Patent ID: 7383173

Claim:
A method of automatically producing bridging inferences that join two related input phrases, said method comprising: applying a lexicon and ontology data structure to a first input phrase to produce a first tagged input phrase and applying said lexicon and ontology data structure to a second input phrase to produce a second tagged input phrase; matching said first tagged input phrase to first rules and matching said second tagged input phrase to second rules; generating first inferred phrases from said first rules and generating second inferred phrases from said second rules; matching said first inferred phrases to third rules and matching said second inferred phrases to fourth rules; selecting a first rule of said first rules and a second rule of said second rules that cause said third rule to match said fourth rule; and recording, as a bridging inference path, said first rule, said second rule, and said rule matching said third rule and said fourth rule, wherein said first rule, said second rule, said third rule, and said fourth rule each comprise a pattern element comprising a lexical entry and an optional variable.