Natural language query system for accessing an information system

摘要

An interaction system for enabling a user of information systems to interact with the information systems and a method of transmitting user queries from a speech, image or handwriting recognition system to the information systems. The interaction system is connectable to at least one recognition system and at least one information system and comprises at least one domain module for containing phrase setups constructed based on object classes, attribute classes and action classes that are common to all information systems of a given application domain and are provided to be tailored to a specific information system of the application domain by applying object, action and attribute types proper to the information system and specific object, action and attribute instantiations, obtained from the specific information system, in order to define a grammar essentially consisting in a set of term elements comprising specific object, attribute and action instantiations of those object, action and attribute types and a set of rules governing the use of these term elements in a set of valid user query phrases for interaction between the user and the specific information system through the recognition and interaction systems. The interaction system can also comprise at least one generic module, connectable to a recognition system, and/or at least one adapter module, connectable to an information system. The transmission method comprises the steps of defining the grammar and converting user queries into valid user query phrases according to the grammar and/or sets of term elements and rules of the grammar.