Method and apparatus for mediated cooperation

• US 20040167862A1
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leonid Yabloko
• Original Assignee: Leonid Yabloko
• Inventors: Yabloko, Leonid
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/55
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/043 Distributed expert systems; Blackboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Mediated cooperation of entities occurs based on uniformed (canonical) representation of objects as tuples allocated for different semantic aspects of the objects. The tuples are connected to represent sequential events of one or more processes, which allow the entities to produce the objects. The conditions under which the entity can produce one or more of the objects are represented by using tuple templates. In order to implement the process, each object is associated with one or more semantic terms and one tuple named with the semantic term is allocated for every association. Allocated tuples contain the information from the object, which corresponds to the meaning of the semantic term. The goal of each process is identified by one or more of the semantic terms. The processes are then implemented by generating chains of events, which terminate at the tuples corresponding to each semantic term. The semantic terms are aggregated into general categories, which are used by the cooperating entities for the goal identification. One or more of semantic mediators are used to ensure sound formal semantics of the categories by maintaining type systems for different problem domains. The type system of each domain is based on the connected tuples forming a hyper-graph, which is used to determine formal semantics of each type.

Claims

1. A method of allowing entities to cooperate for implementing one or more processes, the method comprising:

(a) storing and retrieving information in the form of tuples;

(b) using the tuples to represent objects involved in one or more processes, wherein each object is produced by an entity; and

(c) connecting the tuples to represent sequential events of the one or more processes.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(d) associating each object with one or more semantic terms; and

(e) allocating one tuple named with the semantic term for every association, the tuple containing the information provided by the object corresponding to the meaning of the semantic term.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

(f) indicating one or more of the semantic terms in order to represent a goal of the one or more processes.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

(f) generating chains of events which terminate at the tuples corresponding to each semantic term.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

(f) generating semantic categories by aggregating the semantic terms.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(d) representing the conditions under which the entity can produce one or more of the objects by using tuple templates.

7. An apparatus for allowing entities to cooperate for implementing one or more processes, the apparatus comprising:

(a) means for storing and retrieving information in the form of tuples;

(b) means for represent objects involved in one or more processes by using the tuples, wherein each object is produced by an entity; and

(c) means for connecting the tuples to represent sequential events of the one or more processes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

(d) means for associating each object with one or more semantic terms; and

(e) means for allocating one tuple named with the semantic term for every association, the tuple containing the information provided by the object corresponding to the meaning of the semantic term.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

(f) means for indicating one or more of the semantic terms in order to represent a goal of the one or more processes.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

(f) means for generating chains of events which terminate at the tuples corresponding to each semantic term.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

(f) means for generating semantic categories by aggregating the semantic terms.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

(d) means for representing the conditions under which the entity can produce one or more of the objects by using tuple templates.

13. An article of manufacture for allowing entities to cooperate for implementing one or more processes, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

(a) storing and retrieving information in the form of tuples;

(b) using the tuples to represent objects involved in one or more processes, wherein each object is produced by an entity; and

(c) connecting the tuples to represent sequential events of the one or more processes.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising:

(d) associating each object with one or more semantic terms; and

(e) allocating one tuple named with the semantic term for every association, the tuple containing the information provided by the object corresponding to the meaning of the semantic term.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising:

(f) indicating one or more of the semantic terms in order to represent a goal of the one or more processes.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising:

(f) generating chains of events which terminate at the tuples corresponding to each semantic term.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising:

(f) generating semantic categories by aggregating the semantic terms.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising:

(d) representing the conditions under which the entity can produce one or more of the objects by using tuple templates.