Data Disambiguation Systems and Methods

Abstract

Various embodiments provide a state-based, regular expression parser in which data, such as generally unstructured text, is received into the system and undergoes a tokenization process which permits structure to be imparted to the data. Tokenization of the data effectively enables various patterns in the data to be identified. In some embodiments, one or more components can utilize stimulus/response paradigms to recognize and react to patterns in the data.

1 . A system comprising: 
 one or more computer-readable media;    a functional presence engine embodied on the one or more computer-readable media and configured as a probabilistic parser to receive text and perform lexical analysis on the text effective to tokenize text portions; and    a knowledge base component embodied on the one or more computer-readable media and operably associated with the functional presence engine, the knowledge base component being associated with one or more files that define: 
 cases of text that can be matched to text received by the functional presence engine; and  
 responses that are triggered in an event of a match;  
   the files being defined in a hierarchical tag-based language.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the hierarchical tag-based language comprises an extensible markup language.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the responses can comprise conversational responses.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the responses can comprise non-conversational responses.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein one tag comprises a top level tag that encapsulates all other tags.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that specifies a file to be loaded.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that specifies a file that is to be loaded and used to perform the lexical analysis.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that specifies a case whose sub-tags identify text patterns that are attempted to be matched and associated responses that should be taken in an event of a match.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein text patterns are defined as regular expressions.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that supports recursion of responses.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein another tag comprises a conditional tag that defines one or more conditions that control execution flow.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that is used to randomly select an encapsulated element for generating a response.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that is used to set a variable to a specified value.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that is used to retrieve a variable value.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that is used to retrieve unified wildcard values.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that is used to communicate with an application.  
   
   
       17 . A method comprising: 
 providing a functional presence engine configured as a probabilistic parser to receive text and perform lexical analysis on the text effective to tokenize text portions; and    providing a knowledge base component operably associated with the functional presence engine, the knowledge base component being associated with one or more files that define: 
 cases of text that can be matched to text received by the functional presence engine; and  
 responses that are triggered in an event of a match;  
   the files being defined in a hierarchical tag-based language.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the hierarchical tag-based language comprises an extensible markup language.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the responses can comprise conversational responses.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the responses can comprise non-conversational responses.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein one tag comprises a top level tag that encapsulates all other tags.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that specifies a file to be loaded.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that specifies a file that is to be loaded and used to perform the lexical analysis.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that specifies a case whose sub-tags identify text patterns that are attempted to be matched and associated responses that should be taken in an event of a match.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that specifies a case whose sub-tags identify text patterns that are attempted to be matched and associated responses that should be taken in an event of a match, and wherein text patterns are defined as regular expressions.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that specifies a case whose sub-tags identify text patterns that are attempted to be matched and associated responses that should be taken in an event of a match, and wherein another tag comprises a tag that supports recursion of responses.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a conditional tag that defines one or more conditions that control execution flow.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that is used to randomly select an encapsulated element for generating a response.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that is used to set a variable to a specified value.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that is used to retrieve a variable value.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that is used to retrieve unified wildcard values.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein another tag comprises a tag that is used to communicate with an application.  
   
   
       33 . A software architecture comprising: 
 one or more computer-readable media;    one or more runtime objects embodied on the one or more computer-readable media, the one or more runtime objects being configured to receive and process text;    one or more knowledge base objects embodied on the one or more computer-readable media, individual knowledge base objects being associated with one or more runtime objects,    individual knowledge base objects being associated with a hierarchical, tag-based file that defines: 
 cases of text that can be matched to text received by associated runtime objects; and  
 responses that are triggered in an event of a match;  
   the runtime objects and knowledge base objects collectively processing data received by the runtime objects to tokenize text portions.    
   
   
       34 . The software architecture of  claim 33 , wherein individual runtime objects can be associated with more than one knowledge base object.  
   
   
       35 . The software architecture of  claim 33 , wherein runtime objects are configured to maintain state information associated with the text that it receives.  
   
   
       36 . The software architecture of  claim 33 , wherein runtime objects are configured to maintain state information associated with processing that takes place on one or more knowledge base objects.  
   
   
       37 . The software architecture of  claim 33 , wherein knowledge base objects are configured to process text received from runtime objects and return a score and an indication of associated node that generated the score to runtime objects from which text was received.  
   
   
       38 . The software architecture of  claim 33 , wherein: 
 knowledge base objects are configured to: 
 process text received from runtime objects, and  
 return a score and an indication of associated node that generated the score to runtime objects from which text was received, and runtime objects are configured to:  
 receive scores and associated node indications, and responsive thereto, call a method to implement a response associated with the node that generated a score.