Co-Attention Text Matching for Sentence Pairs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current text matching methods, particularly in natural language processing, face challenges such as sensitivity to word segmentation in rule-based systems and the need for large training data in deep-learning-based systems, leading to inefficient inference times and performance issues in various application scenarios.

Innovation Solution

A neural network-based system that utilizes a multi-layer co-attention mechanism with pre-trained word embeddings to generate correlation factors and feature vectors, enabling efficient text matching with reduced training data requirements and faster inference times.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If deep-learning-based models (LSTM, BERT, DSSM, Match Pyramid) are used for text matching, then matching accuracy is improved, but inference time increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematching accuracyVSAvoidinference time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the text matching task into multiple attention layers, where each layer focuses on different aspects of sentence pair relationships. This multi-layer co-attention mechanism divides the complex matching problem into manageable components, achieving high accuracy without requiring excessively large models that would increase inference time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a multi-layer attention architecture that adds depth to the matching process. By stacking multiple attention layers, the system processes sentence pairs through different transformation dimensions, capturing complex relationships more efficiently than single-layer models while maintaining reasonable computational complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If rule-based systems are used for text matching, then inference speed is improved, but matching accuracy deteriorates due to sensitivity to word segmentation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinference speedVSAvoidmatching accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs pre-trained word embeddings that have already captured semantic relationships during training. This preliminary action of pre-training allows the model to process new sentence pairs quickly without requiring extensive feature engineering or segmentation rules, achieving both speed and accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical rule-based word segmentation and matching system with a neural network-based co-attention mechanism. This substitution eliminates the sensitivity to segmentation rules while maintaining fast inference through efficient attention computations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11995111B2Efficient and compact text matching system for sentence pairs
Publication Date: 2024.05.28 TENCENT AMERICA LLC
  • US11995111B2 patent drawing
  • US11995111B2 patent drawing
  • US11995111B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A method, computer program, and computer system is provided for query matching of sentences based on co-attention scores. Two or more query inputs to a neural network are received. A correlation factor between the two or more query input is identified based on attention weights. A feature vector is generated based on the attention weights. A probability value corresponding to the two or more query inputs is determined based on the generated feature vector.