JPH01131929A - System and device for stepwise detailing expression - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To express a concept being detailed gradually and to use the concept in concept expression in the interpretation process of a sentence in the recognizing work of a natural language by making one concept detail gradually according to the progression of an input processing. CONSTITUTION:A substance definition part 1 in which the definition of a various kinds of concepts are stored, a substance expression part 2 that is structure generated corresponding to the concept when it is recognized that a certain concept exists, a detail expression part 3 to stored detail information when the detail of the concept is cleared, and an attribute value access part 4 to execute the readout/write request of the attribute value of the concept when it is issued are provided. When a certain concept is derived according to the progression of the interpretation of an input text, the structure of the concept stored in the substance definition part 1 is referred, and a substance expressing the concept is generated. One of the substance generated in such way is the substance expression part 2. In such a way, it is possible to solve a problem in on-going technique and also, to obtain a system and a device to change the structure expressing the concept according to the progression of the interpretation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a step-by-step elaboration expression method and device, and in particular, in the process of extracting the meaning from input, the interpretation of one concept is gradually refined. It concerns a method and device for expressing the gradual progression of interpretation as it becomes clearer.

(Prior art and its problems) In natural language understanding, the meaning of input often becomes gradually clearer as the interpretation of the input progresses. However, until now, there has been no clear expression method that is suitable for concepts that change over time according to the understanding process. Even in object orientation, which has recently been proposed in software engineering, the structure representing a certain concept is already fixed when it is created as an instance, and the correspondence between classes and instances itself changes during execution. It was impossible to express that. (Reference: Object-oriented programming special issue Nikkei Electronics August 13, 1984 issue)
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems of the prior art and to provide a method and apparatus for changing the structure representing a certain concept as its interpretation progresses.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The first aspect of the present invention is to generate a structure expressing the meaning of a concept appearing in the input when it becomes clear in the operation of extracting meaning from natural language input. Then, as the interpretation of the input progresses and the meaning of the concept becomes clearer,
A new structure that expresses the meaning that has become clearer is generated, and a detailed structure is created between the structure that expresses the meaning of the concept and the newly generated structure that expresses the meaning that has become clearer. When there is a request to read or write an attribute in the concept, the system has means for realizing the request using a structure indicating the latest interpretation of the concept. There is.

The second aspect of the present invention includes an entity definition section that defines a structure indicating the meaning of a concept, and when a type of a specific concept is specified, a structure that expresses the entity of the specific concept is generated according to the definition of the entity definition section. an entity generation section that stores the entity generated by the entity generation section; and an entity storage section that stores the entity generated by the entity generation section; a elaboration unit that generates a structure indicating a meaning of the specific concept, connects it with a structure indicating a meaning before the meaning of the specific concept is made clearer, and stores it in the entity storage unit; When there is a request for reading and writing over and over again, the attribute value access unit executes the request based on the latest interpretation of the concept.

(Operation and Principle) Next, the present invention will be explained in detail. As an example, consider an example of a message posted for buying and selling second-hand goods using mass media.

■・・・・・・“I sell it.” ■・・・・・・“I sell my computer.” ■・・・・・・
・“I am selling Pc-98.” In the above example, (1),
■ and ■ are saying the same thing, but the clarity becomes clearer in the order of ■, ■, and ■. In ■, it is only made clear that there is an example of what is being sold, in ■ it is specifically stated that the thing being sold is a personal computer, and in ■ it is clarified that the personal computer is a PC-98. be done. In this way, it is natural for one concept to be gradually refined step by step as input processing progresses.

The present invention is a method of expressing concepts that are refined step by step.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention includes an entity definition section 1 in which definitions of various concepts are stored, and a structure that is generated corresponding to a certain concept when it is found that the concept exists. When there is a request to read/write attribute values in the concept between a certain entity expression unit 2 and the detailed expression unit 3 that stores detailed information when the details of the concept are known. and an attribute value access unit 4 that executes the request.

To explain the process of understanding Japanese input as an example,
The entity definition section 1 stores definitions of structures expressing various concepts appearing in an input sentence. For example, the concept of ``product for sale'' has attributes such as its type, price, and date of purchase, and the concept of ``personal computer'' is defined to have attributes such as model and various functions.

When a certain concept is extracted as an input sentence is interpreted, the structure of the concept stored in the entity definition unit 1 is referred to and an entity expressing the concept is created. One of the entities created in this way is the entity expression section 2. For example, when different items for sale appear in the input expression,
Although there is only one definition of "item for sale," two entities will be generated. This corresponds to the relationship between classes and instances in object-oriented thinking.

FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of the entity representation unit 2. In FIG. 3, the entity expression section 2 has a subsequent structure instruction link 21 pointing to the detailed expression section 3, a section 22 for storing the conceptual basis of the entity, and each of the attributes of the entity defined in the entity expression section 1. and a portion 23 in which are stored.

As the analysis of the input text progresses, the entity expression unit 2 becomes clearer about the details of the concept. For example, one concept progresses from the "product for sale" concept to the "pancon" concept and then to the rPC98J concept.

As the concept becomes more detailed, the types of accompanying attributes also differ, and the detailed expression section 3 stores the difference between the attribute set before and after the detailing. A storage location for an attribute that does not exist in the attribute set before being detailed but exists in the attribute set after being detailed is generated in the detailed expression unit 3. For example, when "product for sale" is refined to "computer," a storage location for attributes regarding the type of computer and various functions is required, but the storage location for these newly increased attributes is stored in the detailed expression section 3. allocated inside.

For attributes that existed in the attribute set before being detailed but are no longer needed as a result of being detailed, it is also written in the detailed expression section 3 that the attribute is no longer needed. This is useful in the following example: Given the concept of "bird," most birds can fly, so it would be convenient to have an attribute called "average flight speed" within the concept of "bird." I understand that there is something. That is, when detailed, the "average flight speed" attribute becomes unnecessary because penguins cannot fly.

The concept of ``date of manufacture'' is also common in the concept of ``goods for sale,'' but when intangible labor such as ``housekeeping'' is sold, the attribute ``date of manufacture'' is unnecessary. A situation like this occurs when a certain concept is general in a certain set, but there are exceptions.

FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of the detailed expression section 3. In FIG. 4, the refined expression part 3 has a subsequent structure indication link 31 pointing to another refined expression part, a forward structure indication link 32 pointing to the entity expression part 2 or another refined expression part, and attributes of the entity. , or a description indicating that the attribute is unnecessary.

When there are multiple stages of refinement, a plurality of detailed expression units 3 are generated corresponding to the number of stages, and are bidirectionally connected in series by a subsequent structure indication link and a forward structure indication link.

When a concept is referenced during the interpretation of an input sentence, a pointer to the most recent, or most detailed, structure that interprets that concept at that time will be stored. If a concept has been proposed but has not yet been elaborated,
The entity expression section 2 is pointed to, and if detailed, the detailed expression section 3, which is the most detailed at that point, is pointed to.

Concepts are refined independently of other concepts that refer to them, so even if a concept points to another concept, that other concept will later become detailed, and the reference link will be updated to the latest There is a possibility that it will not be possible to refer to the structure.

Therefore, in the apparatus of this embodiment, when a concept refers to another concept, a read or write request can be executed based on the latest state of refinement of the other concept. For example, at a point in time when there is a concept "seller", "
Assume that the concept of "things for sale" is referred to. After that, suppose that the meaning of the ``sold item'' becomes ``PC98J.'' After that, when the ``seller'' tries to refer to the sold item again using the link that was previously referenced. , without the concept of ``seller'' knowing, the concept of ``product for sale'' is l'-PCO2.''
It has been transformed into a concept. Therefore, the "seller" concept recognizes that the "item for sale" is rPC98J, and "
It is possible to read/write the attributes of "PCO2".

When there is a read/write request for a certain attribute of a certain concept, the attribute value access unit 4 first requests the link to the concept held by the requester, regardless of where in the structure representing the concept it points. Starting with the structure in which the
The most recently generated elaboration representation 3 of the concept is reached. Then, the most recently generated detailed expression part 3
Searches for the presence of either a storage part for the specified attribute or a declaration that the specified attribute is no longer needed. If a storage part for the specified attribute exists, the operation for the specified request is performed on it. If a declaration exists in which the specified attribute is no longer needed, a notification that the specified attribute does not exist is returned to the requester. If none of them exist, use the forward structure pointing link to move the search target to the structure generated before that structure, and repeat the same process again. Even if the search target returns to the entity representation part 2, if neither the storage part of the specified attribute nor the declaration that the specified attribute is no longer needed is found, it is reported that the specified attribute was not found. return it.

Next, an embodiment of an apparatus that specifically implements this method will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, this embodiment is an entity definition unit 10.
, an entity generation unit 11 and a detailing unit 13 connected to this entity definition unit 10 , an entity storage unit 12 connected to these generation unit 11 and detailing unit 13 , and this entity storage unit 1
The attribute value access section 14 is connected to the attribute value access section 2.

The entity definition section 10 and the entity storage section 12 are composed of memory,
Entity generation unit 11. The detailing section 13 and the attribute value access section 14 are composed of a microcomputer or the like.

The entity definition section 10 stores concept names and definitions of the concepts. From an object-oriented perspective, this means that class definitions are stored. A request to generate an entity of a new concept is accepted by the entity generation unit 11. The entity generation section 11 finds the definition of the requested concept from the entity definition section 10, and generates and assigns a new entity in the entity storage section 12 according to the definition description.

The structure of the entity is shown in FIG. At this time, a terminal symbol is stored in the forward structure indicating link to indicate that there is no structure further forward. Further, a terminal symbol is stored in the subsequent structure indicating link to indicate that there is no structure further downstream.

When a certain concept is refined, a refinement request is accepted by the refinement unit 13. The processing of the detailing section 13 is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, first,
Find the most recently generated entity structure in the structure representing the concept specified for refinement, secure a storage location for attributes newly added due to refinement,
For attributes that are newly unnecessary, generate a structure that describes that they are no longer needed, and write a link to the newly generated structure in the subsequent structure instruction link in the most recently generated entity structure. .

On the other hand, a terminal symbol is stored in the subsequent structure pointing link of the newly generated structure, and a link to the most recently generated entity structure is stored in the forward structure pointing link.

A read/write request to a designated entity is accepted by the attribute value access unit 14. The processing of the attribute value access section 14 is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, first, the most recently generated entity structure is found in the structure representing the concept for which reading or writing of an attribute value is specified, and if there is a part in which the value of the attribute requested to be read or written is stored. Ba,
In the case of a read request, the value of the attribute is read and returned to the requester, and in the case of a write request, the value specified by the requester is assigned to the part that stores the value of the attribute. If we find a declaration that the requested attribute to read or write is unnecessary in the most recently created entity structure, then it means that the requested attribute does not exist in this concept in its current state. reply to the requester. If this is not the case, it means that there is no description for that attribute in the most recently generated entity structure, so use the forward structure pointing link to move to the structure indicating the previous detailed state, as described above. That is, searching for the target attribute to be read or written and checking whether there is a declaration that the attribute is no longer needed. Using the instruction link, move to the structure that shows the detailed state further forward and repeat the process. During a search using a forward structure pointing link, if the processing for the requested attribute is still not satisfied even after returning to the structure generated when the concept first appeared, it means that the requester has determined that the attribute does not exist in the concept. Since the request is for access to an attribute, a message is returned to the requester to the effect that the requester is requesting access to an attribute that does not exist.

(Effects of the present invention) According to the present invention, it is possible to express concepts that are refined step by step, so it can be used to express concepts in the process of understanding sentences in the work of understanding natural language sentences. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an entity expression section.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the detailed expression section, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of the detailing section, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing of the attribute value access section. l, 10... Entity definition part, 2... Entity expression part, 3... Detailed expression part, 4, 14...
...Attribute value access section, 5, 21.31...
Subsequent structure instruction link, 6.32... Forward structure instruction link, 11... Entity generation unit, 12...
...Entity storage section, 13...Detailing section, 22...
...Concept name, 23.33...Attribute name. Agent: Susumu Uchihara, Patent Attorney / 4 1ρ Erased 3 Figures Low - 3rd Edition Noriwa Koushiba Rhyme 4 Figures 5 Figures

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In the operation of extracting meaning from natural language input,
When the meaning of the concept that appeared in the input becomes clear, a structure that expresses it is generated, and as the interpretation of the input progresses and the meaning of the concept becomes clearer, the meaning that has become clearer is generated. A new structure is generated that expresses the concept, and a link is created between the structure that expresses the meaning of the concept and the newly generated structure that expresses the meaning of the concept. Then, when there is a request to read or write an attribute in the concept, a structure representing the latest interpretation of the concept is used to realize the request. (2) an entity definition part that defines a structure indicating the meaning of the concept;
an entity generation unit that generates a structure expressing the entity of the specific concept according to the definition of the entity definition unit when a type of a specific concept is specified; and an entity storage unit that stores the entity generated by the entity generation unit; , when the meaning of the concept is made clearer, a structure indicating the more clarified meaning is generated according to the description of the entity definition part, and the structure before the meaning of the specific concept is made clearer is generated. a detailing unit that connects with a structure indicating meaning and stores it in the entity storage unit; and when there is a request to read or write an attribute in the specific concept, the detailing unit connects it to a structure indicating the meaning and stores it in the entity storage unit; an attribute value access unit that performs the step-by-step elaboration expression device.