Method and device for improved ontology engineering

• US 8,812,553 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Collibra Belgium BV
• Original Assignee: Collibra Inc., Vrije Universiteit Brussel
• Inventors: Trog, Damien, Christiaens, Stijn, Van De Maele, Felix Urbain Yolande, Meersman, Robert Alfons, De Leenheer, Pieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Chau, Dung K
• Application Number:
  US13/266,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20120102071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/794
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition

Abstract

A method for populating a data system is provided. The method includes the step of mapping at least one application path of the data system to at least one conceptual path of an ontology system. The application path addresses parts of the structure of the data system, and the conceptual path addresses parts of the structure of the ontology system. The method further includes the step of automatically populating the data system at a location addressed by the application path with data values contained in the conceptual path.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for populating a second data system used in a computer application, said second data system having a structure addressable by at least one second application path, the method comprising the steps of:

a. mapping at least one first application path of a first data system having a structure addressable by said at least one first application path and acting as source data system, to at least one conceptual path of an ontology system using a plurality of semantic patterns structured as a versatile graph, said at least one conceptual path addressing a part of a structure of the ontology system,

b. populating said at least one conceptual path of said ontology system with data values contained in said at least one first application path of said first data system,

c. mapping said at least one second application path of said second data system to the at least one conceptual path of said ontology system using said semantic patterns, and

d. populating said second data system at a location addressed by said at least one second application path with said data values contained in said at least one conceptual path,

wherein said at least one first application path, said at least one conceptual path mapped to said at least one first application path, and said at least one second application path form different structural representations of said data values,

wherein the mappings established in steps a and c by means of said semantic patterns allow populating said first data system with said data values when said second data system acts as source data system.

2. The method as in claim 1, comprising an initial step of generating said second data system, thereby exploiting said structure of said ontology system.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein said first data system has a structure different from said second data system.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein said second data system and said first data system are the same.

5. The method as in claim 1, comprising a plurality of first data systems.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein said at least one conceptual path of said ontology system contains a virtual concept having no corresponding data value in said data system.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

e. populating said at least one conceptual path of said ontology system with data values contained in said at least one second application path of said second data system; and

f. populating said first data system at a location addressed by said at least one first application path with the data values of said second data system contained in said conceptual path.

8. A non-transitory programmable device containing instructions, which, when executed, perform a method for populating a second data system used in a computer application, said second data system having a structure addressable by at least one second application path, the method comprising:

a. mapping at least one first application path of a first data system having a structure addressable by said at least one first application path and acting as source data system, to at least one conceptual path of an ontology system using a plurality of semantic patterns structured as a versatile graph, said at least one conceptual path addressing a part of a structure of the ontology system,

b. populating said at least one conceptual path of said ontology system with data values contained in said at least one first application path of said first data system,

c. mapping said at least one second application path of said second data system to the at least one conceptual path of said ontology system using said semantic patterns, and

d. populating said second data system at a location addressed by said at least one second application path with said data values contained in said at least one conceptual path,

wherein said at least one first application path, said at least one conceptual path mapped to said at least one first application path, and said at least one second application path form different structural representations of said data values, and

wherein the mappings established in steps a and c by means of said semantic patterns allow populating said first data system with said data values when said second data system acts as source data system.

9. A device for populating a second data system for use in a computer application, said second data system having a structure addressable by at least one second application path, said device comprising:

means for receiving mapping information for mapping at least one first application path of a first data system having a structure addressable by said at least one first application path and acting as source data system, to at least one conceptual path of an ontology system using a plurality of semantic patterns structured as a versatile graph, said at least one conceptual path addressing a part of the structure of the ontology system and for mapping said at least one second application path of said second data system to at least one conceptual path of said ontology system using said semantic patterns, and

means for populating based on said received mapping information said at least one conceptual path of said ontology system with data values contained in said at least one first application path of said first data system and for populating said second data system based on said received mapping information at a location addressed by said second application path with said data values contained in said conceptual path,

wherein said at least one first application path, said at least one conceptual path, and said at least one second application path form different structural representations of said data values, and

wherein said mapping information also allows populating said first data system with said data values when said second data system acts as source data system.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

a. mapping a first application path of a first data system having a structure addressable by the first application path and acting as a source data system, to a conceptual path of an ontology system using a plurality of semantic patterns structured as a versatile graph, the conceptual path addressing a part of a structure of the ontology system;

b. populating the conceptual path of the ontology system with data values contained in the first application path of the first data system;

c. mapping a second application path of a second data system having a structure addressable by the second application path, to the conceptual path of the ontology system using the semantic patterns; and

d. populating the second data system at a location addressed by the second application path with the data values contained in the conceptual path,

wherein the first application path, the conceptual path mapped to the first application path, and the second application path form different structural representations of the data values,

wherein the mappings established in steps a and c allow populating said first data system with the data values when the second data system acts as a source data system.

11. The method as in claim 10, further comprising:

e. populating the conceptual path of the ontology system with data values contained in the second application path of the second data system; and

f. populating the first data system at a location addressed by the first application path with the data values of the second data system contained in the conceptual path.