Information processing device based on object network

• US 5,895,459 A
• Filed: 03/03/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Enomoto, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): Downs, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US08/810,671
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 704/9, 706/10, 706/11, 345/335
• US Class Current: 706/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/01 Dynamic search techniques; Heuristics; Dynamic trees; Branch-and-bound
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

An information processing device for processing information based on object networks, each of which represents data and processing of the data as objects in a graph. The information processing device includes a data management system for controlling a set of data which defines a system hierarchy in terms of relations between data models, object models, role models, and process models, the data models representing attribute-value structures by using template-format schema, the object models representing the objects by dividing the objects into formal models and feature models in a hierarchy based on template formats of the data models, the role models representing a structure body of object networks, the process models each corresponding to an object network which represents noun objects as nodes and verb objects as branches in a graph with a function of a given verb object being applied to a given noun object at a given node to obtain a target noun object located down on a branch corresponding to a name of the given verb object. The information processing device further includes an operation control system for controlling processes to proceed by effecting inter-model connections while checking constraints placed on the models based on the set of data controlled by the data management system.

Claims

1. An information processing device for processing information based on object networks, each of which represents data and processing of said data as objects in a graph, comprising:

a data management system controlling a set of data which defines a system hierarchy in terms of relations between data models, object models, role models, and process models, said data models representing attribute-value structures by using template-format schema, said object models representing said objects by dividing said objects into formal models and feature models in a hierarchy based on template formats of said data models, said role models representing a structure body of object networks, said process models each corresponding to an object network which represents noun objects as nodes and verb objects as branches in a graph with a function of a given verb object being applied to a given noun object represented as a given node to obtain a target noun object located down on a branch corresponding to said given verb object; and

an operation control system controlling the initiation of processes effecting inter-model connections while checking constraints placed on said models based on said set of data controlled by said data management system.

2. The information processing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one specific-role server for processing information based on an object network which is specifically designed for an individual role; and

said operation control system initiates processing of said data and said constraints in a common processing method and requests a service of a user with regard to said data and a service of said specific-role server with regard to said constraints so as to proceed with said processes by obtaining at least one of said data and said constraints in response to said request.

3. The image processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said operation control system defines said constraints, based on inter-object relations within said object networks, and controls a procedure of processing said constraints.

4. The information processing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said constraints comprise;

AND constraints which are constraints between attribute values of said noun objects and indicate that a transition to a next state cannot be made unless all necessary attribute values are obtained,

OR constraints which are constraints between said verb objects originating from a given noun object and indicate that said verb objects are independent of each other and can be processed in parallel, and

hierarchical constraints indicating that, according to relations between upper-level objects and lower-level objects in terms of a processing procedure of said object networks, a set of attribute values of said upper-level objects are subjected to matching operations after operations are newly performed on said lower-level objects; and

said operation control system controls process executions based on said constraints.

5. The image processing device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a display displaying information on said constraints based on said models so as to make said constraints available to experts when said experts design object networks for providing services, wherein said process models are defined based on designs of new constraints which are created based on said displayed constraints.

6. The image processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data management system and said operation control system make up an agent-role server, and a plurality of agent-role servers are organized in a model hierarchy, in which upper-level agent-role servers regard lower-level agent-role servers as specific-role servers, and said agent-role servers control said specific-role servers based on said model hierarchy.

7. An information processing system for processing information based on object networks, each of which represents data and processing of said data as objects in a graph, comprising:

a kernel which selects one of an event-driven interaction and a data-driven interaction as a driving method based on said object networks for controlling processes and status data indicating status of said processes when a plurality of said processes cooperatively operate; and

an operation control system controlling said processes to proceed through a series of said event-driven interaction and said data-driven interaction by successively effecting a cooperative operation between said processes using a selected driving method.

8. The information processing system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said operation control system guides interactions between a user and said information processing system based on said series of said event-driven interactions and said data-driven interactions by treating said user as one of said processes when said user operates said information processing system.

9. An information processing system for processing information based on object networks, each of which represents data and processing of said data as objects in a graph, comprising:

a data management system controlling a plurality of roles, each of which is a structure of object networks and serves as a unit of processing when executing a corresponding role; and

an operation control system controlling communication based on event-driven interaction and data-driven interaction between any one of said roles when said roles cooperatively operate.

10. The information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of said roles is supported by a communication supporting role which is a role having a function to support said communication.

11. The information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said plurality of roles comprise a main role and supporting roles for supporting an operation of said main role, said main role and said supporting roles sharing environment data regarding an environment in which said main role operates.

12. The information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of roles further comprises a broadcasting function for conducting a one-to-many communication.