Knowledge repository using configuration and document templates

• US 7,523,077 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Haas, Christian, Wu, Yuh-Cherng, Moghaddam, Hamid
• Primary Examiner(s): STARKS, WILBERT L
• Application Number:
  US11/178,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 706/12, 706/45, 706/47, 707/102, 709/229
• US Class Current: 706/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition

Abstract

A method of designing a knowledge repository includes receiving, in a computer system, a first input to form a configuration template for a knowledge repository. The configuration template describes a class of knowledge entities to be included in the knowledge repository. There is received a second input identifying a document template to be used in displaying instances of the class of knowledge entities. The document template is selected from a predefined group of document templates. The document template is associated with the configuration template in the computer system. The thus designed knowledge repository may be provided with knowledge entities accordingly. Moreover, the created knowledge repository may be used to retrieve specific knowledge.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of creating a knowledge repository for containing instances of knowledge entities, the method comprising:

receiving, in a computer system, a first input to form a configuration template for a knowledge repository, the configuration template describing a class of knowledge entities to be included in the knowledge repository;

receiving a second input identifying a document template to be used in displaying instances of the class of knowledge entities, the document template being selected from a predefined group of document templates and the configuration template specifying how contents of the instances of the class of knowledge entities are displayed using the selected document template; and

creating the knowledge repository by storing at least one of the instances of the class of knowledge entities in the computer system, the document template being associated with the configuration template in the computer system for use in creating a remainder of the instances of the class of knowledge entities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration template defines each of the knowledge entities as including a basic entity and a content entity, the content entity to be merged with the document template for displaying the knowledge entity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the basic entity is defined as a template.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration template further defines each of the knowledge entities as including a processing entity to be used in managing an administrative process for the knowledge entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the knowledge entities are based on XML.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the remainder of the instances of the class of knowledge entities together with the at least on stored instance in the knowledge repository and subsequently merging at least part of any stored knowledge entity with the document template for displaying the stored knowledge entity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the instances results from a migration process from a legacy knowledge repository.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the migration process comprises retrieving contents from the legacy knowledge repository and persisting the retrieved contents in a format that can be merged with the document template for display.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving input to change the knowledge repository after storing the instances.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the change comprises modifying a structure of additional knowledge entities to be created, the modified structure comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a) adding a new sub-object to the knowledge entities;

b) modifying an existing sub-object of the knowledge entities; and

c) removing an existing sub-object from the knowledge entities.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the change comprises modifying a display format for the knowledge entities, the display format being modified by at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a) modifying the document template; and

b) substituting a new document template for the document template.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration template describes a service connector for the knowledge entity, the service connector allowing use of one or more services in the computer system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration template describes a content connector for the knowledge entity, the content connector to be used in retrieving and persisting information of the knowledge entity.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration template describes a template connector for the knowledge entity, the template connector configured for interfacing with the document template.

15. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, in a computer system, a first input to form a configuration template for a knowledge repository, the configuration template describing a class of knowledge entities to be included in the knowledge repository;

receiving a second input identifying a document template to be used in displaying instances of the class of knowledge entities, the document template being selected from a predefined group of document templates and the configuration template specifying how contents of the instances of the class of knowledge entities are displayed using the selected document template; and

creating the knowledge repository by storing at least one of the instances of the class of knowledge entities in the computer system, the document template being associated with the configuration template in the computer system for use in creating a remainder of the instances of the class of knowledge entities.

16. A computer system for managing a repository of knowledge entities, the computer system comprising:

a knowledge repository tangibly embodied a computer readable medium and having stored therein knowledge entities described by a configuration template, the knowledge entities having a format such that they can be merged with a document template for display; and

a knowledge management module tangibly embodied a computer readable medium and that merges at least one of the knowledge entities with the document template.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the knowledge management module further retrieves additional information and uses it to create an additional knowledge entity for the knowledge repository, wherein the knowledge management module can merge the additional entity with the document template for display.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the configuration template describes at least one connector that the knowledge management module uses in managing the knowledge entities.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one connector is selected from the group consisting of:

a service connector allowing use of one or more services in the computer system, a content connector to be used in retrieving and persisting information of the knowledge entity, and a template connector configured for interfacing with the document template.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the format is XML.