Patents by Inventor John M. Prager

John M. Prager 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: 9031832
    Abstract: Context-based disambiguation of acronyms and/or abbreviations may determine a target abbreviation and one or more keywords appearing in context with the target abbreviation in a received passage, the target abbreviation representing a shortened form of one or more word. A contextual search query including the target abbreviation and said one or more keywords may be generated. A pseudo document index may be searched for one or more expansions of the target abbreviation by invoking the contextual search query, the pseudo document index containing index of one or more pseudo documents, associated one or more abbreviations and associated context keywords. One or more pseudo documents associated with the target abbreviation may be returned based on the searching of the pseudo document index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Branimir K. Boguraev, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Anthony T. Levas, John M. Prager
  • Patent number: 9020805
    Abstract: Context-based disambiguation of acronyms and/or abbreviations may determine a target abbreviation and one or more keywords appearing in context with the target abbreviation in a received passage, the target abbreviation representing a shortened form of one or more word. A contextual search query including the target abbreviation and said one or more keywords may be generated. A pseudo document index may be searched for one or more expansions of the target abbreviation by invoking the contextual search query, the pseudo document index containing index of one or more pseudo documents, associated one or more abbreviations and associated context keywords. One or more pseudo documents associated with the target abbreviation may be returned based on the searching of the pseudo document index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Branimir K. Boguraev, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Anthony T. Levas, John M. Prager
  • Publication number: 20150026169
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, John M. Prager
  • Patent number: 8898159
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, IV, John M. Prager
  • Publication number: 20140278362
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for generating a dictionary data structure for analytical operations. A source terminology resource is ingested to generate a hierarchical representation of the source terminology resource comprising nodes for terms related to concepts in the source terminology resource. For a node of the nodes in the hierarchical representation of the source terminology resource, a permutation of a corresponding term associated with the node is generated. An expanded hierarchical representation of the source terminology resource is generated based on the generated permutation. An enhanced dictionary data structure is generated based on the expanded hierarchical representation and output to an analytics engine to perform analysis of a corpus of information using the enhanced dictionary data structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: John K. Gerken, III, John M. Prager, Fiodar Zboichyk
  • Patent number: 8417514
    Abstract: Automated question answering is disclosed that relates to the selection of an answer to a question from a pool of potential answers which are manually or automatically extracted from a large collection of textual documents. The a feature extraction component, a feature combination component, an answer selection component, and an answer presentation component, among others, are included. The input to the system is a set of one or more natural language questions and a collection of textual document. The output is a (possibly ranked) set of factual answers to the questions, these answers being extracted from the document collection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric W. Brown, Anni R. Coden, John M. Prager, Dragomir R. Radev, Valerie Samn
  • Publication number: 20130006641
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, IV, John M. Prager
  • Publication number: 20120330648
    Abstract: Context-based disambiguation of acronyms and/or abbreviations may determine a target abbreviation and one or more keywords appearing in context with the target abbreviation in a received passage, the target abbreviation representing a shortened form of one or more word. A contextual search query including the target abbreviation and said one or more keywords may be generated. A pseudo document index may be searched for one or more expansions of the target abbreviation by invoking the contextual search query, the pseudo document index containing index of one or more pseudo documents, associated one or more abbreviations and associated context keywords. One or more pseudo documents associated with the target abbreviation may be returned based on the searching of the pseudo document index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Branimir K. Boguraev, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Anthony T. Levas, John M. Prager
  • Publication number: 20120084076
    Abstract: Context-based disambiguation of acronyms and/or abbreviations may determine a target abbreviation and one or more keywords appearing in context with the target abbreviation in a received passage, the target abbreviation representing a shortened form of one or more word. A contextual search query including the target abbreviation and said one or more keywords may be generated. A pseudo document index may be searched for one or more expansions of the target abbreviation by invoking the contextual search query, the pseudo document index containing index of one or more pseudo documents, associated one or more abbreviations and associated context keywords. One or more pseudo documents associated with the target abbreviation may be returned based on the searching of the pseudo document index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Branimir K. Boguraev, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Anthony T. Levas, John M. Prager
  • Publication number: 20120078888
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric W. Brown, Jennifer Chu-Carroll, David A. Ferrucci, Adam P. Lally, James W. Murdock, IV, John M. Prager
  • Patent number: 5377103
    Abstract: A computer includes a data/knowledge base with a plurality of entries and further employs a user/computer interface for responding to a natural language form input. The interface, in combination with the computer, provides a help function that includes a browse search capability that responds to the natural language-form input by responding with matching knowledge base data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donna M. Lamberti, John M. Prager, Mark A. Nappari
  • Patent number: 5369575
    Abstract: A user/computer interface is described that employ a constrained natural language-form input. The computer employs a feedback method to reinforce a user's confidence and knowledge that the computer comprehends a query or instruction. The user interface initially parses a user's natural language-form input into a case frame. The case frame is then filtered into a goal-expression that comprises a verb and remaining syntactical portions of the input query/instruction. The system then paraphrases the goal-expression into constrained natural language-form and communicates the paraphrase to the user for confirmation that the computer system has correctly interpreted the user input. The computer also compares the goal-expression with prestored goal-expressions to determine a match and then performs an action in response to a match being found.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donna M. Lamberti, John M. Prager, Mark Nappari
  • Patent number: 5255386
    Abstract: A data processing system which suggests a valid command to a user when the user enters a question or an erroneous command. The purposes of the various commands executable by the system are stored as a plurality of intents. When the user enters a question or an erroneous command, the system looks up the intent corresponding to it and semantically compares such an intent with other intents. When another intent is found, based on the comparison, to be within a predetermined degree of similarity, the command defined by such other intent is offered as a suggestion to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1993
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: John M. Prager
  • Patent number: 5239617
    Abstract: A data processing includes an on-line, interactive, intelligent help system which provides suggestions as to actions a user can take after entry into the system of an erroneous command or a question. The system also responds with explanations of why the suggestions were made and how they work. The system includes a natural language analyzer for converting the questions into goals. A knowledge base and an inference engine further analyze the goals and provide one or more suggestions on how to achieve such goals. An explanation generator uses such analysis to dynamically generate the explanations which are tailored to the user's goal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1993
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David L. Gardner, Donna M. Lamberti, John M. Prager