Document filing system with knowledge-base network of concept interconnected by generic, subsumption, and superclass relations

• US 4,868,733 A
• Filed: 03/26/1986
• Issued: 09/19/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Higashino, Jun'ichi, Hatakeyama, Atushi, Fujisawa, Hiromichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Jr., Archie E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/844,123
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 364/521, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/513
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• 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 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/934 Information retrieval or Information management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A document filing system is provided for storing a large amount of information in proper arrangement for facilitating utilization thereof by a user, while allowing semantical retrieval to be realized even from vague fragmental information. Further, a method is provided for expressing the facts consitituting information in terms of "concepts" representing things and "relations" defined between the concepts internally of computer, and a method of inputting user'"'"'s information to a computer through dialogical procedure and retrieving desired information. Information stored of the computer architects internally a concept network which is displayed in various forms such as hierarchical form based on subsumption relations between the concepts, hierarchical representation based on part-whole relation between the concept, a frame display of a single concepts, and tabular representation of a set of concepts belonging to a given class. The network may be browsed by referring to the contents of the display so that a user can easily know what kind of information has been stored internally of the computer, whereby he or she can perform inputting of new information and retrieval of desired information in a facilitated and simplified manner. The relations stored internally of the computer are classified into "generic relationship" and "instance relation" representing individual facts, whereby a generic framework of facts can be stored. The generic framework is displayed upon interaction with the user for allowing new information to be inputted and desired information to be retrieved in a facilitated and simplified manner. Retrieval by using sematic retrieval formula created internally through dialogical procedure is realized through inferring processing.

Claims

1. A document filing system for retrieving stored information based on an operator'"'"'s partial or abstract description of said information comprising:

means for storing said knowledge base in which knowledge is represented in terms of concepts, each of which has a name associated therewith, relations each of which connects two of said concepts, at least some of said relations being subsumption relations, each of which is an ordered relation representing a superclass relationship between said concepts and generic relationships, each of which exists between two classes of concepts and which represent a possible relationship between two concepts each of which is a concept subsumed by one of said two classes, respectively;

means for interacting with said user for presenting guiding information from part of said knowledge base to said user, and for allowing said user to enter information necessary to register said partial or abstract descriptions to retrieve documents, and information necessary to update said knowledge base;

means for storing programs and data necessary for managing said knowledge base and for carrying out document registration and inferential retrieval;

means for controlling operations of said system according to said programs stored in said storage means, including matching an abstract description of a concept entered by said user with a concept stored in said knowledge base,

means for inputting said documents,

means for storing a large amount of documents inputted by said inputting means, and

means for displaying the retrieved documents wherein the contents of said knowledge base is arranged in

a first table means for storing tables which record at least a concept identification number and names for said concept,

second table means for storing tables which record at least two concept identification numbers representing subsumption relations between two concepts,

third table means for storing tables which record at least an identification number of a generic relationship which is a relationship between any two concepts which represents a possible relationship between two different concepts each of which is subsumed by one of said two concepts, respectively, and

two character strings corresponding to said generic relationship for two directions, and

fourth table means for storing tables which record at least two concept identification numbers and one generic relationship identification number, representing a specific relation defined between two concepts.

2. A document filing system for retrieving stored information based on an operator'"'"'s partial or abstract description of said information, comprising:

means for inputting information into said system;

means for storing said information;

means for storing said information as a knowledge base;

means for storing operating programs and data for managing said knowledge base;

means for controlling operations of said system according to said operating programs and said data;

means for interacting with said operator, including a display means, and for instructing said operator;

means for retrieving desired or precise information, based on an input of a partial or abstract description of said information, input by said operator;

means for displaying at least said desired or precise information;

wherein said knowledge base comprises a plurality of concepts and a plurality of relations which may exist between said concepts;

said plurality of concepts forming a concept tree and representing a taxonomic hierarchy having a first concept representing a universal concept and all remaining concepts being subsumed, either directly or indirectly, by said universal concept; and

said relations including,

generic relations, each of which represents at least one of a link between a first predetermined concept and a second predetermined concept, a link between said first predetermined concept and a concept subsumed by said second predetermined concept, and a link between said second predetermined concept and a concept subsumed by said first predetermined concept; and

instance relations, each of which represents a link between a concept subsumed by said first predetermined concept and a concept subsumed by said second predetermined concept.

3. A document filing system according to claim 2 wherein said means for storing said information as a knowledge base includes a first memory means fr storing at least an identification number, and a name for each concept.

4. A document filing system according to claim 3, wherein said means for storing information as a knowledge base further includes a second memory means for storing at least a list of each concept and at least one corresponding subsuming concept.

5. A document filing system according to claim 4, wherein said means for storing information as a knowledge base further includes a third memory means for storing at least a list of all said generic relations.

6. A document filing system according to claim 5, wherein said means for storing information as a knowledge base further includes a fourth memory means for storing at least a list of all said instance relations.

7. A document filing system according to claim 3, wherein said first and second predetermined concepts are superclass concepts, a superclass concept being a concept which represents the highest concept in a related class of concepts, such that all concepts in said class of concepts are subsumed by the superclass concept for said class.

8. A document filing system according to claim 7, wherein said display means displays a generic frame to said user when a new concept is input by said user, said generic frame being generated by said retrieving means based on said instance relations corresponding to all superclass concepts of said new concept.