Patents by Inventor Stanley J. Vernier

Stanley J. Vernier 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: 10303767
    Abstract: Embodiments can provide a computer implemented method, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory comprising instructions which are executed by the processor to cause the processor to implement a mixed-language question answering supplement system, the method comprising receiving a question in a target language; determining the question cannot be answered using a target-language only corpus; applying natural language processing to parse the question into at least one focus; for each focus, determining if one or more target language verbs share direct syntactic dependency with the focus; for each of the one or more verbs sharing direct syntactic dependency, determining if one or more target language entities share direct syntactic dependency with the verb; determining one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types associated with each verb; for each of the one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types, determining whether a dependency between a source language entity and a source language verb
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher F. Ackermann, Charles E. Beller, Stephen A. Boxwell, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Patent number: 10303790
    Abstract: A method, executed by a computer, includes receiving a triple comprising a predicate, a first entity and an un-typed second entity, scanning a collection of triples for triples that match the predicate of the triple to produce similar triples, determining frequency information for second entity types referenced by the similar triples, and processing the un-typed second entity using the frequency information. A computer system and computer program product corresponding to the method are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Bishop, Stephen A. Boxwell, Benjamin L. Brumfield, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Publication number: 20190155963
    Abstract: Adapting a polar question to a form answerable by a non-polar question answering system. Entities are identified in the polar question. A set of non-polar questions are generated by removing an entity and using the remaining entities to form a set of questions with the removed entities as the expected answers. The set of non-polar questions are presented to a non-polar question answering system, and a set of answers are received. The set of answers are scored to determine a polar answer to the polar question.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen A. Boxwell, Kyle M. Brake, Keith G. Frost, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Publication number: 20190108224
    Abstract: A system comprising a memory storing an inverted index of a corpus of documents, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to receive a search query, after receiving the search query identify a first subset of documents that include the search query by searching, based on the search query, the inverted index of the corpus of documents, wherein the corpus of documents includes the first subset of documents, process the first subset of documents to identify entities related to the search query and relations between the entities and the search query, and generate a knowledge graph based on the entities and the relations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen A. Boxwell, Kyle M. Brake, Keith G. Frost, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Publication number: 20190108226
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method that includes receiving a search query and, after receiving the search query, identifying a first subset of documents that include the search query by searching, based on the search query, an inverted index of a corpus of documents that includes the first subset of documents. The computer-implemented method additionally includes processing the first subset of documents to identify entities related to the search query and relations between the entities and the search query. The computer-implemented method additionally includes generating a knowledge graph based on the entities and the relations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen A. Boxwell, Kyle M. Brake, Keith G. Frost, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Patent number: 10229156
    Abstract: An approach is provided in which a knowledge manager matches a question to multiple natural language contexts that each correspond to relations associated with entities in a structured resource. The knowledge manager identifies database queries corresponding to the multiple natural language contexts and assigns priority scores to the database queries based upon their relative specificity. In turn, the knowledge manager invokes one of the database queries based upon the assigned priority scores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Bishop, Stephen A. Boxwell, Benjamin L. Brumfield, Nirav P. Desai, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Publication number: 20190013007
    Abstract: A method for merging incoming alerts for accessibility is described. Two input alerts intended for presentation by a screen reader are received. If the two input alerts have arrived with a specified time interval, the two input alerts are combined into an output alert. The output alert is sent to a screen reader for presentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen A Boxwell, Kyle M Brake, Keith G Frost, Stanley J Vernier
  • Publication number: 20190013006
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for merging incoming alerts for accessibility are described. Two input alerts intended for presentation by a screen reader are received. If the two input alerts have arrived with a specified time interval, the two input alerts are combined into an output alert. The output alert is sent to a screen reader for presentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2017
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen A Boxwell, Kyle M Brake, Keith G Frost, Stanley J Vernier
  • Patent number: 10176228
    Abstract: An approach is provided in which a knowledge manager receives a question and selects candidate answers based upon a lexical answer type included in the question. The knowledge manager evaluates the candidate answers against conditions detected in the question and generates condition fulfillment scores accordingly. In turn, the knowledge manager ranks the candidate answers based upon the corresponding condition fulfillment scores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Bishop, Stephen A. Boxwell, Benjamin L. Brumfield, Nirav P. Desai, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Patent number: 10108661
    Abstract: An approach is provided in which a knowledge manager analyzes a corpus of documents based upon relations corresponding to entities in a structured resource and constructs a natural language context associated with a set of the relations. The knowledge manager maps the natural language context to a database query and, in turn, invokes the database query when the knowledge manager matches a question to the natural language context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Bishop, Stephen A. Boxwell, Benjamin L. Brumfield, Nirav P. Desai, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Publication number: 20180293222
    Abstract: Embodiments can provide a computer implemented method, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory comprising instructions which are executed by the processor to cause the processor to implement a mixed-language question answering supplement system, the method comprising receiving a question in a target language; applying natural language processing to parse the question into at least one focus; for each focus, determining if one or more target language verbs share direct syntactic dependency with the focus; for each of the one or more verbs sharing direct syntactic dependency, determining if one or more target language entities share direct syntactic dependency with the verb; determining one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types associated with each verb; for each of the one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types, determining whether a dependency between a source language entity and a source language verb is of the same type as the dependency between the target language verb and the ta
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher F. Ackermann, Charles E. Beller, Stephen A. Boxwell, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Publication number: 20180293223
    Abstract: Embodiments can provide a computer implemented method, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory comprising instructions which are executed by the processor to cause the processor to implement a mixed-language question answering supplement system, the method comprising receiving a question in a target language; determining the question cannot be answered using a target-language only corpus; applying natural language processing to parse the question into at least one focus; for each focus, determining if one or more target language verbs share direct syntactic dependency with the focus; for each of the one or more verbs sharing direct syntactic dependency, determining if one or more target language entities share direct syntactic dependency with the verb; determining one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types associated with each verb; for each of the one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types, determining whether a dependency between a source language entity and a source language verb
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher F. Ackermann, Charles E. Beller, Stephen A. Boxwell, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Patent number: 10095736
    Abstract: An approach is provided in which a knowledge manager analyzes a corpus of documents based upon relations corresponding to entities in a structured resource and constructs a natural language context associated with a set of the relations. The knowledge manager maps the natural language context to a database query and, in turn, invokes the database query when the knowledge manager matches a question to the natural language context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Bishop, Stephen A. Boxwell, Benjamin L. Brumfield, Nirav P. Desai, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Publication number: 20180240008
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include a Question and Answer (QA) system, computer program product, and computer-implemented method configured to adjust passage relevancy to a question based on time. The disclosed embodiments seek to improve the process of providing answers to questions that include a temporal reference. In particular, the disclosed embodiments are better able to provide answers to questions that include a temporal reference that does not have an exact matching temporal reference in an answer source of a QA system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Stephen A. Boxwell, Kyle M. Brake, Keith G. Frost, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Publication number: 20180217989
    Abstract: A system includes a question processing circuit, an answer processing circuit, a mining circuit, and a question determination circuit. The question processing circuit is configured to receive a first question. The answer processing circuit is configured to generate a first answer set corresponding to the first question. The first answer set corresponds with one or more evidence passages. The mining circuit is configured to mine the evidence passages to identify a geospatial or temporal modifier. The question determination circuit is configured to generate a second question based on the first question and the geospatial or temporal modifier. The answer processing circuit is further configured to generate a second answer set corresponding to the second question and return a question answer set based on the second answer set to a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Chris F. ACKERMANN, Charles E. BELLER, Stephen A. BOXWELL, Stanley J. VERNIER
  • Publication number: 20180190140
    Abstract: A method comprising receiving, by a question and answer system, a first question, generating, by the question and answer system, a first answer set corresponding to the first question, each answer in the first answer set including one or more evidence passages, identifying, by the question and answer system, a geospatial or temporal modifier in the evidence passages, generating, by the question and answer system, a second question based on the first question and the geospatial or temporal modifier, generating, by the question and answer system, a second answer set corresponding to the second question, and returning, by the question and answer system, a question answer set based on the second answer set to a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Chris F. ACKERMANN, Charles E. BELLER, Stephen A. BOXWELL, Stanley J. VERNIER
  • Patent number: 10002124
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a data processing system configured with a natural language processing pipeline executing on at least one processor of the data processing system, for class narrowing for answer lookups. The natural language processing pipeline annotates an input question with a verb in the input question and a syntactic relation between the verb and a focus of the question. A class narrowing component of the natural language processing pipeline finds an entry in a verb/type lookup resource corresponding to the verb and the syntactic relation. The entry comprises the verb, the syntactic relation, and a set of classes. Each given class in the set of classes has a corresponding frequency value representing a frequency the given class occurs with the syntactic relation to the verb. The class narrowing component performs class-narrowed type-restricted answer lookup from a topology based on the entry in the verb/type lookup resource to generate a set of candidate answers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Bishop, Stephen A. Boxwell, Benjamin L. Brumfield, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Patent number: 9996525
    Abstract: Embodiments can provide a computer implemented method, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory comprising instructions which are executed by the processor to cause the processor to implement a mixed-language question answering supplement system, the method comprising receiving a question in a target language; applying natural language processing to parse the question into at least one focus; for each focus, determining if one or more target language verbs share direct syntactic dependency with the focus; for each of the one or more verbs sharing direct syntactic dependency, determining if one or more target language entities share direct syntactic dependency with the verb; determining one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types associated with each verb; for each of the one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types, determining whether a dependency between a source language entity and a source language verb is of the same type as the dependency between the target language verb and the ta
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher F. Ackermann, Charles E. Beller, Stephen A. Boxwell, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Patent number: 9996526
    Abstract: Embodiments can provide a computer implemented method, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory comprising instructions which are executed by the processor to cause the processor to implement a mixed-language question answering supplement system, the method comprising receiving a question in a target language; determining the question cannot be answered using a target-language only corpus; applying natural language processing to parse the question into at least one focus; for each focus, determining if one or more target language verbs share direct syntactic dependency with the focus; for each of the one or more verbs sharing direct syntactic dependency, determining if one or more target language entities share direct syntactic dependency with the verb; determining one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types associated with each verb; for each of the one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types, determining whether a dependency between a source language entity and a source language verb
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher F. Ackermann, Charles E. Beller, Stephen A. Boxwell, Stanley J. Vernier
  • Publication number: 20180107647
    Abstract: Embodiments can provide a computer implemented method, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory comprising instructions which are executed by the processor to cause the processor to implement a mixed-language question answering supplement system, the method comprising receiving a question in a target language; applying natural language processing to parse the question into at least one focus; for each focus, determining if one or more target language verbs share direct syntactic dependency with the focus; for each of the one or more verbs sharing direct syntactic dependency, determining if one or more target language entities share direct syntactic dependency with the verb; determining one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types associated with each verb; for each of the one or more Abstract Universal Verbal Types, determining whether a dependency between a source language entity and a source language verb is of the same type as the dependency between the target language verb and the ta
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher F. Ackermann, Charles E. Beller, Stephen A. Boxwell, Stanley J. Vernier