Patents by Inventor William C. Rapp

William C. Rapp 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: 11080335
    Abstract: An automated concept-based autosuggest mechanism is provided for automatically tailoring autosuggestions in a search engine to particular medical concepts being searched. The mechanism identifies a concept-based text pattern dictionary data structure associated with text being dynamically entered by a user based on a previously identified item. The mechanism dynamically matches a set of text patterns in the concept-based text pattern dictionary data structure with a portion of text being dynamically entered by the user into a field of the user interface. The mechanism generates a user selectable output in the user interface specifying the matching set of text patterns from the concept-based text pattern dictionary data structure. The mechanism automatically populates the field of the user interface with a selected text pattern from the set of matching text patterns in response to user selection of the selectable text patter in the user selectable output in the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Weber, Nathaniel E. Rykal, David A. Christenson, William C. Rapp
  • Publication number: 20210049212
    Abstract: An automated concept-based autosuggest mechanism is provided for automatically tailoring autosuggestions in a search engine to particular medical concepts being searched. The mechanism identifies a concept-based text pattern dictionary data structure associated with text being dynamically entered by a user based on a previously identified item. The mechanism dynamically matches a set of text patterns in the concept-based text pattern dictionary data structure with a portion of text being dynamically entered by the user into a field of the user interface. The mechanism generates a user selectable output in the user interface specifying the matching set of text patterns from the concept-based text pattern dictionary data structure. The mechanism automatically populates the field of the user interface with a selected text pattern from the set of matching text patterns in response to user selection of the selectable text patter in the user selectable output in the user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel Weber, Nathaniel E. Rykal, David A. Christenson, William C. Rapp
  • Patent number: 10460239
    Abstract: A system and computer implemented method for generating a set of inferred questions for a question answering system is disclosed. The method may include determining, based on context data, a user state. The method may also include extracting characterization information for an object satisfying an attention criteria. The characterization information may be configured to include sensory data. The method may also include determining a relationship between the object and the user state based on the characterization information for the object and the context data of the user state. The method may also include generating, based on the relationship between the object and the user state, a set of inferred questions for a question answering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Petri, Michael D. Pfeifer, William C. Rapp
  • Publication number: 20190197062
    Abstract: Corpus-scoped annotation and analysis. Enrichment analysis data is generated including annotations and metadata for a plurality of documents that are part of a corpus. Whether to generate a second set of annotations is determined, based on a correlation of the annotations and metadata. A relational database is populated with the enrichment analysis data. A corpus-scoped query is resolved, initiated by an application, using the enrichment analysis data and content of the corpus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: JOEL C. DUBBELS, MARK G. MEGERIAN, WILLIAM C. RAPP
  • Publication number: 20190197061
    Abstract: Corpus-scoped annotation and analysis. Enrichment analysis data is generated including annotations and metadata for a plurality of documents that are part of a corpus. Whether to generate a second set of annotations is determined, based on a correlation of the annotations and metadata. A relational database is populated with the enrichment analysis data. A corpus-scoped query is resolved, initiated by an application, using the enrichment analysis data and content of the corpus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: JOEL C. DUBBELS, MARK G. MEGERIAN, WILLIAM C. RAPP
  • Patent number: 10268688
    Abstract: Corpus-scoped annotation and analysis. Enrichment analysis data is generated including annotations and metadata for a plurality of documents that are part of a corpus. Whether to generate a second set of annotations is determined, based on a correlation of the annotations and metadata. A relational database is populated with the enrichment analysis data. A corpus-scoped query is resolved, initiated by an application, using the enrichment analysis data and content of the corpus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joel C. Dubbels, Mark G. Megerian, William C. Rapp
  • Publication number: 20180322119
    Abstract: Corpus-scoped annotation and analysis. Enrichment analysis data is generated including annotations and metadata for a plurality of documents that are part of a corpus. Whether to generate a second set of annotations is determined, based on a correlation of the annotations and metadata. A relational database is populated with the enrichment analysis data. A corpus-scoped query is resolved, initiated by an application, using the enrichment analysis data and content of the corpus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: JOEL C. DUBBELS, MARK G. MEGERIAN, WILLIAM C. RAPP
  • Patent number: 10055410
    Abstract: Corpus-scoped annotation and analysis. Enrichment analysis data is generated including annotations and metadata for a plurality of documents that are part of a corpus. Whether to generate a second set of annotations is determined, based on a correlation of the annotations and metadata. A relational database is populated with the enrichment analysis data. A corpus-scoped query is resolved, initiated by an application, using the enrichment analysis data and content of the corpus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joel C. Dubbels, Mark G. Megerian, William C. Rapp
  • Patent number: 9773044
    Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product to analyze a plurality of candidate answers identified as responsive to a question presented to a deep question answering system, by computing a first feature score for a first feature of an item of evidence, of a plurality of items of evidence, the first feature score being based on at least one attribute of the first feature, the item of evidence relating to a first candidate answer, of the plurality of candidate answers, and computing a merged feature score for the first candidate answer by applying the first feature score to a second feature score for a second feature of the item of evidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joel C. Dubbels, Thomas J. Eggebraaten, Mark G. Megerian, William C. Rapp, Richard J. Stevens, Patrick M. Wildt, Eric W. Will
  • Patent number: 9753986
    Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product to analyze a plurality of candidate answers identified as responsive to a question presented to a deep question answering system, by computing a first feature score for a first feature of an item of evidence, of a plurality of items of evidence, the first feature score being based on at least one attribute of the first feature, the item of evidence relating to a first candidate answer, of the plurality of candidate answers, and computing a merged feature score for the first candidate answer by applying the first feature score to a second feature score for a second feature of the item of evidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joel C. Dubbels, Thomas J. Eggebraaten, Mark G. Megerian, William C. Rapp, Richard J. Stevens, Patrick M. Wildt, Eric W. Will
  • Publication number: 20160078354
    Abstract: A system and computer implemented method for generating a set of inferred questions for a question answering system is disclosed. The method may include determining, based on context data, a user state. The method may also include extracting characterization information for an object satisfying an attention criteria. The characterization information may be configured to include sensory data. The method may also include determining a relationship between the object and the user state based on the characterization information for the object and the context data of the user state. The method may also include generating, based on the relationship between the object and the user state, a set of inferred questions for a question answering system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: John E. Petri, Michael D. Pfeifer, William C. Rapp
  • Patent number: 9257052
    Abstract: Evaluating candidate answers to questions in a target knowledge domain, including: identifying, by a question answering module, a plurality of evidence items in the target knowledge domain; identifying, by the question answering module, a plurality of answers to questions in the target knowledge domain; determining, by the question answering module, associations between each evidence item and one or more of the answers; receiving, by the question answering module, a question; receiving, by the question answering module, values for the one or more evidence items; and providing, by the question answering module, an answer to the question in dependence upon the associations between each evidence item and one or more of the answers and the values for the one or more evidence items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William C. Rapp, Richard J. Stevens, Eric W. Will
  • Patent number: 9141927
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for modeling costs when editing a workflow process model. A request may be received to assign a cost factor to a workflow process step of the workflow process model. Responsive to the request, the cost factor may be assigned to the workflow process step, such that a traversal of the workflow process step by a transaction invoking the workflow process model results in the cost factor being included in a total cost to be charged for executing the transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Petri, William C. Rapp, Richard J. Stevens
  • Patent number: 9104985
    Abstract: Administering a business transaction, including: receiving a request for a business transaction, the request containing data to be processed by the business transaction and metadata describing the data and the request; creating, in dependence upon classification rules, the data to be processed by the business transaction, and the metadata describing the data and the request, a business object representing the business transaction; selecting, in dependence upon workflow selection rules and attributes of the business object, one or more workflows to process the data to be processed by the business transaction; processing the data to be processed by the business transaction with the workflows, thereby creating a resultant business object and resultant data; and routing, in dependence upon content routing rules and the attributes of the resultant business object, the resultant data to a destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Travis M. Drucker, Joel C. Dubbels, William C. Rapp, Richard J. Stevens, David A. Wall
  • Publication number: 20140172879
    Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product to analyze a plurality of candidate answers identified as responsive to a question presented to a deep question answering system, by computing a first feature score for a first feature of an item of evidence, of a plurality of items of evidence, the first feature score being based on at least one attribute of the first feature, the item of evidence relating to a first candidate answer, of the plurality of candidate answers, and computing a merged feature score for the first candidate answer by applying the first feature score to a second feature score for a second feature of the item of evidence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joel C. Dubbels, Thomas J. Eggebraaten, Mark G. Megerian, William C. Rapp, Richard J. Stevens, Patrick M. Wildt, Eric C. Will
  • Publication number: 20140172755
    Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product to analyze a plurality of candidate answers identified as responsive to a question presented to a deep question answering system, by computing a first feature score for a first feature of an item of evidence, of a plurality of items of evidence, the first feature score being based on at least one attribute of the first feature, the item of evidence relating to a first candidate answer, of the plurality of candidate answers, and computing a merged feature score for the first candidate answer by applying the first feature score to a second feature score for a second feature of the item of evidence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joel C. Dubbels, Thomas J. Eggebraaten, Mark G. Megerian, William C. Rapp, Richard J. Stevens, Patrick M. Wildt, Eric W. Will
  • Publication number: 20140057241
    Abstract: Evaluating candidate answers to questions in a target knowledge domain, including: identifying, by a question answering module, a plurality of evidence items in the target knowledge domain; identifying, by the question answering module, a plurality of answers to questions in the target knowledge domain; determining, by the question answering module, associations between each evidence item and one or more of the answers; receiving, by the question answering module, a question; receiving, by the question answering module, values for the one or more evidence items; and providing, by the question answering module, an answer to the question in dependence upon the associations between each evidence item and one or more of the answers and the values for the one or more evidence items.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William C. Rapp, Richard J. Stevens, Eric W. Will
  • Patent number: 8630959
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for modeling costs when editing a workflow process model. A request may be received to assign a cost factor to a workflow process step of the workflow process model. Responsive to the request, the cost factor may be assigned to the workflow process step, such that a traversal of the workflow process step by a transaction invoking the workflow process model results in the cost factor being included in a total cost to be charged for executing the transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Petri, William C. Rapp, Richard J. Stevens
  • Patent number: 8627233
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are generally related to graphical user interfaces (GUIs), and more specifically to selecting items from a radial menu. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide a complex set of gestures which, when performed using a screen pointer, facilitate fast and accurate selection of radial menu items from a radial menu. The gestures may generally involve a first movement of the screen pointer to activate a desired radial menu item, and a second predefined movement of the screen pointer to select the radial menu item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian J. Cragun, Bradley J. Erickson, Michael J. Fork, William C. Rapp
  • Patent number: 8578295
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for placing menu items in a cascading radial menu. A cascading radial menu may be displayed upon receiving a gesture that causes a screen pointer to select a radial menu item in a first radial menu. The first radial menu item may be associated with a second radial menu. One or more second radial menu items may be placed in the second radial menu based on a direction of movement of the screen pointer in the gesture to select the radial menu item in the first radial menu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul R. Chmielewski, Brian J. Cragun, Michael J. Fork, William C. Rapp