Method, apparatus and computer program for managing the processing of extracted data

Abstract

Data is processed at a central data processor using multiple processing steps. The data is processed for the extraction of entities. Relationships between the extracted entities are also extracted. A system map is built using one or more factors derived from the extracted entities and relationships and organized by influence relationships. Each factor is associated with one or more options.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A central data processor, comprising:
 a server on a network;   one or more processors in the server; and   at least one data processing module configured to use the one or more processors to process data, the data processing modules comprising:
 an entity extraction module configured to extract entities from the data; 
 a network extraction module configured to communicate with the entity extraction module and to extract relationships between two or more entities extracted by the entity extraction module; and 
 a scenario building module for building through one of said processors a system map, each system map comprising one or more scenarios, one or more factors and one or more influence relationships between the one or more factors, the factors being derived from the extracted entities and relationships, each factor being associated with one or more options, the scenarios arising from combinations of one or more factors contributing to a probability of a scenario's occurrence, the one or more influence relationships each comprising a direction and a magnitude of influence exerted by a first factor onto a second factor, 
 wherein the one or more influence relationships are used to graphically plot on a browser-based user interface at a host computer in communication with at least one of said processors at least one extracted entity on a chart having two axes, a first axis indicating a value of influence relationships that exert an influence on the at least one extracted entity, and the second axis indicating a value of influence relationships that the at least one extracted entity exerts on other entities. 
   
     
     
         32 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , wherein a plurality of the factors are selected from the extracted entities. 
     
     
         33 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , further comprising a searching module for retrieving a representation of the data in response to a search request. 
     
     
         34 . The central data processor of  claim 33 , wherein the search request is initiated by the host computer. 
     
     
         35 . The central data processor of  claim 33 , wherein the search request is initiated by the central data processor. 
     
     
         36 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , further comprising a memory for storing the extracted entities and the extracted relationships. 
     
     
         37 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one data processing module further comprises a timeline extraction module configured to extract time information from the data and to identify time-based relationships between entities. 
     
     
         38 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one data processing module further comprises a temporal analysis module configured to extract time information from the data. 
     
     
         39 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one data processing module further comprises a cross-reference module in communication with the entity extraction means and configured to extract entities from a subset of the data from which an identified entity was extracted. 
     
     
         40 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one data processing module further comprises a question and answer module configured to return a representation of relevant data in response to a question. 
     
     
         41 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one data processing module further comprises a summarization module configured to summarize a subset of the data. 
     
     
         42 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , farther comprising a formatting module in communication with the entity extraction module and the network extraction module configured to format the extracted entities and the extracted relationships into a visualization format. 
     
     
         43 . The central data processor of  claim 42 , further comprising a communication module for communicating the visualization format generated by the formatting module to the host computer for rendering via a browser. 
     
     
         44 . The central data processor of  claim 43 , wherein the visualization format is an entity network map where a plurality of the extracted entities are shown linked to each other via one or more of the extracted relationships. 
     
     
         45 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , wherein the magnitude and direction of the influence relationship is determined by a user on the host computer. 
     
     
         46 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , wherein the magnitude and direction of the influence relationship is determined by the central data processor using the extracted relationships. 
     
     
         47 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , wherein at least one factor has an influence relationship magnitude and direction for at least one other factor connected via an extracted relationship. 
     
     
         48 . The central data processor of  claim 31 , wherein at least one user on a corresponding at least one host computer is able to interact with the modules in the central data processor via a browser installed on the at least one host computer. 
     
     
         49 . The central data processor of  claim 48 , wherein the at least one data processing module further comprises a watch list module configured to allow a plurality of users on multiple host computers to share a list of terms, the list of terms being usable as an input to one or more of the modules. 
     
     
         50 . The central data processor of  claim 49 , wherein the list of terms are selected from the extracted entities. 
     
     
         51 . The central data processor of  claim 49 , wherein the searching module, in response to a macro, periodically searches the user-specified data sources and at least one of the data processing modules, in response to the macro, processes a data source found to include the list of terms input to the watch list module. 
     
     
         52 . The central data processor of  claim 32 , wherein at least one option associated with at least one factor is assigned a value indicating a state of the at least one factor. 
     
     
         53 . The central data processor of  claim 52 , wherein at least one option is associated with a risk model and the value associated with the option causes a change in the assigned values of a higher-level node in the risk model. 
     
     
         54 . The central data processor of  claim 52 , wherein a macro performs one or more analytic steps and changes the value associated with a risk node, in response to the performing of the macro. 
     
     
         55 . A host computer having a browser-based user interface for allowing a user on the host computer to interact with a remote central data processor, the browser-based user interface comprising:
 a search tool input connected to said host computer for allowing the user to communicate a search request to the central data processor, the search request instructing the central data processor to search a collection of data;   a selection tool input connected to said host computer for allowing the user to communicate a selection of a subset of the data returned by the central data processor in response to the search request, said subset of data being selected for data processing;   an entity extraction tool input connected to said host computer for allowing the user to initiate the communication of the selected subset of data to an entity extraction module configured to extract entities from the subset of data;   a network extraction tool input for allowing the user to initiate the communication of the selected subset of data to a network extraction module configured to extract relationships between the extracted entities;   at least one visualization tool for presenting a graphical representation of the extracted entities and relationships; and   at least one scenario tool input for processing through a processor via the user interface a system map comprising a system of factors derived from the extracted entities and relationships, wherein factors are related via influence relationships which each represent a direction and magnitude of influence exerted by a first factor onto a second factor, the factors being graphically located on a chart on the user interface having two axes, a first axis indicating a value of influence relationships that exert an influence on the factors located on the chart, and the second axis indicating a value of influence relationships that the factors located on the chart exert on other entities.   
     
     
         56 . The host computer of  claim 55 , wherein the factors are selected from the extracted entities and the influence relationship is identified from the extracted relationships. 
     
     
         57 . The host computer of  claim 55 , further comprising a collaboration tool input for allowing the user to give access to the extracted entities and relationships and the visualization scheme to additional remote users access to the central data processor. 
     
     
         58 . The host computer of  claim 55 , further comprising a temporal analysis tool input for allowing the user to initiate the communication of the selected subset of data to a temporal analysis module configured to extract time information from the subset of data. 
     
     
         59 . The host computer of  claim 55 , wherein the graphical representation is an entity network map where at least one extracted entity is shown linked to at least one other extracted entity via an extracted relationship. 
     
     
         60 . The host computer of  claim 55 , wherein the magnitude and direction of the influence relationship is determined by the user. 
     
     
         61 . The host computer of  claim 55 , wherein the magnitude and direction of the influence relationship is determined by the central data processor using the extracted relationships. 
     
     
         62 . The host computer of  claim 55 , wherein at least one factor has an influence relationship magnitude and direction for every other factor connected to it via an extracted relationship. 
     
     
         63 . The host computer of  claim 55 , wherein each factor comprises a set of options. 
     
     
         64 . The host computer of  claim 63 , wherein at least one option is associated with a node on a risk model. 
     
     
         65 . The host computer of  claim 64 , wherein a value associated with the option is inputted to the risk model causing at least one value associated with a higher level node in the risk model to change. 
     
     
         66 . The host computer of  claim 65 , wherein a macro automatically causes the value to be inputted to the risk model based upon the output of at least one processing task. 
     
     
         67 . The host computer of  claim 55 , wherein the processor used by the at least one scenario tool input is located at the host computer. 
     
     
         68 . The host computer of  claim 55 , wherein the processor used by the at least one scenario tool input is located at the remote central data processor. 
     
     
         69 . A method for using a remote central data processor to analyze data, the method comprising:
 using a browser to communicate a search request to the central data processor, the search request instructing the central data processor to search a collection of data;   via the browser, selecting a subset of the data returned by the central data processor in response to the search request, said subset of data being selected for data processing;   communicating an extract entities request to the central data processor for extracting entities from the subset of data;   communicating an extract networks request to the central data processor for extracting relationships between the extracted entities;   visualizing the extracted entities and relationships using the browser; and   determining a system map from a system of factors derived from the extracted entities and relationships,   wherein at least one of the extracted relationships is represented by an influence relationship having a direction and a magnitude of influence exerted by a first factor onto a second factor, the factors being graphically located on a chart having two axes, a first axis indicating a value of influence relationships that exert an influence on the factors located on the chart, and the second axis indicating a value of influence relationships that the factors located on the chart exert on other entities.   
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , further comprising collaborating via the browser with remote users granted access to the extracted entities and relationships via the central data processor. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 69 , further comprising communicating a temporal analysis request to the central data processor for extracting time information from the subset of data. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein visualizing includes using an entity network map where at least one extracted entity is shown linked to at least one other extracted entity via an extracted relationship. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein visualizing includes visualizing the system of factors linked by the extracted relationships. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the magnitude and direction of the influence relationship is determined by the user. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the magnitude and direction of the influence relationship is determined by the central data processor using the extracted relationships. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein at least one factor has an influence relationship magnitude and direction for every other factor connected to it via an extracted relationship. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein each factor comprises one or more options and at least one of the options for each factor is assigned a value indicating a status of the factor. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 77 , further comprising updating the system map by changing the assigned option value of a factor and, based on the change, automatically changing the option value of a higher-ranked factor in the system map.