Interactive knowledge base end user interface driven maintenance and acquisition system
First Claim
1. An expert system which includes a knowledge base comprising a memory for storing knowledge including data representative of facts organized into frames and rulesets linked to said frames so as to create decisions using a premise-conclusion if-then form of reasoning and a programmed computer which includes an inference engine coupled to said memory for interpreting said rulesets using said if-then reasoning, said system further including:
- expert user interface facility means coupled to said inference engine and to said knowledge base for generating commands to edit and update said knowledge base and for designating at least one point within said knowledge base where editing can take place;
end user interface facility means coupled to said inference engine for communicating and receiving commands from said inference engine, said end user interface facility means when operating in a predetermined mode of operation controlling the operation of said expert system and receiving input information from said inference engine indicative of the context of an operation being performed; and
control means coupled to said end user facility means and said expect user interface facility means for enabling said expert user interface facility means to switch control from said and user interface facility means to said expert user interface facility means to said one point when said end user interface facility means is operating in said predetermined mode of operation and as a function of said input information received by said end user interface facility means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A knowledge base system includes separate expert user and end user interface facilities which communicate with the system'"'"'s inference engine and knowledge base. Linking means operatively interconnect the expert user facility to the end user interface facility enabling the simulation of the end user environment while the knowledge base is being concurrently edited or modified. Such simulation is carried out by placing the end user interface facility in an edit mode of operation during which the user can stop at any point. In response to a single keybgoard command, an expert user can switch control back to the expert user facility to a point within the knowledge base selected relative to the context of the operation which was being run thereby facilitating the maintenance and updating of the knowledge base.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. An expert system which includes a knowledge base comprising a memory for storing knowledge including data representative of facts organized into frames and rulesets linked to said frames so as to create decisions using a premise-conclusion if-then form of reasoning and a programmed computer which includes an inference engine coupled to said memory for interpreting said rulesets using said if-then reasoning, said system further including:
-
expert user interface facility means coupled to said inference engine and to said knowledge base for generating commands to edit and update said knowledge base and for designating at least one point within said knowledge base where editing can take place; end user interface facility means coupled to said inference engine for communicating and receiving commands from said inference engine, said end user interface facility means when operating in a predetermined mode of operation controlling the operation of said expert system and receiving input information from said inference engine indicative of the context of an operation being performed; and control means coupled to said end user facility means and said expect user interface facility means for enabling said expert user interface facility means to switch control from said and user interface facility means to said expert user interface facility means to said one point when said end user interface facility means is operating in said predetermined mode of operation and as a function of said input information received by said end user interface facility means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of constructing an expert system which includes a knowledge base comprising a personal computer based system including a memory for storing knowledge represented in a hierarchical data structure which has a number of object and form frames, each frame having a number of related slots which give specific categories of objects, each slot having a number of facets which represent specific properties of said slot that can be used to modify slot behavior and a number of rulesets associated with said object and form frames, an inference engine coupled to said memory for interpreting said rulesets using if-then reasoning, a development facility coupled to said knowledge base for maintaining and updating said knowledge base, and data entry and display means coupled to said inference engine for communicating and receiving commands therefrom for operating said expert system, said method of comprising the steps of:
-
connecting an end user interface facility module as an interface between said data entry and display means and said inference engine for controlling the operation of said expert system; connecting an expert user interface facility module as an interface between development facility and said knowledge base; interconnecting said expert user interface facility module to said end user interface facility by control means; stopping at each field item of each form frame displayed by said end user interface facility module when placed in an edit mode by said control means in response to signals from said expert user interface facility module; generating and displaying a plurality of choice items for selection in response to a predetermined data entry input by said end user interface facility module when being operated in said edit mode in response to signals from said inference engine based on the context of the operation being performed; and
,switching control from said end user interface facility module to said expert user facility module as a function of a selection of one of said plurality of choice items for displaying the selected item within said knowledge base to be edited under the control of said expert user interface facility module thereby facilitating updating and maintenance. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
Specification