Dynamic information architecture system and method

• US 6,058,387 A
• Filed: 01/30/1996
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: U Chicago Argonne, LLC
• Original Assignee: University of Chicago
• Inventors: Campbell, Allan P., Christiansen, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rhodes, Jason W.
• Application Number:
  US08/593,937
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 395/12, 395/62, 364/578, 706/11, 706/45, 706/46, 706/47, 706/50, 706/53, 706/59, 706/60, 706/61
• US Class Current: 706/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

A dynamic information architecture system and method for coupling one or more independent computer models to a computer expert system. A context manager establishes the couplings at run-time based upon a user'"'"'s input goals and constraints. The context manager links available, but not readily compatible, computer models to solve for the user'"'"'s input. An interface is provided for enabling the linkages through a structure of objects and object classes. Entity, aspect and process objects are created according to each computer model to provide a common interface. Large or small scale computer models can be accessed collectively, and complex systems can be thus be modeled. An event queue is automatically assembled to schedule events that form an event driven computer simulation.

Claims

1. A system for receiving a user'"'"'s inquiry containing a formally defined problem statement and linking at full-time at least one computer model to an expert system to address the inquiry, the system comprising:

a memory;

a plurality of computer models stored in the memory, each of the computer models for modeling an existing system or process and at least one of the computer models being independent of the other of the computer models, wherein each of the plurality of computer models is represented by a model object and at least one process object, the at least one process object standing as a proxy for a portion of code in the computer model that addresses an aspect of the behavior of an entity object, wherein the portion of code is formally defined in terms of input and output data dictionaries and an associated aspect object;

a common interface identifying the inputs, outputs and other specifications required to access each of the computer models;

an input device to receive the inquiry from the user to which at least one of the plurality of computer models can be applied; and

a context manager comprising an inference engine in communication with the input, the context manager operable to access both the formally defined problem statement contained in the user'"'"'s inquiry and a formal description of each of the plurality of computer models available to the system to automatically link at least one of the plurality of computer models to the expert system, to allow the expert system to respond to the user'"'"'s inquiry.

2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the context manager comprises a global knowledge base compiled from the formal description of each of the plurality of computer models.

3. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of computer models are not readily compatible with each other.

4. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of object classes to implement a collection of objects that represent a problem domain, wherein the object classes comprise a frame object class, an entity object class and an aspect object class.

5. The system defined in claim 4, wherein the frame object class comprises at least one frame object corresponding to an area of interest and containing all entities relevant to the area of interest and the user'"'"'s inquiry.

6. The system defined in claim 4, wherein the entity object class comprises at least one entity object forming an abstract super class for diverse types of objects participating in the user'"'"'s inquiry.

7. The system defined in claim 4, wherein the aspect object class comprises at least one aspect object forming an expression of a single aspect of behavior of an entity object.

8. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the context manager assembles modeling links to meet user-specified goals and constraints.

9. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the inquiry received from the user is expressed in the form of a goal and constraint representing unsatisfied requirements.

10. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the model object stands as a proxy for a computer model.

11. The system defined in claim 10, wherein the model object comprises a formal definition of the computer model in terms of the at least one process object and the location of executable computer model code.

12. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the inference engine produces an output comprising a context object.

13. The system defined in claim 12, wherein the context object comprises information defining a model linkage that addresses the inquiry received from the user.