Determining and storing at least one results set in a global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to the global ontology database

• US 8,495,004 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dheap, Vijay, Mandalia, Baiju D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Jessica N
• Application Number:
  US11/390,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20070226246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,675 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707100-102, 707/103.R, 709/202, 705/1, 715/700
• US Class Current: 707/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database

Abstract

Determining and storing at least one validated results set in a global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to the global ontology database. If global ontology data is stored in a global ontology database, attempt to determine a mapping between first and second ontologies. If a mapping between the first and second ontologies can be determined from the global ontology data, the mapping is validated and the validated mapping is defined as a validated results set. If global ontology data is not stored in a global ontology database or a mapping between the first and second ontologies can not be determined from global ontology data stored in the global ontology database, the first and second ontologies are unified by determining a mapping between the first and second ontologies, the mapping is validated and the validated mapping is defined as a validated results set. The validated results set is stored in the global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to the global ontology database.

Claims

1. A method of storing at least one validated results set in a global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to said global ontology database comprising:

determining, by a processor, if global ontology data is stored in a global ontology database;

if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database, attempting to determine a mapping between first and second ontologies from said global ontology data;

if a mapping between said first and second ontologies is determined from said global ontology data, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set;

if global ontology data is not stored in said global ontology database or a mapping between said first and second ontologies is not determined from said global ontology data stored in said global ontology database, unifying said first and second ontologies by determining a mapping between said first and second ontologies, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set;

if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database and said global ontology data includes a results set comprising a mapping between said first and second ontologies, determining the mapping between said first and second ontologies by retrieving said mapping between said first and second ontologies from said global ontology database, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set;

wherein said validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies comprises inferring corrections to mappings between elements of said first and second ontologies from corrections made by a user to data; and

storing said validated first results set in said global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to said global ontology database.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database, attempting to determine a mapping between third and fourth ontologies from said global ontology data;

if a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies can be determined from said global ontology data, validating said mapping between said third and fourth ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated second results set;

if a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies is not determined from said global ontology data stored in said global ontology database, unifying said third and fourth ontologies by determining a mapping between said third and fourth ontologies, validating said mapping between said third and fourth ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated second results set;

providing said validated second results set to said global ontology database; and

storing said validated second results set in said global ontology database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database and said global ontology data comprises a mapping between said first ontology and a third ontology and a mapping between said second ontology and said third ontology, determining a mapping between said first and second ontologies from said mappings of said first and third ontologies and said second and third ontologies.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies comprises inferring corrections to mappings between elements of said first and second ontologies from corrections made by a user to data transferred from a form generated in accordance with said first ontology to a form generated in accordance with said second ontology.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing personal data arranged in accordance with said first ontology to an entity having control over a database created in accordance with said second ontology;

said entity verifying the identity of a customer providing said personal data using a security feature; and

transferring said personal data to said database created in accordance with said second ontology.

6. A method of storing at least one validated results set in a global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to said global ontology database comprising:

determining, by a processor, if global ontology data is stored in a global ontology database;

if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database, attempting to determine a mapping between first and second ontologies from said global ontology data;

if a mapping between said first and second ontologies is determined from said global ontology data, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set;

if global ontology data is not stored in said global ontology database or a mapping between said first and second ontologies is not determined from said global ontology data stored in said global ontology database, unifying said first and second ontologies by determining a mapping between said first and second ontologies, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set;

if global ontology data is stored in said global ontology database and said global ontology data includes a results set comprising a mapping between said first and second ontologies, determining the mapping between said first and second ontologies by retrieving said mapping between said first and second ontologies from said global ontology database, validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies, and defining said validated mapping as a validated first results set;

wherein said validating said mapping between said first and second ontologies comprises inferring updates or corrections to mappings between elements in said first and second ontologies from corrections made by a user; and

storing said validated first results set in said global ontology database for future use by an entity that subscribes to said global ontology database.