Method and computer program product for converting ontologies into concept semantic networks

• US 20070192272A1
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CONQ Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intelligenxia Incorporated
• Inventors: Mohan, Rengaswamy, Elfayoumy, Sherif
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/55
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/36 Creation of semantic tools, e.g. ontology or thesauri

Abstract

A method and computer program product for producing a concept semantic network (CSN) from an ontology. Each class, subclass, object, restriction, and property of the ontology is converted into a concept of the CSN. Each hierarchy in the ontology is converted to a concept hierarchy of the CSN.

Claims

1. A method of producing a concept semantic network (CSN) from an ontology, comprising:

a) converting each class, subclass, object, restriction, and property of the ontology to a concept of the CSN; and

b) converting each hierarchy in the ontology to a concept hierarchy of the CSN.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

c) identifying a type for each concept of the CSN.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

d) assigning, to each concept of the CSN, its identified type.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein step c) comprises using the name of a root element of the ontology as the type for concepts of the CSN.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein step c) comprises using the name of a parent concept as the type for all concepts immediately subordinate to the parent concept.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein step c) comprises using the name of a topmost root element of each hierarchy in the CSN as the type for each concept in the hierarchy.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein step c) comprises using a semantic network to identify a type.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein step c) comprises identifying a type by receiving a user preference.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user preference is provided by a user through a graphical user interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchies in the ontology comprise a property hierarchy.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step a) comprises:

i) converting a class in the ontology into a concept in the CSN, the concept corresponding to the class in the ontology; and

ii) converting a property of the class into a child concept of the concept in the CSN.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein step a) comprises preserving, in the CSN, inherited properties in the ontology.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

c) receiving editing commands from a user; and

d) manipulating the CSN according to the received editing commands.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the editing commands are received through a graphical user interface.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to produce a concept semantic network (CSN) from an ontology, the computer control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to converting each class, subclass, object, restriction, and property of the ontology to a concept of the CSN; and

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to convert each hierarchy in the ontology to a concept hierarchy of the CSN.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer control logic further comprising:

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to identify a type for each concept of the CSN.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the hierarchies in the ontology comprise a property hierarchy.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first computer readable program code means comprises:

computer readable program code means for causing the computer to convert a class in the ontology into a concept in the CSN, the concept corresponding to the class in the ontology; and

computer readable program code means for causing the computer to convert a property of the class into a child concept of the concept in the CSN.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first computer readable program code means comprises:

computer readable program code means for causing the computer to preserve, in the CSN, inherited properties in the ontology.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer control logic further comprising:

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive editing commands from a user; and

fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to manipulate the CSN according to the received editing commands.