Semantic parsing engine

Abstract

In various example embodiments, a system and methods are presented for converting query structures for information retrieval from graph-based data structures. The systems and methods receive a natural language query including a set of terms and generate an intermediate semantic relationship of the set of terms of the natural language query. The systems and methods generate a graph query including graph terms corresponding to the set of terms of the natural language query defined by a graph database. The systems and methods search one or more datasets associated with the graph database using the graph query and return a set of results based on the graph query.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, at one or more hardware processors of a machine, a natural language query including a set of terms;   generating, by the one or more hardware processors, an intermediate semantic representation of the set of terms of the natural language query;   based on the intermediate semantic representation, generating a graph query including graph terms corresponding to the set of terms of the natural language query defined by a graph database;   searching one or more datasets associated with the graph database using the graph query; and   returning a set of results based on the graph query.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the intermediate semantic representation further comprises:
 parsing the set of terms of the natural language query to identify one or more relationships between the set of terms; and   converting the set of terms to a logical form representation based on the one or more relationships, the logical form representation being the intermediate semantic representation of the natural language query.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the graph query further comprises:
 segmenting the graph query into a set of graph query elements;   generating a set of graphical interface elements corresponding to the set of graph query elements; and   causing presentation of the set of graphical interface elements within a graphical user interface contemporaneous with the set of terms of the natural language query.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the set of graphical interface elements corresponding to the set of graph query elements is a first set of graphical interface elements, and generating the graph query further comprises:
 identifying a set of connective terms linking the set of graph query elements as an approximation of the natural language query;   generating a second set of graphical interface elements corresponding to the set of connective terms; and   causing presentation of the second set of graphical interface elements contemporaneous with the first set of graphical interface elements and the set of terms of the natural language query, the second set of graphical interface elements distributed among the set of graph query elements depicted within the first set of graphical interface elements.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 based on one or more of the set of terms of the natural language query and the graph query, generating a set of alternative search terms; 
 generating a set of alternative interface elements corresponding to the set of alternative search terms; and 
 causing presentation of the set of alternative interface elements contemporaneous with interface elements corresponding to a set of graph query elements of the graph query. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 identifying an entity within a graph query element included in the graph query; 
 determining one or more graph query elements related to the entity; and 
 generating one or more interface elements representing the one or more graph query elements, each interface element representing a distinct graph query element. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising:
 detecting interaction with the graph query element associated with the entity; 
 causing presentation of the one or more interface elements for the one or more graph query elements relating to the entity; and 
 upon detecting selection of an interface element of the one or more interface elements, replacing the entity with a graph query element associated the selected interface element within the graph query. 
 
     
     
         8 . A system, comprising:
 one or more hardware processors; and   a processor-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more hardware processors, the processor-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, at one or more hardware processors of a machine, a natural language query including a set of terms; 
 generating, by the one or more hardware processors, an intermediate semantic representation of the set of terms of the natural language query; 
 based on the intermediate semantic representation, generating a graph query including graph terms corresponding to the set of terms of the natural language query defined by a graph database; 
 searching one or more datasets associated with the graph database using the graph query; and 
 returning a set of results based on the graph query. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein generating the intermediate semantic representation further comprises:
 parsing the set of terms of the natural language query to identify one or more relationships between the set of terms; and   converting the set of terms to a logical form representation based on the one or more relationships, the logical form representation being the intermediate semantic representation of the natural language query.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein generating the graph query further comprises:
 segmenting the graph query into a set of graph query elements;   generating a set of graphical interface elements corresponding to the set of graph query elements; and   causing presentation of the set of graphical interface elements within a graphical user interface contemporaneous with the set of terms of the natural language query.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the set of graphical interface elements corresponding to the set of graph query elements is a first set of graphical interface elements, and generating the graph query further comprises:
 identifying a set of connective terms linking the set of graph query elements as an approximation of the natural language query;   generating a second set of graphical interface elements corresponding to the set of connective terms; and   causing presentation of the second set of graphical interface elements contemporaneous with the first set of graphical interface elements and the set of terms of the natural language query, the second set of graphical interface elements distributed among the set of graph query elements depicted within the first set of graphical interface elements.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 based on one or more of the set of terms of the natural language query and the graph query, generating a set of alternative search terms;   generating a set of alternative interface elements corresponding to the set of alternative search terms; and   causing presentation of the set of alternative interface elements contemporaneous with interface elements corresponding to a set of graph query elements of the graph query.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 identifying an entity within a graph query element included in the graph query;   determining one or more graph query elements related to the entity; and   generating one or more interface elements representing the one or more graph query elements, each interface element representing a distinct graph query element.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 detecting interaction with the graph query element associated with the entity;   causing presentation of the one or more interface elements for the one or more graph query elements relating to the entity; and   upon detecting selection of an interface element of the one or more interface elements, replacing the entity with a graph query element associated the selected interface element within the graph query.   
     
     
         15 . A processor-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to implement operations comprising:
 receiving a natural language query including a set of terms;   generating an intermediate semantic representation of the set of terms of the natural language query;   based on the intermediate semantic representation, generating a graph query including graph terms corresponding to the set of terms of the natural language query defined by a graph database;   searching one or more datasets associated with the graph database using the graph query; and   returning a set of results based on the graph query.   
     
     
         16 . The processor-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein generating the intermediate semantic representation further comprises:
 parsing the set of terms of the natural language query to identify one or more relationships between the set of terms; and   converting the set of terms to a logical form representation based on the one or more relationships, the logical form representation being the intermediate semantic representation of the natural language query.   
     
     
         17 . The processor-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein generating the graph query further comprises:
 segmenting the graph query into a set of graph query elements;   generating a set of graphical interface elements corresponding to the set of graph query elements; and   causing presentation of the set of graphical interface elements within a graphical user interface contemporaneous with the set of terms of the natural language query.   
     
     
         18 . The processor-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the set of graphical interface elements corresponding to the set of graph query elements is a first set of graphical interface elements, and generating the graph query further comprises:
 identifying a set of connective terms linking the set of graph query elements as an approximation of the natural language query;   generating a second set of graphical interface elements corresponding to the set of connective terms; and   causing presentation of the second set of graphical interface elements contemporaneous with the first set of graphical interface elements and the set of terms of the natural language query, the second set of graphical interface elements distributed among the set of graph query elements depicted within the first set of graphical interface elements.   
     
     
         19 . The processor-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 identifying an entity within a graph query element included in the graph query;   determining one or more graph query elements related to the entity; and   generating one or more interface elements representing the one or more graph query elements, each interface element representing a distinct graph query element.   
     
     
         20 . The processor-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 detecting interaction with the graph query element associated with the entity;   causing presentation of the one or more interface elements for the one or more graph query elements relating to the entity; and   upon detecting selection of an interface element of the one or more interface elements, replacing the entity with a graph query element associated the selected interface element within the graph query.