US US20170193836A1

A concise summary of US patent application publication US20170193836A1 is provided below, along with a plain-language overview of its independent claims.

Summary of US20170193836A1

• Title: Freeform mathematical parsing and grading method and system
• Assignee: Cengage Learning Inc. (Current Assignee as of March 22, 2024). The original assignee was Advanced Instructional Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Hildon Smith, Terrance T. Ford
• Filing Date: January 6, 2017
• Issue Date: US20170193836A1 is a patent application publication, published on July 6, 2017. The corresponding granted patent, US10019909B2, was granted and published on July 10, 2018.
• Abstract: The patent describes systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products that receive student input for mathematical expressions. A computer processes the mathematical meaning of this input, tests it against defined mathematical criteria, and then provides immediate assessment, grades, and feedback.

Plain-language overview of each independent claim:

1. System Claim: This independent claim describes a computer system designed for parsing and grading freeform mathematical input. The system includes memory to store an answer key and a processor. The processor is configured to:

   • Create a grammar for arithmetic expressions that understands both implicit multiplication (e.g., "2x") and implicit function expressions (e.g., "sin x").
   • Define rules within this grammar for recognizing both pre-specified ("known") variables and un-specified ("unknown") variables.
   • Receive mathematical input from a user (e.g., a student's answer).
   • Analyze this input using the defined grammar to generate multiple possible structural interpretations, called parse trees.
   • Assign a grade to the input by comparing at least one of these generated parse trees against the stored answer key.

2. Method Claim 1: This independent claim describes a method performed by a computer for parsing and grading freeform mathematical input. The method involves:

   • Defining a grammar for arithmetic expressions, which includes rules for implicit multiplication and implicit function expressions.
   • Defining rules within the grammar for handling both known and unknown variables.
   • Receiving a mathematical input.
   • Parsing this input based on the defined grammar to create a set of parse trees that represent different interpretations of the input.
   • Assigning a grade to the input by comparing at least one of these parse trees against a key (e.g., the correct answer).

3. Method Claim 2: This independent claim outlines another computer-implemented method for parsing and grading freeform mathematical input, specifically focusing on expressions that contain multiple distinct elements (like a set of numbers or terms). The method includes:

   • Defining a grammar for arithmetic expressions that accounts for implicit multiplication and implicit function expressions, along with rules for known and unknown variables.
   • Receiving an input that consists of multiple elements forming a mathematical expression.
   • Parsing the input using the grammar to identify and define each individual element within the expression.
   • Assigning a grade based on a routine that:
     • Compares each element of the received input against each element of a provided key (the correct answer).
     • Verifies that every element from the student's input matches at least one element from the key.
     • Verifies that every element from the key matches at least one element from the student's input.

No dockets pertaining directly to US20170193836A1 were found in the CAFC 2026 dockets.