Patent ID: 9146987
Filing Date: 2015-09-29
Classification: G06F,G06N

Abstract:
1. A method, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory, for selecting questions for a cluster of questions to be used with a question and answer (QA) system, the method comprising: receiving, in the data processing system, an input question; analyzing, by the data processing system, the input question to identify at least one feature of the input question; performing, by the data processing system, clustering of the input question with one or more other questions in a cluster of questions based on the at least one feature of the input question, wherein performing clustering of the input question with the one or more other questions in the cluster of questions comprises calculating a distance metric between the at least one feature of the input question and a similar feature of a center of the cluster of questions; determining, by the data processing system, based on results of the clustering, whether to include or reject the input question as part of the cluster of questions, wherein determining whether to include or reject the input question as part of the cluster of questions comprises comparing the distance metric to one or more threshold distance values; in response to determining to include the input question as part of the cluster of questions, updating, by the data processing system, the cluster of questions to include the input question; and storing, by the data processing system, the updated cluster of questions in a storage device associated with the data processing system.