Weighting Search Criteria Based on Similarities to an Ingested Corpus in a Question and Answer (QA) System

摘要

A mechanism is provided, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory configured to implement a question and answer (QA) system, for weighting search criteria based on similarities to an ingested corpus in the QA system. A set of question characteristics found in a received input question are compared to a set of data characteristics respectively describing data in each corpus of a corpora. For each question characteristic in the set of found question characteristics, a first weight is assigned to the corpus within which data associated with the data characteristic resides in response to the question characteristic being more related to a data characteristic; otherwise a second weight is assigned, where the first weight is greater than the second weight. A selective search is then performed for an answer to the received input question in one or more corpora with a higher weighting.

主权项

1. A method, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory configured to implement a question and answer (QA) system, for weighting search criteria based on similarities to an ingested corpus in the QA system, the method comprising:
parsing a received input question having a set of question characteristics; comparing the set of question characteristics found in the received input question to a set of data characteristics respectively describing data in each corpus of a corpora; for each question characteristic in the set of found question characteristics:
responsive to the question characteristic being more related to a data characteristic in the set of data characteristics, assigning a first weight to the corpus within which data associated with the data characteristic resides; andresponsive to the question characteristic being less related to the data characteristic in the set of data characteristics, assigning a second weight to the corpus within which the data associated with the data characteristic resides, wherein the first weight is greater than the second weight; and selectively searching for an answer to the received input question in one or more corpora with a higher weighting preferentially to one or more corpora with a lower weighting.