Patents by Inventor Eric Woods

Eric Woods 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).

  • Publication number: 20160188707
    Abstract: An approach is provided for evaluating a potential post based on historical data. In the approach, historically highly rated attributes that to previously received highly rated posts are identified. The process receives a potential post from an online Subject Matter Expert (SME). The process analyzes the potential post, using a Natural Language Processing (NLP) routine performed by computer processors. The analysis identifies a lack of one or more of the historically highly rated attributes in the potential post. The process then notifies the SME, based on the analysis, regarding the lack of one or more of the historically highly rated attributes in the potential post.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Joshua S. Allen, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9373086
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided, in association with a Question and Answer (QA) system, for implementing corpus identified reasoning when evaluating questions. An input question is received and an answer to the input question and supporting evidence for the answer are determined based on an evaluation of a corpus of information. The supporting evidence is analyzed to identify reasoning criteria specifying a reason as to why the answer is considered to be a correct answer by a provider of the supporting evidence. Rules are generated based on the identified reasoning criteria with the rules correlating the answer with the identified reasoning criteria and features of the input question. The rules are stored as entries in a reasoning data structure a subsequent question is processed based on the reasoning data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Scott A. Will, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9369488
    Abstract: A term of use policy document defines permissible actions that may be implemented by a user using a computing device. A natural language processing (NLP)-based question and answer (Q&A) system is trained to understand the policy document. The device includes a management application that interacts with the Q&A system to identify a policy violation. When the user performs an action on the device, the application converts that action into an NLP query directed to the Q&A system to determine whether the action constitutes a violation. The query may be accompanied by metadata associated with the user, the device or its state. Upon receipt of the query and any associated metadata, the Q&A system determines if the user action is compliant with the policy and returns a response. Based on the response, the user's computing device may take an enforcement action, e.g., restricting or disabling functionality, or issuing a warning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Woods, Corville Orain Allen, Scott Robert Carrier
  • Publication number: 20160162385
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide for the correlation of violating change sets during regression testing of a computer program. A method of the invention includes annotating a test case with a reference to logical operations of different programmatic objects of a computer program. Thereafter, change sets are applied to the program and the test case is executed by a development environment such as a debugger to a point of failure. It is then determined from the annotations change sets related to the logical operations and different ones of the determined change sets are sequentially replaced and the test case repeatedly re-executed. As such, the ones of the replaced change sets resulting in failure from re-execution of the test case are determined to be violating change sets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Albert A. Chung, Andrew R. Freed, Richard A. Salmon, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9361386
    Abstract: Mechanisms for clarifying an input question are provided. A question is received for generation of an answer. A set of candidate answers is generated based on an analysis of a corpus of information. Each candidate answer has an evidence passage supporting the candidate answer. Based on the set of candidate answers, a determination is made as to whether clarification of the question is required. In response to a determination that clarification of the question is required, a request is sent for user input to clarify the question. User input is received from the computing device in response to the request and at least one candidate answer in the set of candidate answers is selected as an answer for the question based on the user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kelly L. Cook, Adrian X. Rodriguez, Michael M. Skeen, Eric Woods, Menlo Wuu
  • Publication number: 20160147726
    Abstract: A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for analyzing and deducing criteria-related content for evaluation in a system capable of answering questions. A criteria text is processed to identify criteria. The criteria text is then analyzed to identify a set of criteria-related content associated with the criteria, which in turn is processed to determine its relationship to the criteria. Once the relationship has been determined, the set of criteria-related content is annotated accordingly. The set of criteria-related content is then used in accordance with its annotation when processing the criteria for evaluation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Ovies C. Brabson, Kathryn M. Lamont, Saeid Sakhitab, Eric Woods
  • Publication number: 20160147727
    Abstract: A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for analyzing and deducing criteria-related content for evaluation in a system capable of answering questions. A criteria text is processed to identify criteria. The criteria text is then analyzed to identify a set of criteria-related content associated with the criteria, which in turn is processed to determine its relationship to the criteria. Once the relationship has been determined, the set of criteria-related content is annotated accordingly. The set of criteria-related content is then used in accordance with its annotation when processing the criteria for evaluation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Ovies C. Brabson, Kathryn M. Whaley, Saeid Sakhitab, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9342608
    Abstract: Mechanisms for clarifying an input question are provided. A question is received for generation of an answer. A set of candidate answers is generated based on an analysis of a corpus of information. Each candidate answer has an evidence passage supporting the candidate answer. Based on the set of candidate answers, a determination is made as to whether clarification of the question is required. In response to a determination that clarification of the question is required, a request is sent for user input to clarify the question. User input is received from the computing device in response to the request and at least one candidate answer in the set of candidate answers is selected as an answer for the question based on the user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kelly L. Cook, Adrian X. Rodriguez, Michael M. Skeen, Eric Woods, Menlo Wuu
  • Publication number: 20160132562
    Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: determining a search context with a control unit for identifying the search context where a search request is made; determining a result pattern including a word complete over an autosuggestion based on the search context; and generating a search result including a suggestive component based on the result pattern for displaying on a device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventor: Eric Wood
  • Patent number: 9330657
    Abstract: A digital work of literature is vocalized using enhanced text-to-speech (TTS) controls by analyzing a digital work of literature using natural language processing to identify speaking character voice characteristics associated with context of each quote as extracted from the first work of literature; converting the character voice characteristics to audio metadata to control text-to-speech audio synthesis for each quote; transforming the audio metadata into text-to-speech engine commands, each quote being associated with audio synthesis control parameters for the TTS in the context of each the quotes in the work of literature; and inputting the commands to a text-to-speech engine to cause vocalization of the work of literature according to the words of each quote, character voice characteristics of corresponding to each quote, and context corresponding to each quote.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donna Karen Byron, Alexander Pikovsky, Eric Woods
  • Publication number: 20160103873
    Abstract: A semantic search engine is enhanced to employ user preferences to customize answer output by, for a first user, extracting user preferences and sentiment levels associated with a first question; receiving candidate answer results of a semantic search of the first question; weighting the candidate answer results according to the sentiment levels for each of the user preferences; and producing the selected candidate answers to the first user. Optionally, user preferences and sentiment levels may be accumulated over different questions for the same user, or over different users for similar questions. And, supplemental information may be retrieved relative to a user preference in order to further tune the weighting per the preferences and sentiment levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Scott Robert Carrier, Scott N. Gerard, Sterling Richardson Smith, David Blake Styles, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9311404
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system alters search results to increase traffic at network sites, and comprises a computer system including at least one processor. The system processes a search query including an inquiry to determine corresponding search results and an answer to the inquiry, wherein the search results include one or more network sites and a corresponding description of content. The search results are filtered to remove from view the answer from the description of content for the network sites. The filtered search results are displayed to enable access of the network site having a corresponding description of content indicating the network site contains the answer. Alternatively, the answer is highlighted for readily viewing by the user. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for altering search results in substantially the same manners described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Adrian X. Rodriguez, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9311070
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for dynamically recommending configuration changes to an operating system image are provided. Embodiments include monitoring, by an image deployment monitor, configurations of a plurality of deployed copies of a master operating system (OS) image; detecting, by the image deployment monitor, a change in one or more configurations of a first set of deployed copies of the plurality of deployed copies; and in response to detecting the change, generating, by the image deployment monitor, a configuration recommendation to recommend the change to an OS image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Albert D. Bennah, Adrian X. Rodriguez, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9311294
    Abstract: A semantic search engine is enhanced to employ user preferences to customize answer output by, for a first user, extracting user preferences and sentiment levels associated with a first question; receiving candidate answer results of a semantic search of the first question; weighting the candidate answer results according to the sentiment levels for each of the user preferences; and producing the selected candidate answers to the first user. Optionally, user preferences and sentiment levels may be accumulated over different questions for the same user, or over different users for similar questions. And, supplemental information may be retrieved relative to a user preference in order to further tune the weighting per the preferences and sentiment levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Scott Robert Carrier, Scott N. Gerard, Sterling Richardson Smith, David Blake Styles, Eric Woods
  • Publication number: 20160098389
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for processing logical relationships in natural language content. A logical parse of a first parse of the natural language content is generated by identifying latent logical terms within the first parse indicative of logical relationships between elements of the natural language content. The logical parse comprises nodes and edges linking nodes. At least one knowledge value is associated with each node in the logical parse. The at least one knowledge value associated with at least a subset of the nodes in the logical parse is propagated to one or more other nodes in the logical parse based on propagation rules. The propagating of the at least one knowledge value generates transaction records in a transaction knowledgebase data structure. A reasoning operation is executed based on the transaction knowledgebase data structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Nicholas V. Bruno, Jared M.D. Smythe, Eric Woods
  • Publication number: 20160098394
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for processing logical relationships in natural language content. Natural language content is received, upon which a reasoning operation is to be performed. A first parse representation of the natural language content is generated, by a parser, by performing natural language processing on the natural language content. A logical parse of the first parse is generated by identifying latent logical operators within the first parse indicative of logical relationships between elements of the natural language content. A reasoning operation on the logical parse is executed to generate a knowledge output indicative of knowledge associated with one or more of the logical relationships between elements of the natural language content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Nicholas V. Bruno, Jared M.D. Smythe, Eric Woods
  • Publication number: 20160098387
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for processing logical relationships in natural language content. A logical parse of a first parse of a natural language content is generated by identifying latent logical operators within the first parse indicative of logical relationships between elements of the natural language content. The logical parse comprises nodes and edges linking nodes. At least one knowledge value is associated with each node in the logical parse. The at least one knowledge value of at least a subset of the nodes in the logical parse is propagated to one or more other nodes in the logical parse based on propagation rules. A reasoning operation is performed on the logical parse to generate a knowledge output indicative of knowledge associated with one or more of the logical relationships between elements of the natural language content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Nicholas V. Bruno, Robert L. Nielsen, Saeid Sakhitab, Jared M.D. Smythe, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9298442
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for dynamic protection of one or more deployed copies of a master operating system image are provided. Embodiments include monitoring, by an image deployment monitor, an operational state of a deployed copy of a master operating system (OS) image; detecting, by the image deployment monitor, a change in the operational state of the deployed copy of the master OS image; in response to detecting the change, generating, by the image deployment monitor, a configuration recommendation to prevent the change from occurring in operational states of one or more other deployed copies of the master OS image; and providing, by the image deployment monitor, the configuration recommendation to the one or more other deployed copies of the master OS image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Albert D. Bennah, Adrian X. Rodriguez, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9298802
    Abstract: A recommendation engine for works of literature uses patterns of flow and element similarities for scoring a first user-rated work of literature against one or more recommendation candidate works of literature. Cluster models are created using meta-data modeling the works of literature, the meta-data having literary element categories and instances within each category. Each instance is described by an index value (position in the literature) and significance value (e.g. weight or significance). Cluster finding process(es) invoked for each instance in each category find Similarity Concept clusters and Consistency Trend clusters, which are recorded into the cluster models representing each work of literature. The cluster model can be printed or displayed so that a user can visually understand the ebb and flow of each literary element in the literature, and may be digitally compared to other cluster models of other works of literature for potential recommendation to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Scott R. Carrier, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9294204
    Abstract: A first stream of audio data is received a into a data store. Excess pauses are identified in the audio data. A second stream of audio data is transmitted from the data store comprising the first stream of audio data with the excess pause removed, the second stream of audio data transmitted after a delay that is approximately equal to but no less than the duration of the removed excess pause.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Clark A. Dudek, Phillip D. Jones, Eric Woods