System and method for querying questions and answers

1. An information retrieval system, comprising:

a knowledge model database configured to store a knowledge model for a knowledge domain, the knowledge model defining a plurality of entities and interrelationships between one or more of the plurality of entities, the plurality of entities including concepts and instances;

a knowledge base identifying a plurality of items including at least one question and at least one answer to the at least one question, each of the plurality of items being associated with at least one annotation identifying at least one of the entities in the knowledge model, the at least one annotation comprising a first triple statement; and

a server hardware computing device coupled to a network and comprising at least one processor executing instructions within a computer readable media, the instructions causing the system to:

receive, from a client computer using a computer network, a natural language query,

analyze the natural language query to identify a plurality of terms and interpret the natural language query as a question,

determine a relationship between a pair of terms in the plurality of terms using the knowledge model,

construct a second triple statement using the relationship between the pair of terms,

execute a query against the knowledge base using the second triple statement to identify, within the knowledge base, a match with the first triple statement in the at least one annotation, in order to generate a set of results listing the at least one question and the at least one answer, wherein the server hardware computing device is configured to apply different weights, via at least one semantic similarity or distance within the first triple statement or the second triple statement, for balancing the relationship between the at least one question and the at least one answer,

maintain a log of partial, mismatching or partially matching queries to identify at least one frequently asked question to be added to a frequently asked question database in the knowledge base, and

transmit, to the client computer, the set of results.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the knowledge model database is configured as a triple store.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions cause the server hardware computing device to interpret the natural language query as a question by:

receiving the natural language query via an input field designated as a question input field within a question form displayed on the client computer; or

executing an analysis of a syntactic grammar analysis.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the server hardware computing device, responsive to a determination that the natural language query is interpreted as a question, to:

return, as part of the set of results, only data within the knowledge base comprising an answer to the question.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the server hardware computing device to:

identify at least one partial match within the set of results, wherein the at least one partial match includes the at least one answer and is configured to receive a modification refining the natural language query.

6. A method for information retrieval, comprising:

receiving, from a client computer, a natural language query using a computer network;

analyzing the natural language query to identify a plurality of terms and interpret the natural language query as a question;

determining a relationship between a pair of terms in the plurality of terms using a knowledge model, the knowledge model defining a plurality of entities and interrelationships between one or more of the plurality of entities for a knowledge domain;

constructing a triple statement using the relationship between the pair of terms;

executing a query against a knowledge base using the triple statement to generate a set of results listing at least one question and at least one answer, the knowledge base identifying a plurality of items including the at least one question and the at least one answer to the at least one question, each of the plurality of items being associated with at least one annotation identifying at least one of the entities in the knowledge model;

applying different weights, via at least one semantic similarity or distance within the triple statement, for balancing the relationship between the at least one question and the at least one answer;

maintaining a log of partial, mismatching or partially matching queries to identify at least one frequently asked question to be added to a frequently asked question database in the knowledge base; and

transmitting, to the client computer, the set of results.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the knowledge model is configured as a triple store.

8. The method of claim 6 , including interpreting the natural language query as a question by:

receiving the natural language query via an input field designated as a question input field within a question form displayed on a client computer; or

executing an analysis of a syntactic grammar analysis.

9. The method of claim 6 , including, responsive to a determination that the natural language query is interpreted as a question, returning, as part of the set of results, only data within the knowledge base comprising an answer to the question.

10. The method of claim 6 , including identifying at least one partial match within the set of results, wherein the at least one partial match includes the at least one answer and is configured to receive a modification refining the natural language query.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

receiving, from a client computer, a natural language query using a computer network;

analyzing the natural language query to identify a plurality of terms and interpret the natural language query as a question;

determining a relationship between a pair of terms in the plurality of terms using a knowledge model, the knowledge model defining a plurality of entities and interrelationships between one or more of the plurality of entities for a knowledge domain;

constructing a triple statement using the relationship between the pair of terms;

executing a query against a knowledge base using the triple statement to generate a set of results listing at least one question and at least one answer, the knowledge base identifying a plurality of items including the at least one question and the at least one answer to the at least one question, each of the plurality of items being associated with at least one annotation identifying at least one of the entities in the knowledge model;

applying different weights, via at least one semantic similarity or distance within the triple statement, for balancing the relationship between the at least one question and the at least one answer;

maintaining a log of partial, mismatching or partially matching queries to identify at least one frequently asked question to be added to a frequently asked question database in the knowledge base; and

transmitting, to the client computer, the set of results.

12. The medium of claim 11 , including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

receiving the natural language query via an input field designated as a question input field within a question form displayed on a client computer; or

executing an analysis of a syntactic grammar analysis.

13. The medium of claim 11 , including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

responsive to a determination that the natural language query is interpreted as a question, returning, as part of the set of results, only data within the knowledge base comprising an answer to the question.

14. The medium of claim 11 , including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

identifying at least one partial match within the set of results, wherein the at least one partial match includes the at least one answer and is configured to receive a modification refining the natural language query.