Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for facilitating collaborative decision making may be provided. The system receives data representing individual postings of users associated with a deliberation to make a decision. The system further receives ratings associated with the individual postings in order to make the decision. The system represents the received data in a hierarchical data structure. The system aggregates, through the hierarchical data structure, the ratings associated with the individual postings to obtain strength values. The system facilitates the making of the decision based on the aggregated strength values.

Abstract: A chat user interface for threaded text chat systems. The user interface can include a canvas view in which multiple portions of a threaded text tree for a chat session can be rendered separately and concurrently. The user interface further can include a chat participant view, a chat input view and an outline view of an ongoing chat session. Notably, selections of a threaded text tree rendered in the canvas view can be configured for zooming so that certain parts of the threaded text tree can be viewed more readily than other parts of the threaded text tree. Moreover, as new text entries are provided to any branch of the threaded text tree, visual indicators can be activated in the canvas view to alert an end user to the location of the new text entries. Finally, the canvas view can accommodate both imported external objects, such as graphics or links to Web pages, and also a white board region into which notations can be applied by an end user during the course of a chat session.

Abstract: A conversation manager processes spoken utterances from a user of a computer. The conversation manager includes a semantics analysis module and a syntax manager. A domain model that is used in processing the spoken utterances includes an ontology (i.e., world view for the relevant domain of the spoken utterances), lexicon, and syntax definitions. The syntax manager combines the ontology, lexicon, and syntax definitions to generate a grammatic specification. The semantics module uses the grammatic specification and the domain model to develop a set of frames (i.e., internal representation of the spoken utterance). The semantics module then develops a set of propositions from the set of frames. The conversation manager then uses the set of propositions in further processing to provide a reply to the spoken utterance.

Abstract: An expertise locator enables user defined correspondences between experts and respective certain objects. Each object inherits from classes in a hierarchy. Using the correspondences, a locator processor routine finds a candidate expert about a particular subject area. The candidate expert may be in a correspondence with a certain object whose class is a subclass of the particular subject area. Output may display an indication of the candidate expert, relevant expertise per candidate and/or a list of experts per certain object. In the case of the certain objects being topics, the hierarchy is an ontology of the topics.

Abstract: A computer-based method and system for just-in-time semantic information retrieval is disclosed. A user interface detects user interaction with a displayed semantic entity. In response, a search member uses semantic information about the displayed entity and automatically searches for information about the subject entity. The search employs system and/or external knowledge bases and returns highly relevant results and information with increased specificity due to the semantic basis. A sidebar unobtrusively displays to the user the search results initially obtained without user request or demand, i.e., on the user's behalf. The sidebar enables the user to dismiss the search results and to effectively copy or export the search results as desired.

Abstract: A computer system and method providing on-demand extension of ontology in an ontology use process. A support module responds to a creation event in the ontology use process. The support module defines ontology specification for a newly created item, in the creation event, in a manner substantially free of disruption or interruption to the ontology use process. An ontology manager incorporates the defined ontology specification into the ontology during the ontology use process such that an on-demand extension of the ontology results. One example ontology use process is semantic modeling of situations, organizations, or objects of interest. Modeling and ontology specification take place hand in hand, and the ontology is extended on an as-needed and on-demand fashion during the course of modeling.

Abstract: Presented is a computer system and user interface for seamlessly integrating the creation and submission of persistent queries, and for collecting and presenting the real-time results of those queries, into the context of one's work and directly structured work artifacts. Users are provided a real-time awareness of what is happening to their persistent queries and their results, from within the work context of the artifact and program application used during creation and submission of the queries. Rather than having to visit a separate alerting application, the user is able to manage queries and query results directly from a subject application, such as a problem-solving application.

Abstract: Computer system and method automatically generate a social interest network. The social interest network indicates or represents (1) respective relevance between system users and taggers, and (2) respective affinity between users and taggers. A tag-based search engine searches and retrieves tagged contents. The search engine also retrieves semantic information associated with the tagged contents and tagger. Semantic information about the searcher-user is compared to the search retrieved semantic information. A comparator determines respective relevance of taggers to the searcher-user and respective affinity of the searcher-user to the taggers. The social interest network results and enables collaboration between users/taggers and filtering of various search results.

Abstract: An expertise locator enables user defined correspondences between experts and respective certain objects. Each object inherits from classes in a hierarchy. Using the correspondences, a locator processor routine finds a candidate expert about a particular subject area. The candidate expert may be in a correspondence with a certain object whose class is a subclass of the particular subject area. Output may display an indication of the candidate expert, relevant expertise per candidate and/or a list of experts per certain object. In the case of the certain objects being topics, the hierarchy is an ontology of the topics.

Abstract: A computer-based method and system for just-in-time semantic information retrieval is disclosed. A user interface detects user interaction with a displayed semantic entity. In response, a search member uses semantic information about the displayed entity and automatically searches for information about the subject entity. The search employs system and/or external knowledge bases and returns highly relevant results and information with increased specificity due to the semantic basis. A sidebar unobtrusively displays to the user the search results initially obtained without user request or demand, i.e., on the user's behalf. The sidebar enables the user to dismiss the search results and to effectively copy or export the search results as desired.

Abstract: A computer method and system generates inquires. The method and system provide a plurality of templates. Each template outlines a respective inquiry and is associated with one or more semantic types or contexts. Each template has one or more parameters for defining a query instance of the respective inquiry. User input selects a template from the plurality and specifies values for the parameters of the user selected template. Using the user selected template and the user-specified parameter values, an instance of a query is produced. Each template, is associated with semantic types during template construction. The semantic types may be based on classes in an ontology. Template construction may include templatizing prior existing or other queries to create respective templates. In application or use of a template, query generation may be during modeling of a certain domain, and the produced query is for information about the certain domain.

Abstract: A computer method and system provides for graphical specification of inquiries and includes a corresponding progressive summary. The inquiries operate on stream data. Users graphically specify an inquiry in a graphical user interface according to an ontology. The invention system generates a plain-text translation of the graphical description of the inquiry and displays the generated plain-text description in a progressive summary in the graphical user interface. The system continually updates and generates the display of the plain-text description during user construction of the inquiry. This provides feedback to the user for improved construction of the inquiry.

Abstract: An improved solution for managing a project. In particular, one or more development artifacts for the project can be annotated based on a collaborative session regarding the development artifact(s). The collaborative session can be stored as a collaborative artifact, which also can be stored in the project. As a result, the collaborative session can be readily recalled and/or subsequently resumed by one or more users.

Abstract: A computer method and system generates inquires. The method and system provide a plurality of templates. Each template outlines a respective inquiry and is associated with one or more semantic types or contexts. Each template has one or more parameters for defining a query instance of the respective inquiry. User input selects a template from the plurality and specifies values for the parameters of the user selected template. Using the user selected template and the user-specified parameter values, an instance of a query is produced. Each template, is associated with semantic types during template construction. The semantic types may be based on classes in an ontology. Template construction may include templatizing prior existing or other queries to create respective templates. In application or use of a template, query generation may be during modeling of a certain domain, and the produced query is for information about the certain domain.

Abstract: A dependency manager in a collaborative reasoning system tracks dependencies between and within users' reasoning by recording chains of reasoning as established by users. Elements of reasoning needing reassessment are deduced from the recorded chains of reasoning. In turn, the dependency manager propagates awareness of changes in reasoning and the elements needing reassessment by rendering graphical (e.g., visual) indicators in the user interface of the collaborative reasoning system.

Abstract: A computer method and system provides for graphical specification of inquiries and includes a corresponding progressive summary. The inquiries operate on stream data. Users graphically specify an inquiry in a graphical user interface according to an ontology. The invention system generates a plain-text translation of the graphical description of the inquiry and displays the generated plain-text description in a progressive summary in the graphical user interface. The system continually updates and generates the display of the plain-text description during user construction of the inquiry. This provides feedback to the user for improved construction of the inquiry.

Abstract: Presented is a computer system and user interface for seamlessly integrating the creation and submission of persistent queries, and for collecting and presenting the real-time results of those queries, into the context of one's work and directly structured work artifacts. Users are provided a real-time awareness of what is happening to their persistent queries and their results, from within the work context of the artifact and program application used during creation and submission of the queries. Rather than having to visit a separate alerting application, the user is able to manage queries and query results directly from a subject application, such as a problem-solving application.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to group cognition and provide a method, system and computer program product for collaborative reasoning. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for collaborative reasoning in a cognitive tool can be provided. The method can include arranging shared entities in a collaborative reasoning shared knowledge base into different models for different end users in different investigations, creating claims for the shared entities in the different models across the different investigations, subscribing the different end users for notification of changes to the claims and shared entities, and providing notice to the subscribed different end users responsive to detecting a change in a claim in one of the different models.

Abstract: A computer system and method providing on-demand extension of ontology in an ontology use process. A support module responds to a creation event in the ontology use process. The support module defines ontology specification for a newly created item, in the creation event, in a manner substantially free of disruption or interruption to the ontology use process. An ontology manager incorporates the defined ontology specification into the ontology during the ontology use process such than an on-demand extension of the ontology results.

Abstract: A dialog management system functions to manage the dialog between a user of a computer system and one or more speech enabled software applications. The user provides spoken input to a microphone connected to the computer system, and hears responses from one or more applications through a speaker connected to the computer system. The dialog management system includes a dialog manager, a turn manager, a speak queue, dialog contexts, and dialog state. The dialog manager provides top-level control of the dialog and stores responses based on the user's spoken input in a speak queue for later output to the user. The turn manager controls delivery of the responses to the user based on the dialog context and the dialog state, to provide a polite asynchronous dialog with the user that enables the user to be in control of the dialog. The dialog context provides information about each dialog. The dialog state provides information about whose turn it is (computer or user) to speak.