Patent Document ID: 20120078890
Application ID: 13242290
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating answers to questions comprising the steps of: determining a lexical answer type (LAT) associated with an input query; computing a first score for said input query LAT, wherein said first score is indicative of a quality of said query LAT; obtaining a candidate answer to said input query from an information source; determining an answer type (AT) for said candidate answer; comparing said query LAT with said candidate answer AT; computing a second score representing a degree of match between said compared query LAT with said candidate answer AT; and combining said first score and said second score to provide a total score indicative of a quality of said candidate answer, wherein a processing device automatically performs one or more of said determining a query LAT, computing said first score and second score, obtaining candidate answers, determining a AT, comparing and combining.