Method and apparatus for mediated cooperation

• US 7,634,501 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Next Generation Software
• Original Assignee: Next Generation Software
• Inventors: Yabloko, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, THU NGUYET T
• Application Number:
  US10/765,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,149 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/043 Distributed expert systems; Blackboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Mediated cooperation of entities occurs based on uniformed (canonical) representation of objects as tuples allocated for different semantic aspects of the objects. The tuples are connected to represent sequential events of one or more processes, which allow the entities to produce the objects. The conditions under which the entity can produce one or more of the objects are represented by using tuple templates. In order to implement the process, each object is associated with one or more semantic terms and one tuple named with the semantic term is allocated for every association. Allocated tuples contain the information from the object, which corresponds to the meaning of the semantic term. The goal of each process is identified by one or more of the semantic terms. The processes are then implemented by generating chains of events, which terminate at the tuples corresponding to each semantic term. The semantic terms are aggregated into general categories, which are used by the cooperating entities for the goal identification. One or more of semantic mediators are used to ensure sound formal semantics of the categories by maintaining type systems for different problem domains. The type system of each domain is based on the connected tuples forming a hyper-graph, which is used to determine formal semantics of each type.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of allowing entities to cooperate for implementing at least one process, the method being part of a computer system, comprising:

(a) producing objects by at least one entity;

(b) associating each of the objects with at least one semantic term, said associating done by the at least one entity;

(c) allocating a tuple to each of the at least one semantic terms, the tuple containing information provided by each of the objects corresponding to a meaning of the at least one semantic term, allowing the tuple to be found in at least one tuple space;

(d) storing and retrieving information in the form of the tuple;

e) using the tuple to represent each of the objects involved in the at least one process, wherein at least one tuple type is registered by the at least one entity;

(f) representing conditions, under which the at least one entity can produce at least one of the objects by using at least one tuple template, the at least one tuple template generated by the at least one entity;

(g) associating the at least one tuple template and the tuple with the at least one semantic term to form a type;

(h) indicating the at least one semantic term in any order to represent a goal of the at least one process; and

(i) generating streams representing chains of events composed of sequential events which terminate at the tuple corresponding to each of the at least one semantic terms.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(j) generating semantic categories by aggregating any of the at least one semantic terms in any order.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(j) replacing the at least one tuple template from the tuple, wherein the at least one tuple template and the tuple are of the same tuple type.

4. An apparatus for allowing entities to cooperate for implementing at least one process, the apparatus being part of a computer system, comprising:

a processor for;

(a) producing objects by at least one entity;

(b) associating each of the objects with at least one semantic term, said means for associating done by the at least one entity;

(c) allocating a tuple to each of the at least one semantic terms, the tuple containing information provided by each of the objects corresponding to a meaning of the at least one semantic term, allowing the tuple to be found in at least one tuple space;

(d) storing and retrieving information in the form of the tuple;

(e) using the tuple to represent each of the objects involved in at least one process, wherein at least one tuple type is registered by the at least one entity;

(f) representing conditions, under which the at least one entity can produce at least one of the objects by using at least one tuple template, the at least one tuple template generated by the at least one entity;

(g) associating the at least one tuple template and the tuple with the at least one semantic term to form a type;

(h) indicating the at least one semantic term in any order to represent a goal of the at least one process; and

(i) generating streams representing chains of events composed of sequential events which terminate at the tuple corresponding to each of the at least one semantic terms.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

a processor for;

(j) generating semantic categories by aggregating any of the at least one semantic terms in any order.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a processor for;

(j) replacing the at least one tuple template from the tuple, wherein the at least one tuple template and the tuple are of the same tuple type.