Determining and storing at least one results set in a global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to the global ontology database

• US 20070226246A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dheap, Vijay, Mandalia, Baiju
• Granted Patent: US 8,495,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database

Abstract

Determining and storing at least one validated results set in a global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to the global ontology database. If global ontology data is stored in a global ontology database, attempt to determine a mapping between first and second ontologies. If a mapping between the first and second ontologies can be determined from the global ontology data, the mapping is validated and the validated mapping is defined as a validated results set. If global ontology data is not stored in a global ontology database or a mapping between the first and second ontologies can not be determined from global ontology data stored in the global ontology database, the first and second ontologies are unified by determining a mapping between the first and second ontologies, the mapping is validated and the validated mapping is defined as a validated results set. The validated results set is stored in the global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to the global ontology database.

Claims

1. A method of storing at least one validated results set in a global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to said global ontology database comprising:

determining if global ontology data is stored in a global ontology database;

if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database, attempting to determine a mapping between first and second ontologies from said global ontology data;

if a mapping between said first and second ontologies is determined from said global ontology data, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set;

if global ontology data is not stored in said global ontology database or a mapping between said first and second ontologies can not be determined from said global ontology data stored in said global ontology database, unifying said first and second ontologies by determining a mapping between said first and second ontologies, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set; and

storing said validated first results set in said global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to said global ontology database.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database, attempting to determine a mapping between third and fourth ontologies from said global ontology data;

if a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies can be determined from said global ontology data, validating said mapping between said third and fourth ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated second results set;

if a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies can not be determined from said global ontology data stored in said global ontology database, unifying said third and fourth ontologies by determining a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies, validating said mapping between said third and fourth ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated second results set;

providing said validated second results set to said global ontology database; and

storing said validated second results set in said global ontology database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database and said global ontology data includes a results set comprising a mapping between said first and second ontologies, determining the mapping between said first and second ontologies by retrieving said mapping between said first and second ontologies from said global ontology database, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set and providing said validated first results set to said global ontology database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies comprises correcting any errors in mappings between elements in said first and second ontologies not previously validated.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies comprises updating or correcting mappings between elements in said first and second ontologies previously validated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database and said global ontology data comprises a mapping between said first ontology and a third ontology and a mapping between said second ontology and said third ontology, determining a mapping between said first and second ontologies from said mappings of said first and third ontologies and said second and third ontologies.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies comprises inferring corrections to mappings between elements of said first and second ontologies from corrections made by a user to data transferred from a form generated in accordance with said first ontology to a form generated in accordance with said second ontology.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing personal data arranged in accordance with said first ontology to an entity having control over a database created in accordance with said second ontology;

said entity verifying the identity of a customer providing said personal data using a security feature; and

transferring said personal data to said database created in accordance with said second ontology.

9. A system for storing at least one validated results set in a global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to said global ontology database comprising:

a global ontology database;

a module to determine if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database;

a module to attempt to determine a mapping between first and second ontologies if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database;

a module to validate said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and to define said validated mapping as a validated first results set if a mapping between said first and second ontologies can be determined from said global ontology data;

a module to unify said first and second ontologies by determining a mapping between said first and second ontologies if global ontology data is not stored in said global ontology database or a mapping between said first and second ontologies can not be determined from global ontology data stored in said global ontology database, to validate said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and to define said validated mapping as a validated first results set; and

a module to store said validated first results set in said global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to said global ontology database.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a module to attempt to determine a mapping between third and fourth ontologies if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database;

a module to validate said mapping between said third and fourth ontologies, and to define said validated mapping as a validated second results set if a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies can be determined from said global ontology data;

a module to unify said third and fourth ontologies by determining a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies if a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies can not be determined from said global ontology data stored in said global ontology database, to validate said mapping between said third and fourth ontologies, and to define said validated mapping as a validated second results set;

a module to provide said validated second results set to said global ontology database; and

a module to store said validated second results set in said global ontology database.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a module to determine the mapping between said first and second ontologies, if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database and said global ontology data includes a results set comprising a mapping between said first and second ontologies, by retrieving said mapping between said first and second ontologies from said global ontology database, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set and providing said validated first results set to said global ontology database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said module to determine the mapping between said first and second ontologies, if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database and said global ontology data includes a results set comprising a mapping between said first and second ontologies, validates said mapping between said first and second ontologies by correcting any errors in mappings between elements in said first and second ontologies not previously validated.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said module to determine the mapping between said first and second ontologies, if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database and said global ontology data includes a results set comprising a mapping between said first and second ontologies, validates said mapping by updating or correcting mappings between elements in said first and second ontologies previously validated.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a module to infer corrections to mappings between elements of said first and second ontologies from corrections made by a user to data transferred from a form generated in accordance with said first ontology to a form generated in accordance with said second ontology.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a module to provide personal data arranged in accordance with said first ontology to an entity having control over a database created in accordance with said second ontology;

a module to verify the identity of a customer providing said personal data using a security feature; and

a module to transfer said personal data to said database created in accordance with said second ontology.

16. A computer program product for storing at least one validated results set in a global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to said global ontology database, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied herewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to determine if global ontology data is stored in a global ontology database;

computer usable program code configured to attempt to determine a mapping between first and second ontologies if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database;

computer usable program code configured to validate said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and to define said validated mapping as a validated first results set if a mapping between said first and second ontologies can be determined from said global ontology data;

computer usable program code configured to unify said first and second ontologies by determining a mapping between said first and second ontologies if global ontology data is not stored in said global ontology database or a mapping between said first and second ontologies can not be determined from global ontology data stored in said global ontology database, to validate said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and to define said validated mapping as a validated first results set; and

computer usable program code configured to store said validated first results set in said global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to said global ontology database.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to attempt to determine if a mapping between third and fourth ontologies can be determined from said global ontology data;

computer usable program code configured to validate said mapping between said third and fourth ontologies, and to define said validated mapping as a validated second results set if a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies can be determined from said global ontology data;

computer usable program code configured to unify said third and fourth. ontologies by determining a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies if a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies can not be determined from said global ontology data stored in said global ontology database, to validate said mapping between said third and fourth ontologies, and to define said validated mapping as a validated second results set;

computer usable program code configured to provide said validated second results set to said global ontology database; and

computer usable program code configured to store said validated second results set in said global ontology database.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising a computer usable program code configured to determine the mapping between said first and second ontologies, if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database and said global ontology data includes a results set comprising a mapping between said first and second ontologies, by retrieving said mapping between said first and second ontologies from said global ontology database, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set and providing said validated first results set to said global ontology database.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said computer usable program code configured to determine the mapping between said first and second ontologies, if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database and said global ontology data includes a results set comprising a mapping between said first and second ontologies, validates said mapping by updating or correcting mappings between elements in said first and second ontologies.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising a computer usable program code configured to infer corrections to mappings between elements of said first and second ontologies from corrections made by user to data transferred from a form generated in accordance with said first ontology to a form generated in accordance with said second ontology.