Patent ID: 9208693
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: G09B

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of selecting a clarifying inquiry for a user to clarify a request for information comprising: determining a plurality of candidate answers to the request for information from the user, each candidate answer having a corresponding clarifying inquiry, wherein at least one candidate answer has an ambiguous term that is interpreted in two or more different ways and the clarifying inquiry is to ascertain a desired interpretation of the ambiguous term; generating a score value for each of one or more characteristics of each candidate answer, wherein at least one characteristic is associated with the clarifying inquiry for the user to clarify the request for information; determining a corresponding weighting value for each characteristic; determining the characteristic associated with the clarifying inquiry that provides a greatest potential adjustment for the candidate answers in response to a clarification of the request for information, wherein the determined characteristic is based upon a greatest weighted score value associated with the candidate answer comprising the ambiguous term for a respective category of characteristics, and wherein the weighted score value is determined by multiplying a reciprocal of the score value by the corresponding weighting value for a characteristic associated with each candidate answer; and selecting the clarifying inquiry associated with the determined characteristic for presentation to the user.