Artificial intelligence methods and systems for triggering the generation of narratives are disclosed. Specific embodiments relate to real-time evaluation and automated generation of narrative stories based on received data. For example, data can be tested against data representative of a plurality of story angles to determine whether a narrative story incorporating one or more such story angles is to be automatically generated.
Please help me write a proper abstract based on the patent claims. CLAIM: 1. A method for applying artificial intelligence technology to process data and automatically generate a narrative story about the data, the method comprising: a processor executing a story evaluation program, wherein the story evaluation program executing step comprises computing an evaluation indicator about a data set according to defined metrics, the evaluation indicator indicating whether a narrative story about the data set is to be generated; a processor triggering an execution of a story generation program in response to the evaluation indicator indicating that the narrative story about the data set is to be generated; a processor executing the story generation program in response to the triggering step, the story generation program executing step comprising automatically rendering a narrative story about the data set based on an angle data structure that is deemed to appropriately characterize the data set; and repeating the story evaluation program executing step, the triggering step, and the story generation program executing step with respect to a plurality of data sets to thereby automatically generate a plurality of the narrative stories. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the story evaluation program executing step and the story generation program executing step are simultaneously performed by a processor in a pipelined fashion with respect to a plurality of the data sets. 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the same processor performs the story evaluation program executing step, the triggering step, and the story generation program executing step. 4. The method of claim 2 wherein different processors perform the story evaluation program executing step and the story generation program executing step. 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising: explicitly representing metrics for use by the story evaluation program to determine whether a narrative story about the data set is to be generated via a plurality of data structures representative of a plurality of angles, wherein each angle data structure is representative of a characterization of data and has an associated applicability condition for testing against a data set as part of the computing step to determine whether that angle data structure appropriately characterizes the data set. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein each angle set data structure has an associated importance value, the importance value for use by the computing step as part of computing the evaluation indicator if its associated angle data structure is found by the testing to appropriately characterize the data set. 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the computing step further comprises a processor computing interestingness data about the data set based on each importance value associated with each angle data structure found by the testing to appropriately characterize the data set, and (2) computing the evaluation indicator based on the computed interestingness data. 8. The method of claim 5 wherein the story evaluation program executing step further comprises: a processor accessing a database, the database comprising a plurality of the angle data structures; a processor selecting a plurality of the angle data structures in the database for inclusion in an angle set data structure, the angle set data structure comprising a collection of angle data structures to be evaluated by the story evaluation program; a processor testing the data set against the applicability conditions of the angle data structures that are members of the angle set data structure; and a processor computing the evaluation indicator based on the testing. 9. The method of claim 8 wherein each of a plurality of the angle data structures in the database has an associated importance value; and wherein the selecting step comprises a processor selecting among the angle data structures in the database for inclusion in the angle set data structure based on whether their associated importance values exceed a threshold. 10. The method of claim 8 wherein each of a plurality of the angle data structures in the database has an associated trigger status; and wherein the selecting step comprises a processor selecting among the angle data structures in the database for inclusion in the angle set data structure based on their associated trigger statuses. 11. The method of claim 5 wherein the triggering step comprises a processor generating a story generation request for a computed evaluation indicator that indicates a narrative story about a data set is to be generated, wherein the story generation request includes data indicative of an angle data structure determined by the story evaluation program executing step to appropriately characterize the data set. 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the story generation program executing step comprises a processor (1) reading the story generation request, and (2) automatically rendering the narrative story in natural language such that it expresses the characterization represented by the angle data structure identified by the story generation request. 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the triggering step comprises the story evaluation program writing a plurality of the story generation requests into a queue and the story generation program reading the story generation requests from the queue. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the story evaluation program executing step and the story generation program executing step are simultaneously performed by a processor in a pipelined fashion with respect to a plurality of the data sets. 15. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one of the angle data structures has an associated derived feature to be computed for use by the testing with respect that angle data structure's associated applicability condition; and wherein the story evaluation program executing step comprises a processor (1) identifying a derived feature about the data set to be computed based on the association with the angle data structure, (2) computing the identified derived feature with respect to the data set, and (3) testing the computed derived feature against its associated applicability condition as part of the evaluation indicator computing. 16. The method of claim 5 further comprising maintaining a queue that lists a plurality of subjects, each subject having an associated data set, and wherein the story evaluation program executing step comprises a processor (1) reading subjects out of the queue, and (2) selecting data sets for evaluation that are associated with the read subjects. 17. The method of claim 5 wherein the story generation program executing step comprises a processor automatically rendering a narrative story about the data set based on an angle data structure that is deemed to appropriately characterize the data set and which is different than an angle data structure found to appropriately characterize the data set by the story evaluation program executing step. 18. The method of claim 5 further comprising: not rendering a narrative story about the data set if the evaluation indicator for that data set indicates that a narrative story about that data set is not to be generated. 19. A computer program product for applying artificial intelligence technology to process data and automatically generate a narrative story about the data, the computer program product comprising: a plurality of processor-executable instructions resident on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the instructions configured, upon execution by a computer system, to cause the computer system to: execute a story evaluation program, wherein the story evaluation program execution comprises a computation of an evaluation indicator about a data set according to defined metrics, the evaluation indicator indicating whether a narrative story about the data set is to be generated; trigger an execution of a story generation program in response to the evaluation indicator indicating that the narrative story about the data set is to be generated; execute the story generation program in response to the trigger operation, wherein the story generation program execution is configured to automatically render a narrative story about the data set based on an angle data structure that is deemed to appropriately characterize the data set; and repeat the story evaluation program execution, the trigger operation, and the story generation program execution with respect to a plurality of data sets to thereby automatically generate a plurality of the narrative stories. 20. An apparatus for applying artificial intelligence technology to process data and automatically generate a narrative story about the data, the apparatus comprising: a processor configured to: execute a story evaluation program to compute an evaluation indicator about a data set according to defined metrics, the evaluation indicator indicating whether a narrative story about the data set is to be generated; trigger an execution of a story generation program in response to the evaluation indicator indicating that the narrative story about the data set is to be generated; execute the story generation program in response to the trigger operation, wherein the story generation program execution is configured to automatically render a narrative story about the data set based on an angle data structure that is deemed to appropriately characterize the data set; and repeat the story evaluation program execution, the trigger operation, and the story generation program execution with respect to a plurality of data sets to thereby automatically generate a plurality of the narrative stories.