Methods and systems for representing, using and displaying time-varying information on the semantic web

• US 20100281045A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BBN Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Dean, Michael Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing start and stop properties to Semantic Web structured resources and statements are disclosed. The start and stop properties can specify a lifetime during which a resource or statement can be valid. A call or query to one or more resources can return statement data including the start and stop properties for the resources and/or statements. Dates can be specified with the call or query such that the returned resources and statements have lifetimes including the specified dates. Screen images of the data can display subject and object nodes and predicate arcs for the selected dates. A sequence of screen images can display a timeline of nodes and arcs by adding or hiding nodes and arcs to correspond with the start and stop properties of the statements. Tools are provided for the user to navigate through the sequence.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A computer-implemented method of using Resource Description Framework (RDF) reification to associate Semantic Web statements with start properties and stop properties related to lifetimes of the Semantic Web statements using a reification processor, comprising:

accessing an RDF statement wherein the RDF statement includes a subject, a predicate, and an object;

determining a lifetime of the RDF statement; and

generating a reified RDF statement, using the reification processor, wherein the reified RDF statement includes the subject, the predicate, the object and the lifetime of the RDF statement.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a Semantic Web query having an associated timeframe;

determining if the query timeframe is within the lifetime of a reified RDF statement in the Semantic Web resource; and

accessing the reified RDF statement in response to the determination.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying on a display the subject and the object of the reified RDF statement as nodes;

displaying on the display the predicate of the reified RDF statement as an arc connecting the displayed nodes;

selecting a timeframe associated with the display; and

hiding the nodes and the arc when the selected display timeframe is outside the lifetime of the reified RDF statement.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein determining a lifetime of the RDF statement comprises:

determining a lifetime of the subject of the RDF statement based on at least one of a start property of the subject and a stop property of the subject; and

selecting the lifetime of the subject of the RDF statement as the lifetime of the RDF statement.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein determining a lifetime of the RDF statement comprises:

determining a lifetime of the object of the RDF statement; and

selecting the lifetime of the object of the RDF statement as the lifetime of the RDF statement.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein determining a lifetime of the RDF statement comprises:

determining a lifetime of the object of the RDF statement;

determining a lifetime of the subject of the RDF statement;

comparing the lifetime of the object and the lifetime of the subject; and

in response to the comparison, selecting an intersection of the compared lifetimes as the lifetime of the RDF statement.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein determining a lifetime of the RDF statement comprises:

determining a lifetime of the predicate of the RDF statement; and

selecting the lifetime of the predicate of the RDF statement as the lifetime of the RDF statement.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the lifetime of the RDF statement includes at least one of an open-ended start property and an open-ended stop property.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the lifetime of the RDF statement is explicitly specified.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the RDF statement is accessed from a Semantic Web resource and further comprising storing the reified RDF statement in the Semantic Web resource.

12. A system for using Resource Description Framework (RDF) reification to associate Semantic Web statements with start properties and stop properties related to lifetimes of the Semantic Web statements, comprising:

a computer processor operable to access an RDF statement, wherein the RDF statement includes a subject, a predicate, and an object and for determining a lifetime of the RDF statement; and

a reification processor operable to generate a reified RDF statement, wherein the reified RDF statement includes the subject, the predicate, the object and the lifetime of the RDF statement.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer processor is further operable to:

receive a Semantic Web query having an associated timeframe;

determine if the query timeframe is within the lifetime of a reified RDF statement in the Semantic Web resource; and

access the reified RDF statement in response to the determination.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a display operable to:

display the subject and the object of the reified RDF statement as nodes;

display the predicate of the reified RDF statement as an arc connecting the displayed nodes;

select a timeframe associated with the display; and

hide the nodes and the arc when the selected display timeframe is outside the lifetime of the reified RDF statement.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for controlling a processor to use Resource Description Framework (RDF) reification to associate Semantic Web statements with start properties and stop properties related to lifetimes of the Semantic Web statements by:

accessing an RDF statement wherein the RDF statement includes a subject, a predicate, and an object;

determining a lifetime of the RDF statement; and

generating a reified RDF statement, using a reification processor, wherein the reified RDF statement includes the subject, the predicate, the object and the lifetime of the RDF statement.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions for controlling the processor to:

receive a Semantic Web query having an associated timeframe;

determine if the query timeframe is within the lifetime of a reified RDF statement in the Semantic Web resource; and

access the reified RDF statement in response to the determination.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions for controlling the processor to:

display on a display the subject and the object of the reified RDF statement as nodes;

display on the display the predicate of the reified RDF statement as an arc connecting the displayed nodes;

select a timeframe associated with the display; and

hide the nodes and the arc when the selected display timeframe is outside the lifetime of the reified RDF statement.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions for controlling the processor to:

determine a lifetime of the subject of the RDF statement based on at least one of a start property of the subject and a stop property of the subject; and

select the lifetime of the subject of the RDF statement as the lifetime of the RDF statement.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions for controlling the processor to:

determine a lifetime of the object of the RDF statement; and

select the lifetime of the object of the RDF statement as the lifetime of the RDF statement.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions for controlling the processor to:

determine a lifetime of the object of the RDF statement;

determine a lifetime of the subject of the RDF statement;

compare the lifetime of the object and the lifetime of the subject; and

in response to the comparison, select an intersection of the compared lifetimes as the lifetime of the RDF statement.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions for controlling the processor to:

determine a lifetime of the predicate of the RDF statement; and

select the lifetime of the predicate of the RDF statement as the lifetime of the RDF statement.