Patent EP0413132A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0413132A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
A computer method for identifying predicate-argument structures in natural language text
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1990-07-11
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2010-07-11
Abstract
Abstract A computer method is disclosed for determining predicate-argument structures in input prose sentences of English. The input sentence, in the form of a string of words separated by blanks, is first analyzed (parsed) by a rule component that has access only to morphological and syntactic information about the words. The output of this rule component, in the form of a data structure consisting of attribute-value pairs, is then processed by the argument-structure component, which consists of a set of partially ordered procedures that incorporate further linguistic knowledge. The output of these procedures is the same attribute-value structure, now enhanced by the presence of semantic (i.e., meaningful, non-syntactic) attributes. These semantic attributes, taken together, form the argument structure of the input sentence. The resulting invention constitutes a fully modular, comprehensive and efficient method for passing from syntax to the first stage of semantic processing of natural (human) language. The invention applies to all prose sentences of the language for which it is designed, and not just to a subset of those sentences. It does not use domain-specific semantic information to improve the accuracy or efficiency of the syntactic component. It therefore constitutes an unrestricted broad-coverage method for natural language processing (NLP), as opposed to the restricted methods used in most NLP applications today. Although the specific rules and procedures will be different for different natural languages, the general concept embodied in this invention is applicable to all natural languages.
Inventors
- 👤 Karen Jensen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 21:36
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F40/00; G06F40/20; G06F40/205; G06F40/211; G06F40/30; G06F40/253; G06F40/268
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A computer method for determining basic semantic structures for natural language word strings, the method comprising the steps of: inputting a string consisting of a plurality of words forming a linguistic expression in a natural language; parsing the input string with a syntactic set of rules to derive a syntactic structure for the string, identifying syntactic arguments for said words; identifying a first group of words in said string as semantic arguments, when said semantic arguments correspond exactly to said syntactic arguments; identifying semantic arguments in a second group of words in said string, which are not in said first group, by the following steps: assigning missing arguments of infinitive clauses and participial clauses; assigning long distance arguments; assigning missing or displaced arguments in passive constructions; assigning arguments for indirect object construction; outputting said assigned arguments in a record which provides a normalized semantic structure for said input word string.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
150 words
A computer method for determining basic semantic structures for natural language word strings, the method comprising the steps of: inputting a string consisting of a plurality of words forming a linguistic expression in a natural language; parsing the input string with a syntactic set of rules to derive a syntactic structure for the string, identifying syntactic arguments for said words; identifying a first group of words in said string as semantic arguments, when said semantic arguments correspond exactly to said syntactic arguments; identifying semantic arguments in a second group of words in said string, which are not in said first group, by the following steps: assigning missing arguments of infinitive clauses and participial clauses; assigning long distance arguments; assigning missing or displaced arguments in passive constructions; assigning arguments for indirect object construction; outputting said assigned arguments in a record which provides a normalized semantic structure for said input word string.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
82 words
The computer method for determining basis semantic structures for natural language word strings of claim 1, which further comprises the steps of: after said step of assigning arguments for indirect object construction, the steps of: linking predicate adjectives to their subject noun phrases; linking verb phrase modifiers to their verbs; linking noun phrase modifiers to their nouns; linking adjective phrase modifiers to their adjectives; linking adverb phrase modifiers to their adverbs; whereby modifier words are semantically linked in said input word string.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
A computer method for determining semantic structures according to claim 1, where, in said assigning steps, basic semantic structures are created by procedures that traverse said syntactic structure containing all of the syntactic information accumulated in said parsing step.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A computer method for determining semantic structures according to claim 3, wherein said normalized semantic structure is achieved by adding new attributes and values having semantic significance, to said syntactic structure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
115 words
A computer method for determining basic semantic structures for natural language word strings, the method comprising the steps of: inputting a string consisting of a plurality of words forming a linguistic expression in a natural language; parsing the input string with a syntactic set of rules to derive a syntactic structure for the string, identifying syntactic arguments for said words; identifying semantic arguments in said string by the following steps: assigning missing arguments of infinitive clauses and participial clauses; assigning long distance arguments; assigning missing or displaced arguments in passive constructions; assigning arguments for indirect object construction; outputting said assigned arguments in a record which provides a normalized semantic structure for said input word string.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
115 words
A computer method for determining basic semantic structures for natural language word strings, the method comprising the steps of: inputting a string consisting of a plurality of words forming a linguistic expression in a natural language; parsing the input string with a syntactic set of rules to derive a syntactic structure for the string, identifying syntactic arguments for said words; identifying semantic arguments in said string by the following steps: assigning missing arguments of infinitive clauses and participial clauses; assigning long distance arguments; assigning missing or displaced arguments in passive constructions; assigning arguments for indirect object construction; outputting said assigned arguments in a record which provides a normalized semantic structure for said input word string.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
82 words
The computer method for determining basis semantic structures for natural language word strings of claim 5, which further comprises the steps of: after said step of assigning arguments for indirect object construction, the steps of: linking predicate adjectives to their subject noun phrases; linking verb phrase modifiers to their verbs; linking noun phrase modifiers to their nouns; linking adjective phrase modifiers to their adjectives; linking adverb phrase modifiers to their adverbs; whereby modifier words are semantically linked in said input word string.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A computer method for determining semantic structures according to claim 5, where, in said assigning steps, basic semantic structures are created by procedures that traverse said syntactic structure containing all of the syntactic information accumulated in said parsing step.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A computer method for determining semantic structures according to claim 7, wherein said normalized semantic structure is achieved by adding new attributes and values having semantic significance, to said syntactic structures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
121 words
A computer method for determining basic semantic structures for natural language word strings, the method comprising the steps of: inputting a string consisting of a plurality of words forming a linguistic expression in a natural language; parsing the input string with a set of syntactic rules which are free of semantic information, to derive a syntactic structure for the string, identifying syntactic arguments for said words; identifying semantic arguments in said string by the following steps: assigning missing arguments of infinitive clauses and participial clauses; assigning long distance arguments; assigning missing or displaced arguments in passive constructions; assigning arguments for indirect object construction; outputting said assigned arguments in a record which provides a normalized semantic structure for said input word string.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
121 words
A computer method for determining basic semantic structures for natural language word strings, the method comprising the steps of: inputting a string consisting of a plurality of words forming a linguistic expression in a natural language; parsing the input string with a set of syntactic rules which are free of semantic information, to derive a syntactic structure for the string, identifying syntactic arguments for said words; identifying semantic arguments in said string by the following steps: assigning missing arguments of infinitive clauses and participial clauses; assigning long distance arguments; assigning missing or displaced arguments in passive constructions; assigning arguments for indirect object construction; outputting said assigned arguments in a record which provides a normalized semantic structure for said input word string.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
82 words
The computer method for determining basis semantic structures for natural language word strings of claim 9, which further comprises the steps of: after said step of assigning arguments for indirect object construction, the steps of: linking predicate adjectives to their subject noun phrases; linking verb phrase modifiers to their verbs; linking noun phrase modifiers to their nouns; linking adjective phrase modifiers to their adjectives; linking adverb phrase modifiers to their adverbs; whereby modifier words are semantically linked in said input word string.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
A computer method for determining semantic structures according to claim 9, where, in said assigning steps, basic semantic structures are created by procedures that traverse said syntactic structure containing all of the syntactic information accumulated in said parsing step.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
A computer method for determining semantic structures according to claim 11, wherein said normalized semantic structure is achieved by adding new attributes and values having semantic significance, to said syntactic structures.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.