Granted Patent B2

US 8,949,241 · App. 12/453,397 · Granted Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

Claims (39)

1. A non-transitory computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium for storing computer instructions therein for enabling a computer to perform a computer-implemented and user assisted process for disambiguating entities in an electronic document, the non-transitory computer program product comprising instructions for enabling a computer and a user to:

(a) create, by the user, an electronic document by using a text editing software program to enter a plurality of terms;

(b) present, by the computer to the user as the user is entering the plurality of terms in the electronic document, for a particular term entered by the user in the electronic document, a list of entities, wherein each entity on the list corresponds to a different instance of the particular term, wherein each entity on the list has a unique semantic interpretation of the particular term, and wherein each entity on the list does not appear on the list more than one time;

(c) rank, by the computer, each entity in the list of entities, wherein the ranking is based on

(i) the plurality of terms in the electronic document; (ii) one or more entities previously selected by the user in the electronic document and how recently those one or more entities were selected by the user; (iii) saved preferences of the user; (iv) terms in previous electronic documents created by the user; and (v) one or more entities previously selected in electronic documents created by the user;

(d) select from the list, by the user, an entity provided in the computer provided list;

(e) include in the electronic document, in response to the selection by the user, an identifier corresponding to the entity selected from the list by the user, wherein the identifier comprises a link to additional information about the entity; and

(f) store the entity selected by the user in both a first entity database that contains entities selected by the user and a second entity database that contains entities that have been selected by all users.

2. The computer program product according to claim 1 , further comprising incorporating metadata associated with the user-selected entity into the electronic document.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the list comprises at least one person.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the list comprises at least one geographic location.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the list comprises at least one commercial enterprise.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for enabling the user to add a new entity to the first entity database and the second entity database.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , further comprising instructions that allow the user to add to the first entity database and the second entity database additional data associated with a particular entity.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising instructions for assigning a unique identifier to each entity stored in the first entity database and the second entity database.

9. A computer, comprising:

(a) a memory; and

(b) a program resident in the memory and configured to facilitate disambiguation of entities within a user-created electronic document in which the user has entered a plurality of terms by

(i) presenting to a user as the user is entering the plurality of terms in the electronic document, for a particular term entered by the user in the electronic document, a list of entities, wherein each entity on the list corresponds to a different instance of the particular term, wherein each entity on the list has a unique semantic interpretation of the particular term, and wherein each entity on the list does not appear on the list more than one time,

(ii) ranking each entity in the list of entities, wherein the ranking is based on (1) the plurality of terms in the electronic document; (2) one or more entities previously selected by the user in the electronic document and how recently those one or more entities were selected by the user; (3) saved preferences of the user; (4) terms in previous electronic documents created by the user; and (5) one or more entities previously selected in electronic documents created by the user;

(iii) enabling the user to select one of the entities from the list;

(iv) receiving a selection of one of the entities from the list by the user, and including in the electronic document an identifier corresponding to the entity selected by the user, wherein the identifier comprises a link to additional information about the entity; and

(v) storing the entity selected by the user in both a first entity database that contains entities selected by the user and a second entity database that contains entities that have been selected by all users.

10. The computer according to claim 9 , wherein the program is configured to incorporate metadata pertaining to the user-selected entity into the electronic document.

11. The computer according to claim 9 , wherein the program enables the user to add a new entity to the first entity database and the second entity database.

12. The computer according to claim 11 , wherein the program enables the user to add to the first entity database and the second entity database additional data associated with a particular entity.

13. The computer according to claim 12 , wherein the program assigns a unique identifier to each entity stored in the first entity database and the second entity database.

14. A system for facilitating the disambiguation of entities in an electronic document, comprising:

one or more input devices;

one or more output devices; and

a computer comprising at least one of a memory and a storage medium, for storing a program that facilitates the disambiguation of entities in the electronic document, wherein the program:

(i) receives data from the at least one input device, including a plurality of terms entered by a user in the electronic document,

(ii) provides to the at least one output device, while receiving the plurality of terms entered by the user in the electronic document, a list of entities corresponding to a particular term received via the at least one input device, wherein each entity on the list corresponds to a different instance of the particular term, wherein each entity on the list has a unique semantic interpretation of the particular term, and wherein each entity on the list does not appear on the list more than one time,

(iii) ranks each entity in the list of entities, wherein the ranking is based on (1) the plurality of terms in the electronic document; (2) one or more entities previously selected by the user in the electronic document and how recently those one or more entities were selected by the user; (3) saved preferences of the user; (4) terms in previous electronic documents created by the user; and (5) one or more entities previously selected in electronic documents created by the user;

(iv) receives via the at least one input device a selection, by a user, of one of the entities from the list of entities;

(v) includes in the electronic document, in response to the selection by the user, an identifier corresponding to the entity selected from the list of entities by the user, wherein the identifier comprises a link to additional information about the entity; and

(vi) stores the entity selected by the user in both a first entity database that contains entities selected by the user and a second entity database that contains entities that have been selected by all users.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the program enables the user to add a new entity or additional data associated with an existing entity to the first entity database and the second entity database.

16. The system according to claim 14 , wherein metadata pertaining to the selected entity is stored in the electronic document.

Assignments (8)