Automatic data interpretation and answering analytical questions with tables and charts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9430557-B2
Application number	US-201414488908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2014
Priority date	Sep 17, 2014
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A method providing an answer to at least one analytical question containing at least one table or at least one chart is provided. The method may include receiving an input question. The method may also include extracting a plurality of information from the input question based on a natural language analysis. The method may further include forming a well-defined sentence. The method may include extracting at least one table or at least one chart associated with the input question. The method may include forming at least one mathematical equation. The method may also include solving the at least one mathematical equation. The method may include determining the answer to the input question in natural language based on the solved at least one mathematical equation. The method may further include narrating the determined answer to the input question in natural language.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system providing an answer to at least one analytical question containing at least one table or at least one chart, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising:
receiving an input question containing at least one table or at least one chart, wherein the received input question is entered via a graphical user interface associated with a computer and the received input question is associated with the at least one analytical question;
extracting, by the computer, a plurality of information from the input question based on a natural language analysis of the input question;
forming a well-defined statement based on the extracted plurality of information;
extracting, by the computer, the at least one table or at least one chart associated with the input question;
extracting, by the computer, a plurality of information from the extracted at least one table or at least one chart, wherein the extracted plurality of information comprises a data value, a data label, a header, a footer, a legend, an overlay, a unit, a line, an edge, a contour, a shape, a length, a proportion, and an angle;
forming at least one mathematical equation based on the well-defined statement and the extracted plurality of information from the extracted at least one table or at least one chart;
solving the at least one mathematical equation;
determining the answer to the input question in natural language based on the solved at least one mathematical equation; and
narrating the determined answer to the input question in natural language, wherein narrating the determined answer to the input question comprises displaying the determined answer to the input question via the graphical user interface.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the extracted at least one table or at least one chart associated with the at least one analytical question is extracted in an image format.

3. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the extracted image format includes extracted information associated with the extracted at least one table or at least one chart.

4. The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the extracted information comprises at least one of a data label, a header, a footer, a legend, an overlay, a data value or numeral, a unit, a line or an axis, a shape, a length, a proportion, and an angle.

5. The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the forming at least one mathematical equation comprises performing data interpretation on the extracted information.

6. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the extracting the image format comprises the use of existing technology including at least one of pattern recognition technology and optical character recognition technology.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein solving the at least one formed mathematical equation comprises using a standard mathematical formula.

8. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the forming at least one mathematical equation and solving the at least one formed mathematical equation comprises using a dictionary containing a mapping between verbs and math operators.

9. A computer program product providing an answer to at least one analytical question containing at least one table or at least one chart, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage devices, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive an input question containing at least one table or at least one chart, wherein the received input question is entered via a graphical user interface associated with a computer and the received input question is associated with the at least one analytical question;
program instructions to extract, by the computer, a plurality of information from the input question based on a natural language analysis of the input question;
program instructions to form a well-defined statement based on the extracted plurality of information;
program instructions to extract, by the computer, the at least one table or at least one chart associated with the input question;
program instructions to extract, by the computer, a plurality of information from the extracted at least one table or at least one chart, wherein the extracted plurality of information comprises a data value, a data label, a header, a footer, a legend, an overlay, a unit, a line, an edge, a contour, a shape, a length, a proportion, and an angle;
program instructions to form at least one mathematical equation based on the well-defined statement and the extracted plurality of information from the extracted at least one table or at least one chart;
program instructions to solve the at least one mathematical equation;
program instructions to determine the answer to the input question in natural language based on the solved at least one mathematical equation; and
program instructions to narrate the determined answer to the input question in natural language, wherein narrating the determined answer to the input question comprises displaying the determined answer to the input question via the graphical user interface.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the extracted at least one table or at least one chart associated with the at least one analytical question is extracted in an image format.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the extracted image format includes extracted information associated with the extracted at least one table or at least one chart.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the extracted information comprises at least one of a data label, a header, a footer, a legend, an overlay, a data value or numeral, a unit, a line or an axis, a shape, a length, a proportion, and an angle.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bhat Sandesh
• Mustafi Joy

Classifications

• G09B7/02 Primary

  of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student · CPC title

• G06N5/022

  Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition · CPC title

• G06T11/26

  Drawing of charts or graphs · CPC title

• G06F18/21

  Design or setup of recognition systems or techniques; Extraction of features in feature space; Blind source separation · CPC title

• G06F17/30684

  Physics · mapped topic