Abstract: Methods, software and devices for indexing responses for later providing to users in response to queries are disclosed. For each stored response, representative queries are stored in association with that response, where each representative query represents a possible query for searching for information addressed by that response. Representative queries are selectively modified by substituting terms by corresponding chosen substitute expressions, where a substitute expression is chosen for a particular term in one of the representative queries based on past substitutions in others of said representative queries. For each response, a Boolean expression is formed from those representative queries associated with that response, as selectively modified, where the Boolean expression is satisfied by each of those representative queries.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system of generating a list of substrings that are common to at least two strings in a plurality of strings is disclosed. Each of the plurality of strings comprises a sequence of terms, and each of the substrings comprises a sequence of one or more of these terms. The method includes forming a reverse index of the terms in the plurality of strings. The reverse index identifies, for each of the terms, the one or more strings containing that term and position therein. The method includes arranging the plurality of strings in an order; and for each one of the strings in the order determining, using the reverse index, substrings common to that one of the strings and subsequent ones of the strings in the order; and for each one of those common substrings, saving an indication associating that common substring with the one of the strings and the subsequent ones of the strings in which that substring is found.

Abstract: Methods, software and devices for responding to a user query are disclosed. A user query received from a user is matched to stored responses to obtain initial matched responses. A confidence metric indicating the likelihood of the initial matched responses satisfying the user query is calculated. Upon determining the confidence metric to be below a specified threshold, the user query is supplemented with contextual data. The user query, supplemented by contextual data, is further matched to stored responses by applying disparate matching techniques to obtain further matched responses, where at least one of the disparate matching techniques differs from techniques used to obtain the initial matched responses. Degree-of-match metrics are calculated taking into account the contextual data, where each degree-of-match metric indicates a quality of match between the user query and a matched response. At least one of the matched responses is presented to the user.

Abstract: Methods, software and devices for responding to a user query are disclosed. A user query received from a user is matched to stored responses to obtain initial matched responses. A confidence metric indicating the likelihood of the initial matched responses satisfying the user query is calculated. Upon determining the confidence metric to be below a specified threshold, the user query is supplemented with contextual data. The user query, supplemented by contextual data, is further matched to stored responses by applying disparate matching techniques to obtain further matched responses, where at least one of the disparate matching techniques differs from techniques used to obtain the initial matched responses. Degree-of-match metrics are calculated taking into account the contextual data, where each degree-of-match metric indicates a quality of match between the user query and a matched response. At least one of the matched responses is presented to the user.

Abstract: Methods, software and devices for responding to a user query are disclosed. A user query received from a user is matched to stored responses to obtain initial matched responses. A confidence metric indicating the likelihood of the initial matched responses satisfying the user query is calculated. Upon determining the confidence metric to be below a specified threshold, the user query is supplemented with contextual data. The user query, supplemented by contextual data, is further matched to stored responses by applying disparate matching techniques to obtain further matched responses, where at least one of the disparate matching techniques differs from techniques used to obtain the initial matched responses. Degree-of-match metrics are calculated taking into account the contextual data, where each degree-of-match metric indicates a quality of match between the user query and a matched response. At least one of the matched responses is presented to the user.

Abstract: Methods, software and devices for responding to a user query are disclosed. A user query received from a user is matched to stored responses to obtain initial matched responses. A confidence metric indicating the likelihood of the initial matched responses satisfying the user query is calculated. Upon determining the confidence metric to be below a specified threshold, the user query is supplemented with contextual data. The user query, supplemented by contextual data, is further matched to stored responses by applying disparate matching techniques to obtain further matched responses, where at least one of the disparate matching techniques differs from techniques used to obtain the initial matched responses. Degree-of-match metrics are calculated taking into account the contextual data, where each degree-of-match metric indicates a quality of match between the user query and a matched response. At least one of the matched responses is presented to the user.

Abstract: Methods, software and devices for indexing responses for later providing to users in response to queries are disclosed. For each stored response, representative queries are stored in association with that response, where each representative query represents a possible query for searching for information addressed by that response. Representative queries are selectively modified by substituting terms by corresponding chosen substitute expressions, where a substitute expression is chosen for a particular term in one of the representative queries based on past substitutions in others of said representative queries. For each response, a Boolean expression is formed from those representative queries associated with that response, as selectively modified, where the Boolean expression is satisfied by each of those representative queries.