Abstract: Operations to manage statements relating to a computer system state include obtaining, in a computer system and from any of several sources, statements that relate to a current state of the computer system. Each statement comprises several elements. The operations comprise assigning focus values to the elements of each statement, each focus value indicating a relevance of the element to the current state of the computer system. The operations comprise identifying a subset of the statements based on the focus values. The operations comprise making a first output to a user, the first output being selected from several predefined outputs using the subset of the statements. The output may represent the current state to the user or it may present at least one of several predefined goals to the user for selection, the at least one goal being identified as being possible to accomplish based on the current state.

Abstract: Operations to manage statements relating to a computer system state include obtaining, in a computer system and from any of several sources, statements that relate to a current state of the computer system. Each statement comprises several elements. The operations comprise assigning focus values to the elements of each statement, each focus value indicating a relevance of the element to the current state of the computer system. The operations comprise identifying a subset of the statements based on the focus values. The operations comprise making a first output to a user, the first output being selected from several predefined outputs using the subset of the statements. The output may represent the current state to the user or it may present at least one of several predefined goals to the user for selection, the at least one goal being identified as being possible to accomplish based on the current state.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for processing natural language queries. Such methods and systems may receive a natural language query from a user and generate corresponding semantic tokens. Information may be retrieved from a knowledge base using the semantic tokens. Methods and systems may leverage an interpretation module to process and analyze the retrieved information in order to determine an intention associated with the natural language query. Methods and systems may leverage an actuation module to provide results to the user, which may be based on the determined intention.

Abstract: Providing a natural-language interface to a repository includes retrieving information from at least one repository, and generating a computer-readable ontology using the information. The computer-readable ontology is configured for use in interpreting user-entered natural-language statements regarding the at least one repository. A computer system including at least one repository has an ontology-generating module generating a computer-readable ontology using information retrieved from the at least one repository. The ontology may be created in any or all of several forms, such as a separate entity, a pointer structure or an index.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to detect user satisfaction based on user interaction patterns and properties. Methods and systems may monitor an interaction between a user and a computer and may compare the monitored interaction with a baseline value to determine a deviation from baseline. The deviation may be used to determine a value for user satisfaction. Methods and systems may improve user satisfaction by tracking user actions during an interaction with an application and determining if the user actions deviate from an application script corresponding to the interaction. A link from a deviated action to a next logical point in a task script may be provided.

Abstract: Operations to manage statements relating to a computer system state include obtaining, in a computer system and from any of several sources, statements that relate to a current state of the computer system. Each statement comprises several elements. The operations comprise assigning focus values to the elements of each statement, each focus value indicating a relevance of the element to the current state of the computer system. The operations comprise identifying a subset of the statements based on the focus values. The operations comprise making a first output to a user, the first output being selected from several predefined outputs using the subset of the statements. The output may represent the current state to the user or it may present at least one of several predefined goals to the user for selection, the at least one goal being identified as being possible to accomplish based on the current state.

Abstract: Operations to represent a computer system state to a user include maintaining a model in a computer system. The model is updated at times and represents a current state of the computer system. The model uses formal-language statements to associate each of several predefined goals with at least one of several predefined actions that can be performed in the computer system to accomplish the associated predefined goal. The operations comprise providing an output to a user regarding the current state of the computer system, the output comprising a natural-language statement generated using at least one of the formal-language statements. A statement generating module may include a text planner, a grammar, a lexicon, a translator or a text post-processor.

Abstract: Providing a natural-language interface to a repository includes retrieving information from at least one repository, and generating a computer-readable ontology using the information. The computer-readable ontology is configured for use in interpreting user-entered natural-language statements regarding the at least one repository. A computer system including at least one repository has an ontology-generating module generating a computer-readable ontology using information retrieved from the at least one repository. The ontology may be created in any or all of several forms, such as a separate entity, a pointer structure or an index.

Abstract: User interaction with a computer system is supported by maintaining, in a computer system, a model comprising several concepts having properties associated therewith and any relationships existing between the several concepts. A current state of the several concepts, properties and relationships reflects a real-world situation that involves a user of the computer system. An output is made to the user that identifies at least a subset of several predefined goals, the model indicating the subset as being possible to accomplish based on the current state. At least a first action of several predefined actions in the computer system is performed, the model associating the several predefined actions with accomplishing respective ones of the several predefined goals. The first action is identified as associated with accomplishing a first goal that the user selects from the subset. The current state is updated based on performing at least the first action.

Abstract: Systems and methods of the instant invention may utilize case-based reasoning to provide guidance. Guidance may be provided to a current user of an application in a particular situation based on actions performed by previous users in compatible situations. A repository of sessions reflecting actions performed by previous users may be maintained. In response to a request for guidance, actions performed by the current user prior to requesting guidance may be used to retrieve, from the repository, one or more sessions containing related actions. The retrieved sessions may be evaluated and used to provide guidance to the current user.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems that provide users with the ability to navigate through information systems using natural language descriptions. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the navigation tool can be personalized and can adaptively and dynamically associate descriptions provided by users with various entities, thereby acquiring utility from increased use. In another embodiment, the navigation tool enables associations to be modified using feedback obtained from a user and utilizes such modifications to provide users with useful results.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for processing natural language queries. Such methods and systems may receive a natural language query from a user and generate corresponding semantic tokens. Information may be retrieved from a knowledge base using the semantic tokens. Methods and systems may leverage an interpretation module to process and analyze the retrieved information in order to determine an intention associated with the natural language query. Methods and systems may leverage an actuation module to provide results to the user, which may be based on the determined intention.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to detect user satisfaction based on user interaction patterns and properties. Methods and systems may monitor an interaction between a user and a computer and may compare the monitored interaction with a baseline value to determine a deviation from baseline. The deviation may be used to determine a value for user satisfaction. Methods and systems may improve user satisfaction by tracking user actions during an interaction with an application and determining if the user actions deviate from an application script corresponding to the interaction. A link from a deviated action to a next logical point in a task script may be provided.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for accessing relevant information. Relevant information may be accessed in an electronic database. Methods and systems may receive a document in response to a search query. The search query may be parsed to create a set of relevant words, and relevant segments of the received document may be generated, which reflect the set of relevant words. Methods and systems may generate an intermediary document, including identifications of the relevant segments.

Abstract: Systems and methods of the instant invention may utilize case-based reasoning to provide guidance. Guidance may be provided to a current user of an application in a particular situation based on actions performed by previous users in compatible situations. A repository of sessions reflecting actions performed by previous users may be maintained. In response to a request for guidance, actions performed by the current user prior to requesting guidance may be used to retrieve, from the repository, one or more sessions containing related actions. The retrieved sessions may be evaluated and used to provide guidance to the current user.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems that provide users with the ability to navigate through information systems using natural language descriptions. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the navigation tool can be personalized and can adaptively and dynamically associate descriptions provided by users with various entities, thereby acquiring utility from increased use. In another embodiment, the navigation tool enables associations to be modified using feedback obtained from a user and utilizes such modifications to provide users with useful results.

Abstract: A search machine finds and ranks documents in a database based on a set of rules that match characteristics of the database with a natural language query. The system includes a lexicon component which may parse the query and the database into words and word stems. Thereafter, the query and documents may be vectorized such that the elements of the vector correspond to a given word stem, and the value of the element in the vector corresponds to the number of occurrences of the word in the document. The vectorized query is then compared and evaluated against each of the vectorized documents of the database to obtain a ranked list of documents from the database. The user may evaluate the documents found and provide information back to the search machine in order to adjust, for example, the ranking produced by the search machine. In this way, the search machine can fine tune its search and ranking technique to meet the user's specific criteria.

Abstract: A system is disclosed to provide associative learning and recommendations. The system includes a learning engine recommendation process that provides one or more recommendations based on user input, a learning engine initiation process that generates initial training data, and a learning engine training process that transforms initial training data and subsequent training data into entity-pair relationships. The system may include user interfaces that allow each user to request and receive recommendations and a confirmation process that captures and stores training data based on user feedback regarding recommendations.

Abstract: A system is disclosed to provide intelligent classification services. The system includes a classifier that provides one or more recommendations based on an incoming message. The system may include a user application that allows an incoming message to be processed by the classifier and may be utilized to respond to incoming messages.

Abstract: In the method of inputting information in an electrical unit, after input of an alphabetic character the character itself, or, for the case in which one or more characters have been input prior to the input of the alphabetic character, the character string formed by the first to the last input character is compared with information entries in a comparison set of information, and, when the input character is the same as the first character of one of the information entries in the comparison set or when the character string agrees with the beginning of one of the information entries in the comparison set, this information entry is offered for input to the electrical unit. The information entry offered for input is preferably displayed with all its characters on a display device prior to input. The offered information entry can then be rejected by the operator of the electrical unit by inputting another alphabetic character immediately following input of the alphabetic character.