System and method for collaborative knowledge structure creation and management

• US 20080046450A1
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Marshall
• Original Assignee: Philip Marshall
• Inventors: Marshall, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

A collaborative, semantic-based knowledge structure creation and management system and method are provided. The system and method may include knowledge structures which include concept based maps which may be linked according to topic, relationship types, conceptual equivalence, and temporally. The knowledge structures may be managed by users, wherein users may perform at least one of adding a new concept, creating a new relationship, confirming an existing relationship, and breaking an existing relationship.

Claims

1. An electronic collaboration method for data stored over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a user-contributed proposed relationship linkage between a first concept and a second concept;

displaying the proposed relationship linkage for the first concept and the second concept; and

establishing a formal relationship linkage upon confirmation of the proposed relationship linkage in accordance with establishment criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proposed relationship linkage is a semantic relationship between the concepts.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the proposed relationship linkage is a synonymic relationship between the concepts.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the proposed relationship linkage is a temporal relationship between the concepts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishment criteria includes at least one additional user proposing the relationship linkage between the first concept and second concept.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishment criteria includes receiving affirmation of the proposed relationship linkage from a user.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the user is a trusted user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishment criteria includes receiving affirmation of the proposed relationship linkage from a plurality of users in accordance with a predefined mathematical threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the proposed relationship linkage upon receiving a challenge to the proposed relationship linkage in accordance with breaking relationship criteria.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the formal relationship linkage.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a plurality of formal relationship linkages with one of the first concept and the second concept.

12. The method of claim 11, displaying a graphical representation of the formal relationship linkages of the first concept and the second concept.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the relationship linkage is a temporal linkage and where displaying a graphical representation includes displaying a timeline including the first concept and the second concept.

14. A method for linking a plurality of data concepts stored on a network, the method comprising:

receiving temporal information for a first data concept;

receiving temporal information for a second data concept;

temporally linking the first data concept and the second data concept;

graphically displaying a timeline showing the relationship of the first data concept and the second data concept; and

receiving user input affirming the relationship of the first data concept and the second data concept.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein further receiving user input challenging the relationship of the first data concept and the second data concept and displaying a timeline element indicating a user challenge to the relationship.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a search query for one of the first data concept and the second data concept and displaying the timeline.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein further receiving user input includes adding further temporal information to one of the first data concept and the second data concept, and displaying the further temporal information on the timeline.

18. A software program, recorded on a computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions, which when executed, caries out the method comprising:

displaying a collaborative timeline comprising a plurality of user-proposed, temporally-related concepts;

receiving an affirmation or a challenge to one or more of the user-proposed, temporally-related concepts; and

updating the timeline according to the affirmation or the challenge.

19. The program of claim 18, the method further comprising receiving additional user-proposed, temporally-related concepts.

20. The program of claim 18, the method further comprising updating the timeline with the additional user-proposed, temporally-related concepts.

21. The program of claim 18, the method further displaying a subset of the timeline in accordance with a user request.