QUERY REQUIREMENT EXPANDER AND QUERY REQUIREMENT EXPANSION METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To analyze a received user natural language query, acquire an implicit query requirement so as to expand a user query requirement, and generate expanded response information. SOLUTION: The present invention provides a query requirement expander comprising a query requirement understanding device for generating an explicit query requirement based on a user query request, and a query requirement expansion device for generating an implicit query requirement associated with the explicit query requirement. The query requirement understanding device generates the explicit query requirement including a query concept and a question type by searching a knowledge base and a language base, and the query requirement expansion device generates the implicit query requirement including a query concept and a question type by searching the knowledge base, the language base and an association database. The present invention further provides a query requirement expansion method. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT