Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for scoring candidate answer passages. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a query determined to be a question query that seeks an answer response and data identifying resources determined to be responsive to the query; for a subset of the resources: receiving candidate answer passages; determining, for each candidate answer passage, a query term match score that is a measure of similarity of the query terms to the candidate answer passage; determining, for each candidate answer passage, an answer term match score that is a measure of similarity of answer terms to the candidate answer passage; determining, for each candidate answer passage, a query dependent score based on the query term match score and the answer term match score; and generating an answer score that is a based on the query dependent score.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for scoring candidate answer passages. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a query determined to be a question query that seeks an answer response and data identifying resources determined to be responsive to the query; for a subset of the resources: receiving candidate answer passages; determining, for each candidate answer passage, a query term match score that is a measure of similarity of the query terms to the candidate answer passage; determining, for each candidate answer passage, an answer term match score that is a measure of similarity of answer terms to the candidate answer passage; determining, for each candidate answer passage, a query dependent score based on the query term match score and the answer term match score; and generating an answer score that is a based on the query dependent score.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that provide contextual indicators associated with a user session are described. Content items within a document associated with a user session are selected. Upon receiving an indication that the user desires to perform a context-aware search, the document associated with the user session is analyzed for contextual information related to the content items selected by the user. Various “contextual indicators” associated with the user session are derived. The contextual indicators are provided for output in association with the user session. The contextual indicators may be fed to a search engine and used to identify search results that the user has an increased likelihood (relative to the current context surrounding the user) of desiring to access.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for correlating time-series data with events derived from text mining. The system is configured to receive a time period and a parameter concerning an entity, retrieve an event which is related to the entity and occurred within the time period from events which are previously extracted automatically from unstructured text, and display an indication of the event superimposed on a display representing the time series of the parameter for the time period.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for identifying phrases using break points. Break points can be identified using stop words identified in content. Identified phrases can be used to generate a summary of the content.

Abstract: Techniques for automatically focusing searches conducted by a search engine are provided. According to one aspect, revised query terms are automatically generated based on text in links that are in incoming (and/or outgoing) link lists associated with documents that are referenced in initial search results generated based on initial query terms. For example, some of the phrases that appear in incoming (and/or outgoing) links associated with a result document may be selected. The selected phrases may be added to the initial query terms to generate revised query terms. These revised query terms may be submitted automatically to the search engine in order to produce a more focused list of revised search results. This process may be performed repeatedly, each iteration revising query terms generated by the previous iteration, until specified criteria are satisfied, at which point the final revised search results may be presented to a user.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, a calibration arrangement is configured to assist in calibration of a surface scanning system where the calibration arrangement includes a preconfigured physical object which may embody dimensional information wherein the dimensional information is used to calibrate a surface of the scanning system. In an alternative embodiment, the preconfigured physical object is configured to obtain data for use in calibration of the surface of a pan/tilt surface scanning system.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for correlating time-series data with events derived from text mining. The system is configured to receive a time period and a parameter concerning an entity, retrieve an event which is related to the entity and occurred within the time period from events which are previously extracted automatically from unstructured text, and display an indication of the event superimposed on a display representing the time series of the parameter for the time period.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for correlating time-series data with events derived from text mining. The system is configured to receive a time period and a parameter concerning an entity, retrieve an event which is related to the entity and occurred within the time period from events which are previously extracted automatically from unstructured text, and display an indication of the event superimposed on a display representing the time series of the parameter for the time period.

Abstract: Techniques for automatically focusing searches conducted by a search engine are provided. According to one aspect, revised query terms are automatically generated based on text in links that are in incoming (and/or outgoing) link lists associated with documents that are referenced in initial search results generated based on initial query terms. For example, some of the phrases that appear in incoming (and/or outgoing) links associated with a result document may be selected. The selected phrases may be added to the initial query terms to generate revised query terms. These revised query terms may be submitted automatically to the search engine in order to produce a more focused list of revised search results. This process may be performed repeatedly, each iteration revising query terms generated by the previous iteration, until specified criteria are satisfied, at which point the final revised search results may be presented to a user.

Abstract: A process for generating with unification based grammars such as Lexical Functional Grammars which uses construction and analysis of generation guides to determine internal facts and eliminate incomplete edges prior to constructing a generation chart. The generation guide can then be used in the construction of the generation chart to efficiently generate with unification-based grammars such as Lexical Functional Grammars. The generation guide is an instance of a grammar that has been specialized to the input and only contains those parts of the grammar that are relevant to the input. When the generation guide is analyzed to determine internal facts a smaller generation chart is produced.

Abstract: Techniques managing syntactic and semantic ambiguity allow two different kinds of processing and representation of ambiguity to work together. The techniques allow linear logic semantic assembly to work with packed functional (f) structures and provide for contexted version of linear logic where semantic contributions are read from the packed functional (f) structure and pre-pended with the contents of the functional (f) structure to which they pertain. Linear logic reasoning may then be performed in the contexted linear logic to derive possible meanings from the contexted contributions from the packed functional (f) structure. Deductions in the contexted linear logic do not require fully expanding each syntactic parse. Techniques applying skeleton/modifier techniques to contexted reasoning are provided by creating a contexted modifier applicable only for certain syntactic readings.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, a calibration arrangement is configured to assist in calibration of a surface scanning system where the calibration arrangement includes a preconfigured physical object which may embody dimensional information wherein the dimensional information is used to calibrate a surface of the scanning system. In an alternative embodiment, the preconfigured physical object is configured to obtain data for use in calibration of the surface of a pan/tilt surface scanning system.

Abstract: A location-limited channel is implemented using physical exchanges of physical tokens. The physical tokens are implemented using writeable or re-writeable storage media. Location-limited channels, when used to implement pre-authentication protocols, provide demonstrative identification and authenticity. A group originator loads pre-authentication information and a network location from a communication device onto the location-limited physical token channel. The location-limited physical token channel is passed to another participant, who copies the originator's pre-authentication information and location onto that participant's communication device. That participant then adds that participant's own pre-authentication information and network location onto the location-limited physical token channel. This is repeated until the last participant passes the location-limited physical token channel back to the group originator.

Abstract: Techniques managing syntactic and semantic ambiguity allow two different kinds of processing and representation of ambiguity to work together. The techniques allow linear logic semantic assembly to work with packed functional (f) structures and provide for contexted version of linear logic where semantic contributions are read from the packed functional (f) structure and pre-pended with the contents of the functional (f) structure to which they pertain. Linear logic reasoning may then be performed in the contexted linear logic to derive possible meanings from the contexted contributions from the packed functional (f) structure. Deductions in the contexted linear logic do not require fully expanding each syntactic parse. Techniques applying skeleton/modifier techniques to contexted reasoning are provided by creating a contexted modifier applicable only for certain syntactic readings.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for correlating time-series data with events derived from text mining. The system is configured to receive a time period and a parameter concerning an entity, retrieve an event which is related to the entity and occurred within the time period from events which are previously extracted automatically from unstructured text, and display an indication of the event superimposed on a display representing the time series of the parameter for the time period.

Abstract: A process for generating with unification based grammars such as Lexical Functional Grammars which uses construction and analysis of generation guides to determine internal facts and eliminate incomplete edges prior to constructing a generation chart. The generation guide can then be used in the construction of the generation chart to efficiently generate with unification-based grammars such as Lexical Functional Grammars. The generation guide is an instance of a grammar that has been specialized to the input and only contains those parts of the grammar that are relevant to the input. When the generation guide is analyzed to determine internal facts a smaller generation chart is produced.