Patents by Inventor Adam P. Lally
Adam P. Lally 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).
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Patent number: 11409751Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a query, conducting a search through one or more data sources to identify candidate answers to the query, and providing each of the candidate answers with a preliminary score. The method further comprises filtering out any of the candidate answers with a preliminary score that does not satisfy a defined condition. The candidate answers having preliminary scores that satisfy this condition form a subset of the candidate answers. Each of the candidate answers in this subset is processed to produce further scores. A ranking function is applied to these further scores to determine a ranking for each of the candidate answers in the subset; and after this ranking function is applied, one or more of the candidate answers are selected as one or more final answers to the query.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2019Date of Patent: August 9, 2022Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, David C. Gondek, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, IV
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Patent number: 11182679Abstract: A method for generating inference graphs over content to answer input inquiries. First, independent factors are produced from the inquiry, and these factors are converted to questions. The questions are then input to a probabilistic question answering system (PQA) that discovers relations which are used to iteratively expand an inference graph starting from the factors and ending with possible answers. A probabilistic reasoning system is used to infer the confidence in each answer by, for example, propagating confidences across relations and nodes in the inference graph as it is expanded. The inference graph generator system can be used to simultaneously bi-directionally generate forward and backward inference graphs that uses a depth controller component to limit the generation of both paths if they do not meet. Otherwise, a joiner process forces the discovery of relations that join the answers to factors in the inquiry.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2019Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: David W. Buchanan, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally
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Patent number: 10902038Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an input query, decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries, and conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answer to each of the subqueries. A ranking function is applied to each of the candidate answers to determine a ranking for each of these candidate answers; and for each of the subqueries, one of the candidate answers to the subquery is selected based on this ranking. A logical synthesis component is applied to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected the candidate answers to the subqueries. In one embodiment, the procedure applied by the logical synthesis component to synthesize the candidate answer for the input query is determined from the input query.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2017Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, John M. Prager
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Publication number: 20190378021Abstract: A method for generating inference graphs over content to answer input inquiries. First, independent factors are produced from the inquiry, and these factors are converted to questions. The questions are then input to a probabilistic question answering system (PQA) that discovers relations which are used to iteratively expand an inference graph starting from the factors and ending with possible answers. A probabilistic reasoning system is used to infer the confidence in each answer by, for example, propagating confidences across relations and nodes in the inference graph as it is expanded. The inference graph generator system can be used to simultaneously bi-directionally generate forward and backward inference graphs that uses a depth controller component to limit the generation of both paths if they do not meet. Otherwise, a joiner process forces the discovery of relations that join the answers to factors in the inquiry.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2019Publication date: December 12, 2019Inventors: David W. Buchanan, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally
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Patent number: 10438119Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating inference graphs over content to answer input inquiries. First, independent factors are produced from the inquiry, and these factors are converted to questions. The questions are then input to a probabilistic question answering system (PQA) that discovers relations which are used to iteratively expand an inference graph starting from the factors and ending with possible answers. A probabilistic reasoning system is used to infer the confidence in each answer by, for example, propagating confidences across relations and nodes in the inference graph as it is expanded. The inference graph generator system can be used to simultaneously bi-directionally generate forward and backward inference graphs that uses a depth controller component to limit the generation of both paths if they do not meet. Otherwise, a joiner process forces the discovery of relations that may join the answers to factors in the inquiry.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2012Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: David W. Buchanan, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally
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Publication number: 20190171646Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a query, conducting a search through one or more data sources to identify candidate answers to the query, and providing each of the candidate answers with a preliminary score. The method further comprises filtering out any of the candidate answers with a preliminary score that does not satisfy a defined condition. The candidate answers having preliminary scores that satisfy this condition form a subset of the candidate answers. Each of the candidate answers in this subset is processed to produce further scores. A ranking function is applied to these further scores to determine a ranking for each of the candidate answers in the subset; and after this ranking function is applied, one or more of the candidate answers are selected as one or more final answers to the query.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2019Publication date: June 6, 2019Inventors: Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, David C. Gondek, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, IV
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Patent number: 10216804Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a query, conducting a search through one or more data sources to identify candidate answers to the query, and providing each of the candidate answers with a preliminary score. The method further comprises filtering out any of the candidate answers with a preliminary score that does not satisfy a defined condition. The candidate answers having preliminary scores that satisfy this condition form a subset of the candidate answers. Each of the candidate answers in this subset is processed to produce further scores. A ranking function is applied to these further scores to determine a ranking for each of the candidate answers in the subset; and after this ranking function is applied, one or more of the candidate answers are selected as one or more final answers to the query.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2016Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, David C. Gondek, Adam P. Lally, James C. Murdock, IV
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Patent number: 10133808Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an input query, decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries, and conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answer to each of the subqueries. A ranking function is applied to each of the candidate answers to determine a ranking for each of these candidate answers; and for each of the subqueries, one of the candidate answers to the subquery is selected based on this ranking. A logical synthesis component is applied to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected the candidate answers to the subqueries. In one embodiment, the procedure applied by the logical synthesis component to synthesize the candidate answer for the input query is determined from the input query.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2016Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, John M. Prager
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Patent number: 9946763Abstract: According to an aspect, a processing system of a question answering computer system determines a first set of relations between one or more pairs of terms in a question. The processing system also determines a second set of relations between one or more pairs of terms in a candidate passage including a candidate answer to the question. The processing system matches the first set of relations to the second set of relations. A plurality of scores is determined by the processing system based on the matching. The processing system aggregates the scores to produce an answer score indicative of a level of support that the candidate answer correctly answers the question.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2014Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Michael A. Barborak, James J. Fan, Michael R. Glass, Aditya A. Kalyanpur, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, IV, Benjamin P. Segal
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Patent number: 9946764Abstract: According to an aspect, a processing system of a question answering computer system determines a first set of relations between one or more pairs of terms in a question. The processing system also determines a second set of relations between one or more pairs of terms in a candidate passage including a candidate answer to the question. The processing system matches the first set of relations to the second set of relations. A plurality of scores is determined by the processing system based on the matching. The processing system aggregates the scores to produce an answer score indicative of a level of support that the candidate answer correctly answers the question.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2015Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Michael A. Barborak, James J. Fan, Michael R. Glass, Aditya A. Kalyanpur, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, IV, Benjamin P. Segal
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Publication number: 20180101601Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an input query, decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries, and conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answer to each of the subqueries. A ranking function is applied to each of the candidate answers to determine a ranking for each of these candidate answers; and for each of the subqueries, one of the candidate answers to the subquery is selected based on this ranking. A logical synthesis component is applied to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected the candidate answers to the subqueries. In one embodiment, the procedure applied by the logical synthesis component to synthesize the candidate answer for the input query is determined from the input query.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2017Publication date: April 12, 2018Inventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, John M. Prager
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Patent number: 9852213Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an input query, decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries, and conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answer to each of the subqueries. A ranking function is applied to each of the candidate answers to determine a ranking for each of these candidate answers; and for each of the subqueries, one of the candidate answers to the subquery is selected based on this ranking. A logical synthesis component is applied to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected the candidate answers to the subqueries. In one embodiment, the procedure applied by the logical synthesis component to synthesize the candidate answer for the input query is determined from the input query.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2016Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, John M. Prager
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Publication number: 20160246875Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an input query, decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries, and conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answer to each of the subqueries. A ranking function is applied to each of the candidate answers to determine a ranking for each of these candidate answers; and for each of the subqueries, one of the candidate answers to the subquery is selected based on this ranking. A logical synthesis component is applied to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected the candidate answers to the subqueries. In one embodiment, the procedure applied by the logical synthesis component to synthesize the candidate answer for the input query is determined from the input query.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2016Publication date: August 25, 2016Inventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, John M. Prager
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Publication number: 20160246874Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an input query, decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries, and conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answer to each of the subqueries. A ranking function is applied to each of the candidate answers to determine a ranking for each of these candidate answers; and for each of the subqueries, one of the candidate answers to the subquery is selected based on this ranking. A logical synthesis component is applied to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected the candidate answers to the subqueries. In one embodiment, the procedure applied by the logical synthesis component to synthesize the candidate answer for the input query is determined from the input query.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2016Publication date: August 25, 2016Inventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, John M. Prager
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Publication number: 20160232165Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a query, conducting a search through one or more data sources to identify candidate answers to the query, and providing each of the candidate answers with a preliminary score. The method further comprises filtering out any of the candidate answers with a preliminary score that does not satisfy a defined condition. The candidate answers having preliminary scores that satisfy this condition form a subset of the candidate answers. Each of the candidate answers in this subset is processed to produce further scores. A ranking function is applied to these further scores to determine a ranking for each of the candidate answers in the subset; and after this ranking function is applied, one or more of the candidate answers are selected as one or more final answers to the query.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2016Publication date: August 11, 2016Inventors: Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, David C. Gondek, Adam P. Lally, James C. Murdock, IV
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Patent number: 9378273Abstract: A computer-implemented method of answering questions. A word problem is received into a user interface of a question-answering (QA) system operating on a computerized device having a processor. The word problem comprises a question and contextual phrases providing context for the question. The question is parsed from the word problem, using a parsing function of the processor. The contextual phrases are parsed from the word problem, using the parsing function of the processor. A type is identified for the question, using a typing function of the processor. A phrase is identified in the question having the same type as the question. A reformulated question is produced by replacing the phrase in the question having the same type as the question with a contextual phrase. The reformulated question is input to the QA system. Answers to the reformulated question are received from the QA system.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2014Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Jennifer Chu-Carroll, Adam P. Lally, Erik T. Mueller
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Patent number: 9348893Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an input query, decomposing the input query into a plurality of different subqueries, and conducting a search in one or more data sources to identify at least one candidate answer to each of the subqueries. A ranking function is applied to each of the candidate answers to determine a ranking for each of these candidate answers; and for each of the subqueries, one of the candidate answers to the subquery is selected based on this ranking. A logical synthesis component is applied to synthesize a candidate answer for the input query from the selected the candidate answers to the subqueries. In one embodiment, the procedure applied by the logical synthesis component to synthesize the candidate answer for the input query is determined from the input query.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2014Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, John M. Prager
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Publication number: 20160125013Abstract: According to an aspect, a processing system of a question answering computer system determines a first set of relations between one or more pairs of terms in a question. The processing system also determines a second set of relations between one or more pairs of terms in a candidate passage including a candidate answer to the question. The processing system matches the first set of relations to the second set of relations. A plurality of scores is determined by the processing system based on the matching. The processing system aggregates the scores to produce an answer score indicative of a level of support that the candidate answer correctly answers the question.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2015Publication date: May 5, 2016Inventors: Michael A. Barborak, James J. Fan, Michael R. Glass, Aditya A. Kalyanpur, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, IV, Benjamin P. Segal
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Publication number: 20160124962Abstract: According to an aspect, a processing system of a question answering computer system determines a first set of relations between one or more pairs of terms in a question. The processing system also determines a second set of relations between one or more pairs of terms in a candidate passage including a candidate answer to the question. The processing system matches the first set of relations to the second set of relations. A plurality of scores is determined by the processing system based on the matching. The processing system aggregates the scores to produce an answer score indicative of a level of support that the candidate answer correctly answers the question.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2014Publication date: May 5, 2016Inventors: Michael A. Barborak, James J. Fan, Michael R. Glass, Aditya A. Kalyanpur, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, IV, Benjamin P. Segal
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Patent number: 9323831Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a query, conducting a search through one or more data sources to identify candidate answers to the query, and providing each of the candidate answers with a preliminary score. The method further comprises filtering out any of the candidate answers with a preliminary score that does not satisfy a defined condition. The candidate answers having preliminary scores that satisfy this condition form a subset of the candidate answers. Each of the candidate answers in this subset is processed to produce further scores. A ranking function is applied to these further scores to determine a ranking for each of the candidate answers in the subset; and after this ranking function is applied, one or more of the candidate answers are selected as one or more final answers to the query.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2012Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, David C. Gondek, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, IV