Patents by Inventor Jason D. LaVoie

Jason D. LaVoie 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: 10474747
    Abstract: An approach is provided to adjust time dependent terminology in a question and answering (QA) system. The approach ingests a set of documents to produce a corpus utilized by the QA system. A base time is established and the approach acquires a temporally accurate lexicon of terms that correspond to the base time. A corpus of the QA system is updated according to the lexicon. The QA system answers a question according to the updated corpus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Patent number: 9836520
    Abstract: A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for enhancing a classification system to include an automatic classification validation system. The automatic classification validation system takes the classification results and automatically validates them for correctness. More specifically, the automatic classification validation system analyzes the data objects in the categories and, if any outliers are identified, then determines a context of the data object from a plurality of records contained within a certain category to determine the context. The classification validation system then uses the context of the data object to validate the classification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Romina M. J. Jose, Jason D. LaVoie, Kavita Patil, Aleksandr E. Petrov, Jeffrey R. Pratt, Edward T. Winchester, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Patent number: 9720977
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory configured to implement a question and answer (QA) system, for weighting search criteria based on similarities to an ingested corpus in the QA system. A set of question characteristics found in a received input question are compared to a set of data characteristics respectively describing data in each corpus of a corpora. For each question characteristic in the set of found question characteristics, a first weight is assigned to the corpus within which data associated with the data characteristic resides in response to the question characteristic being more related to a data characteristic; otherwise a second weight is assigned, where the first weight is greater than the second weight. A selective search is then performed for an answer to the received input question in one or more corpora with a higher weighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Patent number: 9715531
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory configured to implement a question and answer (QA) system, for weighting search criteria based on similarities to an ingested corpus in the QA system. A set of question characteristics found in a received input question are compared to a set of data characteristics respectively describing data in each corpus of a corpora. For each question characteristic in the set of found question characteristics, a first weight is assigned to the corpus within which data associated with the data characteristic resides in response to the question characteristic being more related to a data characteristic; otherwise a second weight is assigned, where the first weight is greater than the second weight. A selective search is then performed for an answer to the received input question in one or more corpora with a higher weighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Patent number: 9690862
    Abstract: An approach is provided for updating corpora in a Question and Answer (QA) system. Ingestion of a first set of sources into a first corpus and a second set of sources into a second corpus with the second set of sources including updates to the first set of sources. A question is received. The system identifies candidate answers to the question using the sources included in the corpuses. Each candidate answer has a weighting. The system determines whether the first and second corpuses have an overlapping source from which two candidate answers were identified. If an overlapping source is found, the candidate answer from the overlapping source in the first corpus is assigned a lower weighting than the candidate answer from the second corpus. Likely answers are selected from the candidate answers based on the weighting and returned to the requestor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Patent number: 9684726
    Abstract: An approach is provided for updating corpora in a Question and Answer (QA) system. Ingestion of a first set of sources into a first corpus and a second set of sources into a second corpus with the second set of sources including updates to the first set of sources. A question is received. The system identifies candidate answers to the question using the sources included in the corpuses. Each candidate answer has a weighting. The system determines whether the first and second corpuses have an overlapping source from which two candidate answers were identified. If an overlapping source is found, the candidate answer from the overlapping source in the first corpus is assigned a lower weighting than the candidate answer from the second corpus. Likely answers are selected from the candidate answers based on the weighting and returned to the requestor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Patent number: 9524320
    Abstract: An approach is provided for utilizing unstructured corpora in a Question and Answer (QA) system. A question is received at the QA system. A private corpora is generated with the private corpora being associated with the user. The private corpora is generated from private data stores associated with the user as well as private data stores associated with other users. Access to the other user's private data sources is provided to the user by the other users. The system retrieves data responsive to the question from the private corpora. The responsive data is ranked based on its relevance to the question. Likely answers are identified based on the ranked responsive data and the likely answers are provided back to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Patent number: 9519688
    Abstract: An approach is provided for utilizing unstructured corpora in a Question and Answer (QA) system. A question is received at the QA system. A private corpora is generated with the private corpora being associated with the user. The private corpora is generated from private data stores associated with the user as well as private data stores associated with other users. Access to the other user's private data sources is provided to the user by the other users. The system retrieves data responsive to the question from the private corpora. The responsive data is ranked based on its relevance to the question. Likely answers are identified based on the ranked responsive data and the likely answers are provided back to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Publication number: 20160328650
    Abstract: An approach is provided for mining threaded online discussions. In the approach, performed by an information handling system, a natural language processing (NLP) analysis is performed on threaded discussions pertaining to a given topic. The analysis is performed across multiple web sites with each of the web sites including one or more threaded discussions. The analysis results in harvested discussions pertaining to the topic. The harvested discussions are correlated and a question is identified from the harvested discussions. A set of candidate answers is also identified from the harvested discussions, with one of the candidate answers being selected as the most likely answer to the identified question.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2016
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: Donna K. Byron, Jason D. LaVoie
  • Patent number: 9471874
    Abstract: An approach is provided for mining threaded online discussions. In the approach, performed by an information handling system, a natural language processing (NLP) analysis is performed on threaded discussions pertaining to a given topic. The analysis is performed across multiple web sites with each of the web sites including one or more threaded discussions. The analysis results in harvested discussions pertaining to the topic. The harvested discussions are correlated and a question is identified from the harvested discussions. A set of candidate answers is also identified from the harvested discussions, with one of the candidate answers being selected as the most likely answer to the identified question.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donna K. Byron, Jason D. LaVoie
  • Publication number: 20160224566
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory configured to implement a question and answer (QA) system, for weighting search criteria based on similarities to an ingested corpus in the QA system. A set of question characteristics found in a received input question are compared to a set of data characteristics respectively describing data in each corpus of a corpora. For each question characteristic in the set of found question characteristics, a first weight is assigned to the corpus within which data associated with the data characteristic resides in response to the question characteristic being more related to a data characteristic; otherwise a second weight is assigned, where the first weight is greater than the second weight. A selective search is then performed for an answer to the received input question in one or more corpora with a higher weighting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Patent number: 9401943
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an approach is provided in which a processor receives a media stream that includes media content. The processor selects a media stream segment included in the media stream, and generates annotated data based upon a portion of the media content included in the selected media stream segment. The processor, in turn, compares the annotated data with obfuscation preferences that correspond to prohibited content, and modifies the media stream segment in response to the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jason D. LaVoie, Javed Rahman, Eric S. Steitz
  • Patent number: 9342561
    Abstract: Mechanisms for ingesting a document from a corpus of documents for use by a Question and Answer (QA) system are provided. The mechanisms receive a document from a corpus of documents and generate one or more titles for the document based on an analysis of content of the document. The mechanisms generate score values for the titles based on a measure of a degree to which the titles represent the content of the document. The mechanisms store the score values in association with the titles as document metadata associated with the document and output the document and document metadata to the QA system. The QA system utilizes the document metadata and document to generate a candidate answer to an input question.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Alexander Pikovsky, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Publication number: 20160110364
    Abstract: An approach is provided for updating corpora in a Question and Answer (QA) system. Ingestion of a first set of sources into a first corpus and a second set of sources into a second corpus with the second set of sources including updates to the first set of sources. A question is received. The system identifies candidate answers to the question using the sources included in the corpuses. Each candidate answer has a weighting. The system determines whether the first and second corpuses have an overlapping source from which two candidate answers were identified. If an overlapping source is found, the candidate answer from the overlapping source in the first corpus is assigned a lower weighting than the candidate answer from the second corpus. Likely answers are selected from the candidate answers based on the weighting and returned to the requestor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Publication number: 20160110459
    Abstract: An approach is provided for updating corpora in a Question and Answer (QA) system. Ingestion of a first set of sources into a first corpus and a second set of sources into a second corpus with the second set of sources including updates to the first set of sources. A question is received. The system identifies candidate answers to the question using the sources included in the corpuses. Each candidate answer has a weighting. The system determines whether the first and second corpuses have an overlapping source from which two candidate answers were identified. If an overlapping source is found, the candidate answer from the overlapping source in the first corpus is assigned a lower weighting than the candidate answer from the second corpus. Likely answers are selected from the candidate answers based on the weighting and returned to the requestor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Publication number: 20160110361
    Abstract: An approach is provided for utilizing unstructured corpora in a Question and Answer (QA) system. A question is received at the QA system. A private corpora is generated with the private corpora being associated with the user. The private corpora is generated from private data stores associated with the user as well as private data stores associated with other users. Access to the other user's private data sources is provided to the user by the other users. The system retrieves data responsive to the question from the private corpora. The responsive data is ranked based on its relevance to the question. Likely answers are identified based on the ranked responsive data and the likely answers are provided back to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Publication number: 20160112391
    Abstract: An approach is provided for utilizing unstructured corpora in a Question and Answer (QA) system. A question is received at the QA system. A private corpora is generated with the private corpora being associated with the user. The private corpora is generated from private data stores associated with the user as well as private data stores associated with other users. Access to the other user's private data sources is provided to the user by the other users. The system retrieves data responsive to the question from the private corpora. The responsive data is ranked based on its relevance to the question. Likely answers are identified based on the ranked responsive data and the likely answers are provided back to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Publication number: 20160019220
    Abstract: A system, a method, and a computer program product of searching a corpus with an unstructured query in a Question and Answering (QA) system are disclosed. The system, the method, and the computer program product include analyzing structural information of an input question. The analyzing may occur in response to parsing the input question. The analyzing may select a first portion of the input question as a first component. The system, the method, and the computer program product include weighting the first component with a first weight. The weighting may be used in a query. The system, the method, and the computer program product include submitting the query to the QA system. The query may include the first component with the first weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Publication number: 20150356089
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory configured to implement a question and answer (QA) system, for weighting search criteria based on similarities to an ingested corpus in the QA system. A set of question characteristics found in a received input question are compared to a set of data characteristics respectively describing data in each corpus of a corpora. For each question characteristic in the set of found question characteristics, a first weight is assigned to the corpus within which data associated with the data characteristic resides in response to the question characteristic being more related to a data characteristic; otherwise a second weight is assigned, where the first weight is greater than the second weight. A selective search is then performed for an answer to the received input question in one or more corpora with a higher weighting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristin A. Witherspoon
  • Publication number: 20150331935
    Abstract: A system, a method, and a computer program product of searching a corpus with an unstructured query in a Question and Answering (QA) system are disclosed. The system, the method, and the computer program product include analyzing structural information of an input question. The analyzing may occur in response to parsing the input question. The analyzing may select a first portion of the input question as a first component. The system, the method, and the computer program product include weighting the first component with a first weight. The weighting may be used in a query. The system, the method, and the computer program product include submitting the query to the QA system. The query may include the first component with the first weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Jamrog, Jason D. LaVoie, Nicholas W. Orrick, Kristen A. Witherspoon