Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1996-08-21
2001-01-30
Hafiz, Tariq R. (Department: 2762)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182062
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to knowledge based information retrieval system and in particular to a human interface of an intellectual query system permitting the end user to query efficiently information stored in a network structure in an electronic file.
This interface can be divided into the natural language interface and the visual interface. The natural language interface is suitable for a global search, by which the search is effected by deduction from the natural language and the visual interface is suitable for a search from a domain, which can be seen by eyes, i.e. for a local search.
Heretofore, as a human interface using the natural language, there is known a natural language interface for the database. Therefor there are references, G. G. Hendrix et al., “Developing a Natural Language Interface to Complex Data”, ACM Trans. Database Systems, Vol. 3, 1978, pp. 105-147, etc. In these systems a data model for the database (method, by which the relation between different data items, which are to be memorized, is expressed) and a grammar and a dictionary for interpreting the natural language are set independently. That is, when the natural language interface is added to an existing database, it is necessary to construct newly a grammar and a dictionary. Or it has a problematical point that it is necessary to modify the grammar and the dictionary for the natural language interface, when the object database is changed.
Further, heretofore, a database, to which the natural language interface is given, is a relational database and the formal language for the search used therefor, i.e. a quasi-standardized SQL (Structural Query Language), is weak in the capability for describing high order knowledge. Since a query expression by the natural language is translated usually into a formal language as such an intermediate language, it has a problematical point that the function of the whole system is restricted by the expressing capacity of this formal language. In particular, although the relational database is useful for uniform data, it cannot be said that it is satisfactorily suitable for a heterogeneous database, by which various kinds of matters are dealt with, or an object-oriented database. For example, it is not suitable for describing a matter, based on ambiguous memory of a user, and querying information concerning it, based on that description.
Further, in these systems means other than the natural language is used for inputting data (new knowledge and information) and the data input is carried out by a specialist. Consequently there is a problem that it is difficult for an end user to input and register directly the data.
Furthermore, as small scale and large capacity memory devices such as optical disk storage units have been realized, document filing devices directed to offices, for which the end user operates directly the processing of supervision and search of the database, capable of storing and querying a large amount of information, which has been effected heretofore by a specialist, have been realized.
As a method for facilitating memory and search of information in such a filing device, e.g. JP-A-61-220027 can be referred to. This literature discloses an information querying method enabling the end user to query easily desired documents etc. from ambiguous and fragmental information and at the same time to facilitate their registration. However, by this method, it is very difficult to form query conditions, under which information required by the user can be appropriately taken out, when the query conditions for effecting the query from the knowledge base are formed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of this invention is to solve the problematical points as described above and to enable the end user to query desired information from a description by a natural language even on the basis of fragmental memory. Furthermore it is to enable the user itself to register new information and knowledge similarly by using the natural language.
A second object of this invention is to provide a system, by which the user finds a concept, which he seeks, without any feeling that he is querying, by facilitating modification of concept in query expressions, enabling him to modify the object to be queried, to query one after another even in the course of formation of query expressions and to query locally the query expressions.
In order to achieve the above first object, this invention is characterized in that a common knowledge expression base is given to the knowledge base and the natural language interface so that the query and the registration of knowledge and information can be effected by using the natural language.
Concretely speaking, this invention gives a knowledge representation method (corresponding to a data model in the data base) called “concept relation model” expressing a system of matters and the fact with “concept” and “relation” as a method for constructing the knowledge base, and further provides a method, by which knowledge of language can be memorized also in the knowledge base. Here a “concept” means a “data item” in a computer representing matters, events or abstract concept and a “relation” means a “data item” defined between different concepts. The concept can be represented by a node (apex) and the relation can be represented by a link (side). Knowledge represented by a concept relation model constitutes therefore a network of concepts. Here this is called a conceptual network.
That is, the knowledge base according to this invention is characterized in that the knowledge, which is originally desired to be stored, is stored in the conceptual network as one body together with the knowledge for expressing it by using a language and that the natural language interface uses the same knowledge in common. Consequently, in principle it is not necessary to construct newly a dictionary, etc. for the natural language interface.
Further this invention provides a natural language understanding method, by which the meaning of a query expression expressed by a natural language is interpreted by effecting deduction from the matters, etc. stored in the knowledge base. In particular, it gives a method for interpreting the meaning of nominal compounds consisting of a plurality of series of nouns, which we use frequently. In order to interpret the meaning of the nominal compounds, it is necessary that the system deduces relations between different nouns and this invention gives a method, by which only significant relations are deducted from the concepts and the relations stored in the knowledge base.
Furthermore, the knowledge representation method according to this invention restricts the part depending on the language so as to facilitate the application to a plurality of languages. In addition, it makes the coexistence of expressions by different languages possible. Consequently this invention provides a method, by which it is possible to query and register information in e.g. both English and Japanese in a same knowledge base.
In order to achieve the above second object, according to this invention, display of a superconcept of a current concept in a query expression together with the query expression and a network display from the current concept and changeable superconcepts to subconcepts satisfying conditions added to the current concept are effected by utilizing multiple-window functions. Further the object can be achieved by the fact that displacement of the current concept due to shifting between different concepts in the query expression, modification of the current concept within concepts satisfying the added conditions, addition of restrictions to the current concept, addition of a root and query of concepts satisfying the added conditions can be always executed.
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pa
Cohn David
Fujisawa Hiromichi
Hatakeyama Atsushi
Kiuchi Itsuko
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Chavis John
Hafiz Tariq R.
Hitachi , Ltd.
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