List-based entity name detection

Abstract

List-based entity name detection implementations are described that detect entity names in electronic textural documents. In one implementation, unknown entity names are detected. In another implementation, ambiguous entity names are detected and disambiguated. In yet another implementation, generic entity names are detected and associated with an applicable species entity name.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for detecting unknown entity names in documents, comprising:
 an unknown entity name detector comprising one or more computing devices, and an unknown entity name detection computer program having a plurality of sub-programs executable by said computing device or devices, wherein the sub-programs configure said computing device or devices to,
 access document data, 
 identify each list structure in the document data, 
 for each list structure,
 separate the words in each list structure into candidate entity names, 
 compare each candidate entity name to a known entity name listing, wherein the known entity name listing comprises known entity names each of which is assigned a single entity type and a single category, and 
 for each candidate entity name found to match an entity name in the known entity name listing, assign the entity type and category assigned to that entity name in the known entity name listing to each candidate entity name not matching an entity name in the known entity name listing as a candidate entity type and category for that candidate entity name. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the known entity name listing comprises known entity names that are assigned one or more positive qualifiers, or one or more negative qualifiers, or both, and which can only be matched to a candidate entity name if each of the assigned positive qualifiers, if any, are satisfied and if each of the assigned negative qualifiers, if any, are not satisfied. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sub-program for separating the words in each list structure into candidate entity names is preceded by a sub-program for cleaning each identified list structure by removing extraneous words and symbols that are not likely to represent a potential entity name. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each candidate entity name comprises a single word or a multiple-word phrase. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a sub-program for tagging each candidate entity name in the document data found to match an entity name in the known entity name listing with the entity type and category assigned to that entity name. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising sub-programs for:
 for each candidate entity name assigned at least one candidate entity type and category,
 receiving an instruction that designates the final entity type and category that is to be assigned to the candidate entity name, 
 assigning the designated entity type and category to the candidate entity name, and 
 tagging the candidate entity name in the document data with the assigned entity type and category. 
   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising sub-programs for:
 for each candidate entity name assigned at least one candidate entity type and category,
 receiving an instruction that designates the final entity type and category that is to be assigned to the candidate entity name, 
 assigning the designated entity type and category to the candidate entity name, and 
 adding the candidate entity name to the known entity name listing. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a sub-program for, whenever no match is found between one or more candidate entity names and the known entity name listing, disregard the list structure under consideration. 
     
     
         9 . A system for detecting ambiguous entity names in documents, comprising:
 an ambiguous entity name detector comprising one or more computing devices, and an ambiguous entity name detection computer program having a plurality of sub-programs executable by said computing device or devices, wherein the sub-programs configure said computing device or devices to,
 access document data, 
 identify each list structure in the document data, 
 for each list structure,
 separate the words in each list structure into candidate entity names, 
 compare each candidate entity name to a known entity name listing, wherein the known entity name listing comprises known non-ambiguous entity names each of which is assigned a single entity type and a single category, and further comprises known ambiguous entity names each of which is assigned a single entity type and a single category, and wherein an entity name in the known entity name listing is an ambiguous entity name if that entity name can correspond to a known entity name or to an unrelated item, and 
 whenever there is a match found between at least one candidate entity name and an ambiguous entity name in the known entity name listing, for each candidate entity name matching such an ambiguous entity name, determine if there is a match between another candidate entity name and a non-ambiguous entity name in the known entity name listing whose assigned entity type and category matches the entity type and category assigned to the ambiguous entity name in the known entity name listing that matched the candidate entity name under consideration, and whenever such an entity type and category match exists, designate the candidate entity name under consideration as corresponding to the matching ambiguous entity name in the known entity name listing. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the known entity name listing comprises known entity names that are assigned one or more positive qualifiers, or one or more negative qualifiers, or both, and which can only be matched to a candidate entity name if each of the assigned positive qualifiers, if any, are satisfied and if each of the assigned negative qualifiers, if any, are not satisfied. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the sub-program for separating the words in each list structure into candidate entity names is preceded by a sub-program for cleaning each identified list structure by removing extraneous words and symbols that are not likely to represent a potential entity name. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein each candidate entity name comprises a single word or a multiple-word phrase. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a sub-program for tagging each candidate entity name in the document data found to match an entity name in the known entity name listing with the entity type and category assigned to that entity name. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a sub-program for, whenever no match is found between a candidate entity name and an ambiguous entity name in the known entity name listing, or even if a match is found between a candidate entity name and an ambiguous entity name in the known entity name listing but no match is found between another candidate entity name and a non-ambiguous entity name in the known entity name listing whose assigned entity type and category matches the entity type and category assigned to the ambiguous entity name in the known entity name listing that matched the candidate entity name under consideration, the list structure under consideration is disregarded. 
     
     
         15 . A system for detecting generic entity names in documents and associating a detected generic entity name with an applicable species entity name, comprising:
 a generic entity name detector comprising one or more computing devices, and a generic entity name detection computer program having a plurality of sub-programs executable by said computing device or devices, wherein the sub-programs configure said computing device or devices to,
 access document data, 
 identify each list structure in the document data, 
 for each list structure,
 separate the words in each list structure into candidate entity names, wherein each candidate entity name comprises a single word or a multiple-word phrase, 
 compare each candidate entity name to a known entity name listing, wherein the known entity name listing comprises known non-generic entity names each of which is assigned a single entity type and a single category, and further comprises known generic entity names each of which is associated with a separate sub-list of species entity names applicable to the generic entity name wherein each of the species entity names is assigned a single entity type and a single category, and 
 whenever a match is found between at least one candidate entity name and a non-generic entity name in the known entity name listing, as well as a match between at least one candidate entity name and a generic entity name in the known entity name listing, for each candidate entity name found to match a non-generic entity name in the known entity name listing and each candidate entity name found to match a generic entity name in the known entity name listing, identify the species entity name associated with the matching generic entity name that is assigned the same entity type and category as the non-generic entity name in the known entity name listing that matched a candidate entity name, if any, and associate the identified species entity name to the candidate entity name found to match the generic entity name in the known entity name listing as a candidate species entity name. 
 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the known entity name listing comprises known non-generic entity names, or known generic entity names, or both, each of which are assigned one or more positive qualifiers, or one or more negative qualifiers, or both, and which can only be matched to a candidate entity name if each of the assigned positive qualifiers, if any, are satisfied and if each of the assigned negative qualifiers, if any, are not satisfied. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the sub-program for separating the words in each list structure into candidate entity names is preceded by a sub-program for cleaning each identified list structure by removing extraneous words and symbols that are not likely to represent a potential entity name. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising sub-programs for:
 for each candidate entity name associated with at least one candidate species entity name,
 receiving an instruction that designates the species entity name as well as the entity type and category that is to be assigned to the candidate entity name, 
 assigning the designated species entity name as well as the designated entity type and category to the candidate entity name, and 
 tagging the candidate entity name in the document data with the assigned species entity name along with the assigned entity type and category. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a sub-program for tagging each candidate entity name in the document found to match a non-generic entity name in the known entity name listing with the entity type and category assigned to that entity name. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a sub-program for, whenever no match is found between one or more candidate entity names in the list structure and non-generic entity names in the known entity name listing, disregard the list structure under consideration.