Patent ID: 8447756
Filing Date: 2013-05-21
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for utilizing a hierarchical knowledge structure in an information-retrieval system, comprising: a) selecting a premise, from a set of premises organized hierarchically in a table of premises, a hierarchical position of the premise being indicated by at least one of a row or a column of the table of premises occupied by the premise; b) navigating to a consequence in a table of consequences based on the premise selected, the table of consequences hierarchically organizes a set of consequences, a hierarchical position of the consequence being indicated by a row or a column of the table of consequences occupied by the consequence, the table of consequences and the table of premises being symmetrical such that navigating to the consequence includes navigation to a position, in the table of consequences, corresponding to the hierarchical position of the premise selected in the table of premises; c) identifying one or more premises that follow from the consequence, the one or more premises occupying hierarchical positions representing a lower hierarchical level than a hierarchical level associated with the premise selected in a); and d) repeating a)-c) by selecting one premise of the one or more premises in c) following from the consequence until a consequence occupying a lowest hierarchical level is identified, wherein the one premise selected corresponds to a situation to which the hierarchical knowledge structure is applied, wherein the said table of premises and said table of consequences are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of a computer system.