Method and apparatus for lightweight multilingual natural language realizer

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

access, using processing circuitry, a realization element data structure, wherein the realization element data structure is a syntactic representation of phrases and sentences;

generate, using the processing circuitry, a syntactically processed realization element data structure using at least one syntax rule file by adding, based on the at least one syntax rule file, closed class function words and morphological inflections to add to base words and phrases in the realization element data structure; and

output, using the processing circuitry and for display via a computing device, natural language text generated based on the syntactically processed realization element data structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one syntax rule file is configured for a language.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein rules in the at least one syntax rule file are used to determine closed class function words and morphological inflections to add to the base words and phrases in the realization element data structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one syntax rule is at a syntax processor in a natural language realizer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further caused to propagate features in the realization element data structure by comparing one or more realization elements in the realization element data structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein propagating features comprises applying propagating and unification rules by:

determining, using the processing circuitry, which words from realization elements of the realization element data structure to unify by comparing the realization elements with rules for feature unification; and

unifying, using the processing circuitry, features among the realization elements of the realization element data structure by modifying the determined words according to the rules for feature unification.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein adding closed class function words and morphological inflections comprises:

accessing, using the processing circuitry, rewrite production rules for adding closed class function words and morphological inflections in the at least one syntax rule file;

determining, using the processing circuitry, base words and phrases of realization elements of the realization element data structure to be modified by addition of closed class function words and morphological inflections, wherein the realization elements comprise determined features;

applying, using the processing circuitry, the rewrite production rules for adding close class function words and morphological inflections by iteratively processing the realization elements according to the determined features and corresponding closed class function word rule by modifying the words and phrases and adding the determined closed class function words and morphological inflections; and

determining, using the processing circuitry, if all applicable rules for adding closed class function words and morphological inflections have been applied and returning the realization element data structure for further use by the natural language realizer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the realization element data structure is received from either a microplanner or a lightweight NLG service invoked from a template.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the natural language realizer comprising the syntax processor further optionally comprises one or more of a morphology processor, a morphophonology processor, an orthography processor, or a mark-up processor, and wherein the natural language realizer outputs fully realized natural language text.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein one or more of the morphology processor, the morphophonology processor, the orthography processor, or the mark-up processor comprises a language specific function processor, which accesses and applies rules from a language specific rule file.

11. A computer program product comprising at least one computer readable non-transitory memory medium having program code instructions stored thereon, the program code instructions which when executed by an apparatus cause the apparatus to:

access, using processing circuitry, a realization element data structure, wherein the realization element data structure is a syntactic representation of phrases and sentences;

generate, using the processing circuitry, a syntactically processed realization element data structure using at least one syntax rule file by adding, based on the at least one syntax rule file, closed class function words and morphological inflections to add to base words and phrases in the realization element data structure; and

output, using the processing circuitry and for display via a computing device, natural language text generated based on the syntactically processed realization element data structure.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the at least one syntax rule file is configured for a language.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein rules in the at least one syntax rule file are used to determine closed class function words and morphological inflections to add to the base words and phrases in the realization element data structure.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the at least one syntax rule is at a syntax processor in a natural language realizer.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the program code instructions when executed by an apparatus further cause the apparatus to propagate features in the realization element data structure by comparing one or more realization elements in the realization element data structure.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein propagating features comprises applying propagating and unification rules by:

determining, using the processing circuitry, which words from realization elements of the realization element data structure to unify by comparing the realization elements with rules for feature unification; and

unifying, using the processing circuitry, features among the realization elements of the realization element data structure by modifying the determined words according to the rules for feature unification.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the realization element data structure is received from either a microplanner or a lightweight NLG service invoked from a template.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the natural language realizer comprising the syntax processor further optionally comprises one or more of a morphology processor, a morphophonology processor, an orthography processor, or a mark-up processor, and wherein the natural language realizer outputs fully realized natural language text.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein one or more of the morphology processor, the morphophonology processor, the orthography processor, or the mark-up processor comprises a language specific function processor, which accesses and applies rules from a language specific rule file.

20. A method for generating syntactically correct natural language, the method comprising:

accessing, using processing circuitry, a realization element data structure, wherein the realization element data structure is a syntactic representation of phrases and sentences;

generating, using the processing circuitry, a syntactically processed realization element data structure using at least one syntax rule file by adding, based on the at least one syntax rule file, closed class function words and morphological inflections to add to base words and phrases in the realization element data structure; and

outputting, using the processing circuitry and for display via a computing device, natural language text generated based on the syntactically processed realization element data structure.