System and method for using data and angles to automatically generate a narrative story

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9396168-B2
Application number	US-201615011743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2010
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A system and method for automatically generating a narrative story receives data and information pertaining to a domain event. The received data and information and/or one or more derived features are then used to identify a plurality of angles for the narrative story. The plurality of angles is then filtered, for example through use of parameters that specify a focus for the narrative story, length of the narrative story, etc. Points associated with the filtered plurality of angles are then assembled and the narrative story is rendered using the filtered plurality of angles and the assembled points.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for automatically generating a narrative story about domain-related data from domain-related data, the narrative story comprising text arranged in a narrative format, the apparatus comprising:
a memory in which a plurality of angle data structures are stored, each of a plurality of the angle data structures being representative of a characterization of data and having an associated applicability condition, the associated applicability condition for testing against data within or derived from the domain-related data to support a determination as to whether the associated angle is an accurate characterization of the domain-related data; and
a processor in cooperation with the memory, the processor configured to:
test data against a plurality of the applicability conditions for a plurality of the angle data structures in the memory, wherein the tested data comprises at least one member of the group consisting of (1) data within the domain-related data, and (2) data derived from the domain-related data;
in response to the tests, select an angle data structure that accurately characterizes the domain-related data; and
automatically render the narrative story text for display using the selected angle data structure and at least one member of the group consisting of (1) data within the domain-related data, and (2) data derived from the domain-related data such that the rendered narrative story text describes the domain related data in accordance with the characterization represented by the selected angle data structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the domain-related data comprises structured data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the structured data comprises at least one member of the group consisting of numbers and characters that pertain to at least one member of the group consisting of an event, situation, and entity.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the memory is further configured to store a plurality of phrasal generation routines, wherein each of a plurality of the angle data structures is associated with a phrasal generation routine from among the plurality of phrasal generation routines; and
wherein the processor is further configured to render the narrative story text for display based on an invocation of the phrasal generation routine associated with the selected angle data structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of a plurality of the angle data structures comprise a plurality of points that support the characterization represented by that angle data structure; and
wherein the processor is further configured to (1) select and assemble a plurality of elements of the domain related data to create an element list data structure that connects the selected elements to the points of the selected angle data structure, and (2) render the narrative story text for display based on an application of the selected elements from the element list data structure to the invoked phrasal generation routine to thereby output and assemble a plurality of phrases in a natural language that describe the domain related data based on the points that support the characterization represented by the selected angle data structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of a plurality of the angle data structures is associated with an importance value; and
wherein the processor is further configured to (1) based on the tests, select a plurality of the angle data structures that accurately characterize the domain related data, (2) determine an order for an expression of the characterizations represented by the selected angle data structures within the narrative story based on the importance values associated with the selected angle data structures, (3) perform the element selection for each of the selected angle data structures to generate a plurality of the element list data structures, (4) generate an angle list data structure that represents the ordered angle data structures, (5) assemble the elements of the element list data structures based on the angle list data structure to generate an ordered element list data structure, and (6) render the narrative story text for display based on the ordered element list data structure and an application of the elements from the ordered element list data structure to the invoked phrasal generation routine to thereby output and assemble a plurality of phrases in a natural language that describe the domain related data based on the points that support the characterization represented by the selected angle data structures.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the processor is further configured to render the narrative story text for display based on a recursive traversal of the ordered element list data structure and an application of the recursively traversed elements from the ordered element list data structure to the invoked phrasal generation routine to thereby output and assemble a plurality of phrases in a natural language that describe the domain related data based on the points that support the characterization represented by the selected angle data structures.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the processor is further configured to (1) filter the determined angle data structures based at least in part on the importance values associated with the determined angle data structures to yield a set of filtered angle data structures, and (2) perform the order determination with respect to the filtered angle data structures.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the angle data structures do not themselves comprise any specific text for the narrative story.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each of a plurality of the angle data structures in the memory is associated with a domain, and wherein the processor is further configured to select the angle data structure that accurately characterizes the domain-related data based at least in part on which of the angle data structures are associated with the domain for the domain related data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to (1) determine a parameter for the narrative story, the parameter comprising at least one member of the group consisting of (i) a focus for the narrative story, (ii) a genre for the narrative story, (iii) a length of the narrative story, and (iv) a point of view for the narrative story, and (2) select the angle data structure that accurately characterizes the domain-related data based at least in part on the determined parameter.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured to determine the parameter in response to a member of the group consisting of (1) user input via a user interface, and (2) a read of a configuration file, the configuration file comprising the parameter.

13. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the tests result in determination that a plurality of the angle data structures are candidate angle data structures that accurately characterize of the domain-related data, and wherein the processor is further configured to filter the candidate angle data structures to select at least one of the candidate angle data structures for use to render the narrative story text.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each of a plurality of the candidate angle data structures is further associated with an importance value, and wherein the processor is further configured to filter the candidate angle data structures based at least in part on the importance values associated with the candidate angle data structures.

15. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the tests result in determination that a plurality of the

Assignees

• Narrative Science Inc
• Narrative Science Inc

Inventors

• Birnbaum Lawrence A
• Hammond Kristian J
• Allen Nicholas D
• Templon John R

Classifications

• G06F40/289

  Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking · CPC title

• G06F40/166

  Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting · CPC title

• G06F16/22

  Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures · CPC title

• G06F16/2365

  Ensuring data consistency and integrity · CPC title

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title