Locating ambiguities in data

• US 9,805,085 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Whelan, John Desmond
• Primary Examiner(s): Owyang, Michelle
• Application Number:
  US13/973,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 707705-780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24564 Applying rules; Deductive queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/909 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location spatiotemporally dependent retrieval from the web G06F16/9537

Abstract

A system comprising an associative memory, an input module, a query module, and a display module. The input module is configured to receive a value within a first perspective of the associative memory. The query module is configured to perform an open query of the associative memory using the value, perform the open query within at least one of an insert perspective and a second perspective of the associative memory. The at least one of the insert perspective and the second perspective has as many or more category associations for the value relative to the first perspective. The display module is configured to display a result of the query and to display a list of one or more potential ambiguities that result from the open query.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

an associative memory comprising a plurality of data and a plurality of associations among the plurality of data, wherein the plurality of data is collected into associated groups, and wherein the associative memory is configured to be queried based on at least one relationship, selected from a group that includes direct and indirect relationships, among the plurality of data in addition to direct correlations among the plurality of data;

an input module configured to receive a value within a first perspective of the associative memory, wherein the first perspective comprises a first choice of context for a group of data within the plurality of data;

a query module configured to perform an open query of the associative memory using the value, wherein the query module is further configured to perform the open query within at least one of an insert perspective and a second perspective of the associative memory, wherein the insert perspective comprises a type of perspective which is configured to be fed back into the associative memory, wherein the second perspective comprises a second choice of context for the group of data, and wherein the at least one of the insert perspective and the second perspective has as many or more category associations for the value relative to the first perspective; and

a display module configured to display a result of the open query, wherein the display module is further configured to display a list of one or more potential ambiguities that result from the open query.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more potential ambiguities comprises a plurality of matching attributes for the value.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the value comprises a first number and wherein the plurality of matching attributes comprises a first attribute that matches the value and a second attribute that matches the value, wherein the first attribute comprises a first category associated with the first number, wherein the second attribute comprises a second category associated with the first number, and wherein a determination cannot be made by examining only the first number whether the first number should belong, as perceived by a user or a computer program, to the first category or to the second category.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the value comprises at least one of a set of alphanumeric characters and a set of special characters, wherein the special characters comprise at least one of a punctuation marks, a symbol, a picture, and a character selected from a language that uses non-alphabetic characters.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the display module is further configured to display a first category name for the first category and a second category name for the second category.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the display module is further configured to provide a first link associated with the first category and a second link associated with the second category, wherein the first link points to

first information associated with the first category, and wherein the second link points to second information associated with the second category.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the open query is performed using an open attribute query language search.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more potential ambiguities arise because differences exist between the first category and an initial category name when performing the determination.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein, with respect to the associative memory, the first perspective is a choice of a context for a particular aspect of a domain.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein, a first category of an entity and the first perspective are preselected and are associated with the value.

11. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a value within a first perspective of an associative memory, wherein the first perspective comprises a first choice of context for a group of data within a plurality of data, wherein the associative memory comprises a plurality of data and a plurality of associations among the plurality of data, wherein the plurality of data is collected into associated groups, and wherein the associative memory is configured to be queried based on at least one relationship, selected from a group that includes direct and indirect relationships, among the plurality of data in addition to direct correlations among the plurality of data;

performing an open query of the associative memory using the value, wherein the open query is performed within at least one of an insert perspective and a second perspective of the associative memory, wherein the insert perspective comprises a type of perspective which is configured to be fed back into the associative memory, wherein the second perspective comprises a second choice of context for the group of data, and wherein the at least one of the insert perspective and the second perspective has as many or more category associations for the value relative to the first perspective; and

displaying a result of the open query, including displaying a list of one or more potential ambiguities that result from the open query.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein the one or more potential ambiguities comprises a plurality of matching attributes for the value.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the value comprises a first number and wherein the plurality of matching attributes comprises a first attribute that matches the value and a second attribute that matches the value, wherein the first attribute comprises a first category associated with the first number, wherein the second attribute comprises a second category associated with the first number, and wherein a determination cannot be made by examining only the first number whether the first number should belong, as perceived by a user or a computer program, to the first category or to the second category.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the value comprises at least one of a set of alphanumeric characters and a set of special characters, wherein the special characters comprise at least one of a punctuation marks, a symbol, a picture, and a character selected from a language that uses non-alphabetic characters.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein displaying further comprises displaying a first category name for the first category and a second category name for the second category.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein displaying further comprises providing a first link associated with the first category and a second link associated with the second category, wherein the first link points to first information associated with the first category, and wherein the second link points to second information associated with the second category.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein performing the open query comprises performing the open query using an open attribute query language search.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein the one or more potential ambiguities arise because differences exist between the first category and an initial category name when performing the determination.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable code comprising:

computer readable code for receiving a value within a first perspective of an associative memory, wherein the first perspective comprises a first choice of context for a group of data within a plurality of data, wherein the associative memory comprises a plurality of data and a plurality of associations among the plurality of data, wherein the plurality of data is collected into associated groups, and wherein the associative memory is configured to be queried based on at least one relationship, selected from a group that includes direct and indirect relationships, among the plurality of data in addition to direct correlations among the plurality of data;

computer readable code for performing an open query of the associative memory using the value, wherein the open query is performed within at least one of an insert perspective and a second perspective of the associative memory, wherein the insert perspective comprises a type of perspective which is configured to be fed back into the associative memory, wherein the second perspective comprises a second choice of context for the group of data, and wherein the at least one of the insert perspective and the second perspective has as many or more category associations for the value relative to the first perspective; and

computer readable code for displaying a result of the open query, including displaying a list of one or more potential ambiguities that result from the open query.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more potential ambiguities comprises a plurality of matching attributes for the value.