Methods and systems for managing entities in a computing device using semantic objects

• US 20040158455A1
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fiver LLC
• Original Assignee: Radar Networks Incorporated (EVRI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Spivack, Nova, Thorisson, Kristinn R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/36 Creation of semantic tools, e.g. ontology or thesauri
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/048 Fuzzy inferencing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99946 Object-oriented database structure network

Abstract

A data construct referred to as a semcard is described. A semcard is a semantic (meaning-based) software object comprised of semantic meta-tags and meta-data that describes a target object or thing. A target object can be any type of digital or physical entity or identifier, or it can be tacit knowledge, such as ideas, concepts, processes or other data existing in a user'"'"'s mind, provided that the user represents this knowledge in the semcard. A semcard also embodies information about its own structure—rules, history, state, policies and goals regarding automation, display, access permissions, sharing and other operations of the semcard and any optional target object, which may be contained within the semcard or be external to it. It can also represent a semantic link between two semcards, or between a semcard and its referent target.

A collection of semcards represents a knowledge network; single semcards, as well as knowledge networks, can be browsed, shared, searched, disseminated, manipulated, displayed, organized, and stored as desired by the individual users of the semcard or knowledge network having a semcard management application or browsing software on their computational devices. Semcards can also represent relationships between users or, more generally, people and entities. A relationship semcard stores information relevant to a relationship and an invitation semcard is used to initiate a relationship. Semcards hold metadata, policies, and automation instructions about a relationship and, combined with a comparison mechanism, enable the enforcing application to control numerous aspects of the relationship thus represented, including which users can send the intended recipient data and what type of data the intended recipient has agreed to accept.

Claims

1. A semantic object representing an entity or tacit information, the semantic object comprising:

semantic tags describing attributes of the entity or tacit information, including relationships to other semantic objects, to physical or software objects, or to information existing in the mind of a human being; and

rules embodying goals, automation and other policies regarding how the semantic object interacts with, is manipulated by, and is displayed to human beings and automatic processes;

wherein a semantic object can be searched using semantic tags and meta-data contained in the semantic object, the meta-data being paired with the semantic tags and wherein the semantic tags can be extended by an owner of the semantic object and shared over a network.

2. A method of managing a relationship between a first semantic object and a second semantic object, wherein the relationship is represented by a third semantic object, the method comprising:

posting an invitation semantic object;

accepting the invitation semantic object;

providing the second semantic object with a first set of policies of the first semantic object and providing the first semantic object with a second set of policies of the second semantic object, wherein the policies can prevent data from being received at a semantic object by preventing data from originating at a source;

encapsulating data about the relationship in the third semantic object; and

enabling modification of either set of policies during the relationship.