the field of Augmentative Communication Technology. The invention addresses the problem of providing a communication device for producing message output reflecting a user's intended message which minimizes the amount of user input required to produce a message. The invention pertains to an augmentative communication system in which user input may specify attributes of a predefined subject of desired communication. Responsive to such input, a system in accordance with the invention may provide to the user a set of predefined messages which are pertinent to the specified subject. From this set of messages the user may specify a message to be produced as output for purposes of communication. Alternatively, the user may alter the specified attributes and receive a different set of predefined messages based on the revised specifications.

Abstract: A computer system and method for natural language translation uses a translation process to translate a source natural language segment (e.g. English) of one or more source words/elements into a target natural language (e.g. German) segment of one or more target words/elements. An evaluation module determines a confidence measure of the natural language translation. Typically, the confidence measure indicates less confidence as the complexity of the translation increases. Various novel features for determining complexity and confidence measure at different steps in the translation are used. The translation process can be terminated if the confidence measure fails to meet a threshold criterion.

Abstract: In a language translation system, a method for providing a guide for a user. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of receiving an input that is representative of at least one word in a source language, and generating at least one recognition hypothesis in the source language in response to the input. The method further comprise the steps of selecting a best hypothesis from the at least one recognition hypothesis in the source language, presenting the best hypothesis in the source language to a user, and presenting alternatives to a portion of the best hypothesis in the source language to the user. The method further includes receiving an indication of a choice of one of the alternatives from the user, and presenting a revised version of the best hypothesis including the alternative chosen to the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adaptive speech recognition hypothesis are provided, wherein a number of ordered recognition hypotheses are generated and presented in response to a received speech input comprising natural spoken language. Generation of the recognition hypotheses comprises assigning basic probabilities to at least one basic component of the speech input using language models and calculating an overall probability of each of the recognition hypotheses using the assigned basic probabilities. The best hypothesis is selected by a user from the recognition hypotheses. Hypothesis generation is adapted in response to the selected best hypotheses, wherein the selected hypothesis is analyzed, a list comprising the basic components of the selected best hypothesis and the assigned basic probabilities is generated, credit is assigned to the basic components of the selected hypothesis by raising the assigned basic probabilities, and the basic probabilities of the language model are renormalized.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automated natural language translation take source natural language and translate it into a target natural language. The language translation is facilitated through the use of domain specific dictionaries, controlling grammar rules, and probability values associated with some dictionary entries. Domain specific dictionaries provide different translations of words depending on the context in which the words are used. Controlling grammar rules are used to supersede all other grammar rules to eliminate inaccurate and undesirable translations. Probability values are used to determine the likelihood a particular multi-word combination is a particular part of speech.

Abstract: A method for automatically generating a minimal set of test phrases for testing a natural commands grammar includes the steps of selecting a line of text in the natural commands grammar; forming a test phrase for the selected line of text; detecting a previous inclusion of the test phrase in the minimal set of test phrases; and, adding the test phrase to the minimal set of test phrases only if the test phrase has not been detected as having been previously included in the minimal set of test phrases in the detecting step.

Abstract: A user goal extracting unit extracts a user goal from an input statement 10 entered by a user. A system goal determining unit 15 determines a system goal in accordance with the user goal. A goal frame generating unit 17 generates a goal frame based on an action sequence knowledge corresponding to the system goal. An action feasibility judging unit 19 sets arguments for, and judges the feasibility of, an action in the goal frame. If the action is judged to be feasible, the action feasibility judging unit 19 outputs an action command to an external application 20. If the action is not judged to be feasible, the action feasibility judging unit 19 outputs a new system goal to the goal frame generating unit 17. The external application 20 outputs a result of execution of the action.

Abstract: A method of analyzing data generated by the response of a subject person to certain stimuli in the nature of cartoon images, to an extent sufficient to judge quickly the common meaning of the data in an objective manner. According to the method, data is generated and collated by presenting a cartoon comprising several frames constituting a story to a subject person and collecting several kinds of dictionary data that result from the response of the subject person to the cartoons. The coincidence of each dictionary data is judged. Finally, points of respective analyzed elements correspond to or not corresponding to each dictionary data is calculated, and the data is analyzed.

Abstract: A data collection and automatic database population system which combines global positioning system (GPS), speech recognition software, radio frequency (RF) communications and geographic information system (GIS) to allow rapid capture of field data, asset tracking and automatic transfer of the data to a GIS database. A pre-defined grammar allows observations to be continuously captured, GPS location and time to be captured and stored on the field unit. Other sensor data is combined with the observations and combined with GPS and time information. A mobile unit's location is tracked real time or post processed through wireless RF transmission of location information between the mobile unit and a central processing station. Real time position correction is provided by Differential GPS (DGPS). The captured data is electronically transferred to a central processing station for operator performed quality assurance and automatic population of the GIS database.

Abstract: A window of letters is identified within a text sample input. If the window contains matches to reference letter sequences (RLS) contained in multiple sets of n-gram language profiles (profiles), then the longest match is kept and scored for each language. Scoring each language is based on frequency parameters of the matched RLS in profiles for each language. The window is incrementally shifted through the sample and the matching and scoring is done on the letters within the window. At the end of the sample input, the language having the highest cumulative score is identified as the sample's language.

Abstract: The invention pertains to the field of Augmentative Communication Technology. The invention addresses the problem of providing a communication device for producing message output reflecting a user's intended message which minimizes the amount of user input required to produce a message. The invention pertains to an augmentative communication system in which user input may specify attributes of a predefined subject of desired communication. Responsive to such input, a system in accordance with the invention may provide to the user a set of predefined messages which are pertinent to the specified subject. From this set of messages the user may specify a message to be produced as output for purposes of communication. Alternatively, the user may alter the specified attributes and receive a different set of predefined messages based on the revised specifications.

Abstract: The invention pertains to the field of Augmentative Communication Technology. The invention addresses the problem of providing a communication device for producing message output reflecting a user's intended message which minimizes the amount of user input required to produce a message. The invention pertains to an augmentative communication system in which user input may specify attributes of a predefined subject of desired communication. Responsive to such input, a system in accordance with the invention may provide to the user a set of predefined messages which are pertinent to the specified subject. From this set of messages the user may specify a message to be produced as output for purposes of communication. Alternatively, the user may alter the specified attributes and receive a different set of predefined messages based on the revised specifications.

Abstract: A computer implemented system for and computer implemented method of summarizing English language etymological information. For each analyzed word, only the primary language or languages of origin are specified. Furthermore, this information is provided in a single line of text. Thus the main objective of this method is to make the major features of the etymology immediately apparent in a single line of text. This method can be implemented on a Personal Computer using word processing software to write a Language Database and Search Macros so the user may easily query the database for words and obtain a printout. A user may type in a single word, multiple words, or an entire paragraph and receive a printout listing an etymological analysis of each word, one analyzed word per line. Secondly, a user may access a Thesaurus with Etymology Database, type in a single word, for example, a medical term, and receive a printout of related medical terms, each etymologically summarized on one line of text.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to characterizing the sense of an occurrence of a polysemous word in a representation of a dictionary. In a preferred embodiment, the representation of the dictionary is made up of a plurality of text segments containing word occurrences having a word sense characterization and word occurrences not having a word sense characterization. The embodiment first selects a plurality of the dictionary text segments that each contain a first word. The embodiment then identifies from among the selected text segments a first and a second occurrence of a second word. The identified second occurrence of the second word has a word sense characterization. The embodiment then attributes to the first occurrence of the second word sense characterization of the second occurrence of the second word.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to performing information retrieval utilizing semantic representation of text. In a preferred embodiment, a tokenizer generates from an input string information retrieval tokens that characterize the semantic relationship expressed in the input string. The tokenizer first creates from the input string a primary logical form characterizing a semantic relationship between selected words in the input string. The tokenizer then identifies hypemyms that each have an “is a” relationship with one of the selected words in the input string. The tokenizer then constructs from the primary logical form one or more alternative logical forms. The tokenizer constructs each alternative logical form by, for each of one or more of the selected words in the input string, replacing the selected word in the primary logical form with an identified hypernym of the selected word.

Abstract: Syntactic analysis is performed on an input and on entries of a bilingual example database using at least one parse tree. The parse trees, formed using a context-free grammar, comprise a number of nodes and each node comprises at least one production rule. Furthermore, at least one node comprises nested production rules. The nested production rules comprise production rules for different combinations of the linguistic constituents of the input. The syntactic analysis comprises recognizing linguistic constituents, ordering the linguistic constituents, representing the linguistic constituents using an adapted feature structure analysis representation, and manipulating the adapted feature structure analysis representation using a natural language parser. The syntactic analysis further comprises generalizing surface variations in the input and the entries of the example database in order to increase the translation efficiency.