Interrogating device for changing the priority of the inference rules

• US 5,027,305 A
• Filed: 12/01/1988
• Issued: 06/25/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Nobuo, Tanaka, Toshiyuki, Yamamoto, Mutsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Dale M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Merecki, John A.
• Application Number:
  US07/278,577
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 364/513, 364/300, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 706/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/042 Backward inferencing
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/046 Forward inferencing; Production systems

Abstract

An interrogating device which includes a rule memory for storing forward inference rules utilizable in a forward inference control system or backward inference rules utilizable in a backward inference control system, a working memory for storing facts, and a forward inference control section for adding or deleting a fact relative to the working memory according to the forward inference rules or a backward inference control section for conducting a search according to the backwad inference rules.

Claims

1. An interrogating device having a forward inference control system and a backward inference control system, comprising:

input processing means for reading data and classifying the data into forward inference rules having forward condition sections corresponding to each of said forward inference rules, backward inference rules having backward condition section corresponding to each of said backward inference rules, affirmation facts, negation facts and commands;

a rule memory for storing said forward inference rules and said backward inference rules;

a working memory for storing said affirmation facts and said negation facts;

forward inference control means for adding said affirmation and negation facts to said working memory and selecting said affirmation and negation facts from said working memory in response to said forward inference rules;

backward inference control means for searching said backward condition sections according to said forward and backward inference rules in a sequence of said forward inference rules and then said backward inference rules; and

inference control means for enabling said forward inference control means and said backward inference control means in response to said commands, said commands being applied to a predetermined rule having a priority for said forward and backward inference rules stored in said rule memory for changing the priority of said predetermined rule, deleting said predetermined rule or restoring said predetermined rule;

wherein said forward inference control means changes the priority of said predetermined rules, deletes said predetermined rule and restores said predetermined rule in the device or said backward inference control means changes toe priority of said predetermined rile, deletes said predetermined rule and restored said predetermined rule in the device so that changing the priority of said predetermined rule, deleting said predetermined rule and restoring said predetermined rule may be accomplished by either said forward inference rules or said backward inference rules.

2. A method for performing a forward inference analusis and a backward inference analysis in a interrogating device, comprising the steps of:

(a) reading data into the interrogating device;

(b) classifying the data into affirmation facts, negation facts, forward inference rules having forward condition sections and backward inference rules having backward condition sections;

(c) storing said affirmation facts and said negation facts in a working memory;

(d) storing said forward inference rules and said backward inference rules in a rule memory;

(e) inputting commands into the interrogating device which change priorities of said forward inference rules and delete or restore said forward inference rules;

(f) comparing said forward condition sections with said affirmation facts and said negation facts stored in said working memory;

(g) collecting said forward inference rules having said forward condition sections match with said affirmation facts and said negation facts at said step (f);

(h) selecting one of said forward inference rules with the highest priority when at least one forward inference rules is collected at said step (g);

(i) executing said commands in an action section of the rules, said command including adding or deleting to said working memory, changing the priority of said forward inference rules and deleting or restoring said forward inference rules when said one forward inference rule is selected at said step (h);

(j) determining whether one of said backward inference rules matches with a goal;

(k) executing said backward inference rules and returning to said step (f) when one of said backward inference rules is determined to match said goal at step (j); and

(l) returning to said step (e) when said backward inference rules fail to match with said goal as determined at said step (j).