SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING SEMANTIC AND SYNTACTIC METADATA

• US 20100153331A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baek, Ock Kee, Madaiah, Pradeep, Kale, Arti Abhay, Liu, Tao
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/602
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

A method for managing semantic and syntactic metadata. The method begins with receiving heterogeneous data from either a machine or a human. Next, the method captures the semantic metadata corresponding to the received heterogeneous data by means of a semantic template. Next, the method captures the syntactic metadata corresponding to the received heterogeneous data by means of a syntactic template. After capturing the semantic and syntactic metadata, the method logically links the received heterogeneous data with the captured semantic and syntactic metadata. Finally, the method stores the received heterogeneous data in a repository.

Claims

1. A method for managing semantic and syntactic metadata, said method comprising:

receiving heterogeneous data;

after said receiving, capturing semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data;

after said receiving, capturing syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data;

logically linking said received heterogeneous data and said captured semantic metadata and said syntactic metadata; and

storing said heterogeneous data in a repository.

2. The method of claim 1, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was not generated by the machine, sending at least one question to an end user, each question of said at least one question relating to semantic attributes of said received heterogeneous data; and

receiving at least one response from said end user, each response of said at least one response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one question.

3. The method of claim 1, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was generated by the machine, determining whether said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in a library, said library comprising at least one semantic metadata template;

having determined that said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data does not reside in said library, sending at least one question to an end user, each question of said at least one question relating to semantic attributes of said received heterogeneous data;

receiving at least one response from said end user, each response of said at least one response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one question; and

storing in said library said at least one response as a unique semantic metadata template.

4. The method of claim 1, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was generated by the machine, determining whether said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in a library, said library comprising at least one semantic metadata template; and

having determined that said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in said library, retrieving from said library a semantic metadata template corresponding to said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data.

5. The method of claim 3, said capturing said syntactic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax, retrieving from a library a syntax template corresponding to said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data; and

initiating a data parser to capture both said semantic metadata associated and said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data, said capturing utilizing both said semantic metadata template and said syntactic metadata template.

6. The method of claim 3, said capturing said syntactic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data does not utilize a standardized syntax, sending at least one syntax question to an end user, each question of said at least one syntax question relating to syntactic attributes of said received heterogeneous data;

receiving at least one syntax response from said end user, each response of said at least one syntax response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one syntax question;

storing in said library said at least one response as a unique syntactic metadata template; and

initiating a data parser to capture both said semantic metadata associated and said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data, said capturing utilizing both said semantic metadata template and said syntactic metadata template.

7. A computer program product, comprising a computer-usable storage medium having a computer-readable program code stored therein, said computer-readable program code containing instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer system implement a method for managing semantic and syntactic metadata, said method comprising:

receiving heterogeneous data;

after said receiving, capturing semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data;

after said receiving, capturing syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data;

logically linking said received heterogeneous data and said captured semantic metadata and said syntactic metadata; and

storing said heterogeneous data in a repository.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was not generated by the machine, sending at least one question to an end user, each question of said at least one question relating to semantic attributes of said received heterogeneous data; and

receiving at least one response from said end user, each response of said at least one response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one question.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was generated by the machine, determining whether said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in a library, said library comprising at least one semantic metadata template;

having determined that said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data does not reside in said library, sending at least one question to an end user, each question of said at least one question relating to semantic attributes of said received heterogeneous data;

receiving at least one response from said end user, each response of said at least one response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one question; and

storing in said library said at least one response as a unique semantic metadata template.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was generated by the machine, determining whether said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in a library, said library comprising at least one semantic metadata template; and

having determined that said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in said library, retrieving from said library a semantic metadata template corresponding to said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, said capturing said syntactic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax, retrieving from a library a syntax template corresponding to said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data; and

initiating a data parser to capture both said semantic metadata associated and said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data, said capturing utilizing both said semantic metadata template and said syntactic metadata template.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, said capturing said syntactic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data does not utilize a standardized syntax, sending at least one syntax question to an end user, each question of said at least one syntax question relating to syntactic attributes of said received heterogeneous data;

receiving at least one syntax response from said end user, each response of said at least one syntax response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one syntax question;

storing in said library said at least one response as a unique syntactic metadata template; and

initiating a data parser to capture both said semantic metadata associated and said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data, said capturing utilizing both said semantic metadata template and said syntactic metadata template.

13. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising a software application, said software application comprising instruction that when executed by said processor, implement a method for managing semantic and syntactic metadata, said method comprising:

receiving heterogeneous data;

after said receiving, capturing semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data;

after said receiving, capturing syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data;

logically linking said received heterogeneous data and said captured semantic metadata and said syntactic metadata; and

storing said heterogeneous data in a repository.

14. The computing system of claim 13, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was not generated by the machine, sending at least one question to an end user, each question of said at least one question relating to semantic attributes of said received heterogeneous data; and

receiving at least one response from said end user, each response of said at least one response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one question.

15. The computing system of claim 13, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was generated by the machine, determining whether said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in a library, said library comprising at least one semantic metadata template;

having determined that said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data does not reside in said library, sending at least one question to an end user, each question of said at least one question relating to semantic attributes of said received heterogeneous data;

receiving at least one response from said end user, each response of said at least one response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one question; and

storing in said library said at least one response as a unique semantic metadata template.

16. The computing system of claim 13, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was generated by the machine, determining whether said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in a library, said library comprising at least one semantic metadata template; and

having determined that said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in said library, retrieving from said library a semantic metadata template corresponding to said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data.

17. The computing system of claim 15, said capturing said syntactic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax, retrieving from a library a syntax template corresponding to said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data; and

initiating a data parser to capture both said semantic metadata associated and said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data, said capturing utilizing both said semantic metadata template and said syntactic metadata template.

18. The computing system of claim 15, said capturing said syntactic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data does not utilize a standardized syntax, sending at least one syntax question to an end user, each question of said at least one syntax question relating to syntactic attributes of said received heterogeneous data;

receiving at least one syntax response from said end user, each response of said at least one syntax response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one syntax question;

storing in said library said at least one response as a unique syntactic metadata template; and

initiating a data parser to capture both said semantic metadata associated and said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data, said capturing utilizing both said semantic metadata template and said syntactic metadata template.

19. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein said code in combination with the computing system is capable of implementing a method for managing semantic and syntactic metadata, said method comprising:

receiving heterogeneous data;

after said receiving, capturing semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data;

after said receiving, capturing syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data;

logically linking said received heterogeneous data and said captured semantic metadata and said syntactic metadata; and

storing said heterogeneous data in a repository.

20. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 19, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was not generated by the machine, sending at least one question to an end user, each question of said at least one question relating to semantic attributes of said received heterogeneous data; and

receiving at least one response from said end user, each response of said at least one response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one question.

21. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 19, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was generated by the machine, determining whether said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in a library, said library comprising at least one semantic metadata template;

having determined that said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data does not reside in said library, sending at least one question to an end user, each question of said at least one question relating to semantic attributes of said received heterogeneous data;

receiving at least one response from said end user, each response of said at least one response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one question; and

storing in said library said at least one response as a unique semantic metadata template.

22. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 19, said capturing said semantic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data was generated by a machine;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data was generated by the machine, determining whether said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in a library, said library comprising at least one semantic metadata template; and

having determined that said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data resides in said library, retrieving from said library a semantic metadata template corresponding to said semantic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data.

23. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 21, said capturing said syntactic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax, retrieving from a library a syntax template corresponding to said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data; and

initiating a data parser to capture both said semantic metadata associated and said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data, said capturing utilizing both said semantic metadata template and said syntactic metadata template.

24. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 21, said capturing said syntactic metadata comprising:

determining whether said received heterogeneous data utilizes a standardized syntax;

having determined that said received heterogeneous data does not utilize a standardized syntax, sending at least one syntax question to an end user, each question of said at least one syntax question relating to syntactic attributes of said received heterogeneous data;

receiving at least one syntax response from said end user, each response of said at least one syntax response corresponding to a unique question of said at least one syntax question;

storing in said library said at least one response as a unique syntactic metadata template; and

initiating a data parser to capture both said semantic metadata associated and said syntactic metadata associated with said received heterogeneous data, said capturing utilizing both said semantic metadata template and said syntactic metadata template.