Patents by Inventor Aaron N. Kaplan

Aaron N. Kaplan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8694483
    Abstract: A method for assisting a user to develop a query in a natural language includes receiving a user's query in a natural language and, while the user's query is being entered, presenting a subset of ranked query suggestions from a collection of ranked query suggestions to the user as candidates for user queries. The subset is based on that portion of the user's query already entered. The query suggestions in the subset of query suggestions are presented according to their respective rankings in the collection. Each of the query suggestions in the collection is formulated to retrieve at least one responsive instance in the knowledge base. The rankings of the query suggestions in the collection are based at least in part on stored logs of prior user sessions in which user queries were input to a search engine for retrieving responsive instances from the knowledge base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Frederic Roulland, Stefania Castellani, Aaron N. Kaplan, Maria Antonietta Grasso, Jacki O'Neill, Jonina Selin
  • Patent number: 8103669
    Abstract: A system and method enable semi-automated generation of query expansion rules for searching a knowledge base. Candidate synonymy pairs are automatically extracted from queries made by users when searching a knowledge base. Synonymy rules are defined, based on the extracted candidate synonymy pairs, and may be context dependent. Query expansion rules based on the defined synonymy rules can then be exported to a storage medium for use in expansion of new user queries when searching the knowledge base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stefania Castellani, Aaron N. Kaplan, Frederic Roulland, Jutta K. Willamowski
  • Patent number: 7890318
    Abstract: A method for troubleshooting a problem with a device includes acquiring device data for the device, receiving a user's query concerning a device in a natural language, presenting possible refinements to at least a portion of the user's query for defining a problem statement, presenting candidate solutions that are associated with the defined problem statement in a knowledge base, at least one of the presentation of possible refinements and the presentation of candidate solutions being informed by device data that is linked through a diagnostic model of the device to at least one of the problem statements and candidate solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stefania Castellani, Antonietta Grasso, Aaron N. Kaplan, Frederic Roulland, Claude Roux, Tracy E. Thieret, Roger Kramer, Ronald M. Rockwell, Donald J. Gusmano
  • Patent number: 7774198
    Abstract: A computer retrieval system includes memory which stores instructions for (1) receiving a user query in a natural language, (2) identifying text strings from an associated knowledge base, each containing at least one expression (word or multi-word expression) which is matched with at least one expression of the user query, (3) refining the user query by representing at least a group of the text strings as a navigation tree in which each of a plurality of selectable nodes comprises an expression representative of at least one syntactic unit in at least one of the identified text strings and wherein relationships between syntactic units are used in structuring the nodes of the navigation tree, and (4) retrieving text from the knowledge base related to the refined query. A processor executes the instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Frederic Roulland, Claude Roux, Stefania Castellani, Aaron N. Kaplan, Karin Pettersson, Antonietta Grasso, Jacki O'Neill
  • Publication number: 20090292700
    Abstract: A system and method enable semi-automated generation of query expansion rules for searching a knowledge base. Candidate synonymy pairs are automatically extracted from queries made by users when searching a knowledge base. Synonymy rules are defined, based on the extracted candidate synonymy pairs, and may be context dependent. Query expansion rules based on the defined synonymy rules can then be exported to a storage medium for use in expansion of new user queries when searching the knowledge base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stefania Castellani, Aaron N. Kaplan, Frederic Roulland, Jutta K. Willamowski
  • Publication number: 20090106224
    Abstract: A method for assisting a user to develop a query in a natural language includes receiving a user's query in a natural language and, while the user's query is being entered, presenting a subset of ranked query suggestions from a collection of ranked query suggestions to the user as candidates for user queries. The subset is based on that portion of the user's query already entered. The query suggestions in the subset of query suggestions are presented according to their respective rankings in the collection. Each of the query suggestions in the collection is formulated to retrieve at least one responsive instance in the knowledge base. The rankings of the query suggestions in the collection are based at least in part on stored logs of prior user sessions in which user queries were input to a search engine for retrieving responsive instances from the knowledge base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Inventors: Frederic Roulland, Stefania Castellani, Aaron N. Kaplan, Maria Antonietta Grasso, Jacki O'Neill, Jonina Selin
  • Publication number: 20080294423
    Abstract: A method for troubleshooting a problem with a device includes acquiring device data for the device, receiving a user's query concerning a device in a natural language, presenting possible refinements to at least a portion of the user's query for defining a problem statement, presenting candidate solutions that are associated with the defined problem statement in a knowledge base, at least one of the presentation of possible refinements and the presentation of candidate solutions being informed by device data that is linked through a diagnostic model of the device to at least one of the problem statements and candidate solutions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventors: Stefania Castellani, Antonietta Grasso, Aaron N. Kaplan, Frederic Roulland, Claude Roux, Tracy E. Thieret, Roger Kramer, Ronald M. Rockwell, Donald J. Gusmano
  • Publication number: 20080091408
    Abstract: A computer retrieval system includes memory which stores instructions for (1) receiving a user query in a natural language, (2) identifying text strings from an associated knowledge base, each containing at least one expression (word or multi-word expression) which is matched with at least one expression of the user query, (3) refining the user query by representing at least a group of the text strings as a navigation tree in which each of a plurality of selectable nodes comprises an expression representative of at least one syntactic unit in at least one of the identified text strings and wherein relationships between syntactic units are used in structuring the nodes of the navigation tree, and (4) retrieving text from the knowledge base related to the refined query. A processor executes the instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventors: Frederic Roulland, Claude Roux, Stefania Castellani, Aaron N. Kaplan, Karin Pettersson, Antonietta Grasso, Jacki O'Neill