An apparatus for extracting selected information from a set of symbols includes said alignment module is configured to retrieve test patterns from a symbol input, and to attempt alignment of test patterns with a canonical pattern. Successful alignment between a particular test pattern and said canonical pattern indicates of existence of information of interest in a particular candidate pattern. Upon detection of a successful alignment, the alignment module passes information concerning the test pattern to a user. Additionally, in response to detecting an unsuccessful attempt to align the first test pattern and the canonical pattern, said alignment module passes, to said user, information concerning the first test pattern.
Please help me write a proper abstract based on the patent claims. CLAIM: 1. An apparatus for extracting selected information from a symbol set, said apparatus comprising a processor, a frame memory, and a program memory, said frame memory and said program memory being tangible and non-transitory media that are in data communication with said processor, wherein said program memory comprises an alignment module, wherein said frame memory comprises a frame, said frame comprising information representative of a canonical pattern, wherein said canonical pattern is indicative of said selected information, wherein said alignment module is configured to retrieve test patterns from a symbol input, and to attempt alignment of said test patterns with said canonical pattern, wherein a successful alignment between a particular test pattern and said canonical pattern is indicative of existence of said information of interest in said particular candidate pattern, wherein, upon detection of a successful alignment, said alignment module is configured to pass, to said user, information concerning said test pattern, wherein said alignment module is configured to retrieve a first test pattern, and wherein in response to detecting an unsuccessful attempt to align said first test pattern and said canonical pattern, said alignment module passes, to said user, information concerning said first test pattern. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said alignment module is further configured to retrieve a second test pattern, to detect an unsuccessful attempt to align said second test pattern and said canonical pattern, and to avoid passing, to said user, information concerning said second test pattern. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said alignment module is further configured to retrieve a second test pattern, to successfully align said second test pattern and said canonical pattern, and to pass, to said user, information concerning said second test pattern. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said alignment module is configured to calculate an alignment score indicative of an extent to which said first test pattern and said canonical pattern fail to align. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first test pattern comprises a union of a first set of units and a second set of units, wherein said canonical pattern consists of only said first set of units, and wherein said first set contains units that are missing from said second set, and wherein said alignment module is configured to calculate an alignment score that depends at least in part on said second set. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said units comprise semantic units. 7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said units comprise syntactic units. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said canonical pattern comprises a union of a first set of units and a second set of units, wherein said first test pattern consists of only said first set of units, and wherein said first set contains units that are missing from said second set, and wherein said alignment module is configured to calculate an alignment score that depends at least in part on said second set. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said canonical pattern comprises a first unit and said first test pattern comprises said first unit and a second unit adjacent to said first unit, said first and second adjacent units defining a bigram, and wherein said alignment module is configured to calculate an alignment score that depends at least in part on a frequency of said bigram in training data. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said canonical pattern comprises a first unit, wherein said first test pattern comprises said first unit, a second unit, and a third unit, wherein said second unit is adjacent to said first unit, wherein said third unit is adjacent to said second unit, wherein said first, second, and third units define a trigram, and wherein said alignment module is configured to calculate an alignment score that depends at least in part on a frequency of said trigram in training data. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said alignment module is configured to calculate an alignment score indicative of a frequency of occurrence of said misalignment in training data. 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said frame comprises at least one frame-slot, said frame-slot including information concerning context of said canonical pattern. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said frame comprises a topic slot indicative of a topic that is used as a basis for disqualifying said canonical pattern from being associated with a pattern, said pattern being selected from the group consisting of a training pattern and a test pattern.