Munehiko Sasajima

A representation language for behavior and function: FBRL

Abstract Although a lot of researchers have pointed out the significance of functional representation, the general relations between function and behavior are not yet fully understood. We consider the knowledge of each component in a system as consisting of two elements. One is a necessary and sufficient concept far simulation of the component which we call the behavior model. The other is the interpretation of the behavior under a desirable state which the component is expected to achieve, which we call function. By classification of the primitives necessary for the interpretation of the behavior in various domains, which we call “domain ontology”, we can capture and represent the function by selection and combination of the primitives. This paper proposes FBRL, a new language for representing behavior and function by combining the primitive we identified. Also we investigate the relation between function and behavior based on the primitives. As the primitives can represent concepts at various levels of abstraction, they will contribute to those tasks which rely on the simulations on the model of the target object, such as diagnosis, design, explanation and so on.

An Ontology-Based Annotation Framework for Representing the Functionality of Engineering Devices

This paper proposes a metadata schema relating to functionality based on Semantic Web technology for the management of the information content of engineering design documents. The schema enables us to annotate web-documents with RDF metadata, which represents devices as having specific functions. The metadata provide a clear and operational semantics for the functional terms in documents. The metadata schema is based on our own functional ontologies, which we believe to provide effective guidelines for consistent functional annotation. These ontologies have been developed over many years and deployed successfully in industry. We then demonstrate a document search system using the metadata, which enables us to retrieve web-documents using the types of function and relationships defined in the schema rather than more superficial terms. Such function-oriented management of information is especially useful in the conceptual design phase. It allows one to find previous cases of the same function in earlier designs and to find related patents. We go on to discuss the following two issues on the interoperability of the functional knowledge. The first is automatic transformation of the functional model in our modeling framework into a chart-style form commonly used for the FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) activity using a mapping between our ontology and an FMEA ontology. The second is translation of the functional model between our functional vocabulary and other taxonomy of function, that is, Functional Basis proposed by Stone et al. Another mapping between our functional vocabulary and Functional Basis can be done via a richer, generic reference ontology of functions. This mapping would aim at clarifying ontological differences between functional taxonomies and enabling translation between them.

Deep Semantic Mapping between Functional Taxonomies for Interoperable Semantic Search

This paper discusses ontology mapping between two taxonomies of functions of artifacts for the engineering knowledge management. The mapping is of two ways and has been manually established with deep semantic analysis based on a reference ontology of function for bridging the ontological gaps between the taxonomies. We report on the successful results thanks to such deep analysis not at the lexical level but at the ontological level. Using the mapping knowledge, we developed a semantic search system which can provide engineers with interoperable access to technical documents by searching for functional metadata based on either of functional taxonomies.

Understanding Semantic Web Applications

Ten years have passed since the concept of the semantic web was proposed by Tim Berners-Lee. For these years, basic technologies for them such as RDF(S) and OWL were published. As a result, many systems using semantic technologies have been developed. Some of them are not prototype systems for researches but real systems for practical use. The authors analyzed semantic web applications published in the semantic web conferences (ISWC, ESWC, ASWC) and classified them based on ontological engineering. This paper is a review of application papers published in Semantic Web conferences. We discuss a trend and the future view of them using the results.

A multi modal supporting tool for multi lingual communication by inducing partner's reply

This paper introduces a new tool for supporting multilingual communication between speakers of different languages. Conventional tools such as electronic dictionaries enable users to communicate basic intentions to others, but are often insufficient to help understand replies. The input of a Japanese sentence in the proposed tool not only produces a translation of the sentences but also displays a window featuring possible answers. The authors have evaluated the function of a prototype system which resulted in a thorough understanding of the merits and comings of the proposed tool.

A method of qualitative reasoning for model-based problem solving and its application to a nuclear plant

Abstract Model-based expert systems are expected to contribute to overcoming the difficulties of conventional rule-based systems. This paper describes the modeling of mechanical systems and a method of qualitative reasoning based on causal specifications. The causal specifications represent a components local causal properties, following the principles for reusability and composability. It contributes to providing intuitive causal ordering of complex behavior originated in the combination of components, including inter-component negative feedback. A model of a system is represented by combining a set of local component models and global knowledge derived from general properties of the physical entity. This allows for reusable knowledge which is easy to describe. Furthermore, the method has been successfully applied to a nuclear power plant. Reasoning results were unambiguous and matched those obtained by domain experts.

CHARM as Activity Model to Share Knowledge and Transmit Procedural Knowledge and its Application to Nursing Guidelines Integration

Japan is no exception among developed countries facing healthcare system problems due to aging and low birthrate as the number of possible patients increases and health care worker numbers shrink. The introduction of high tech medicine has increased the amount of knowledge to be learned by novice nurses. Although vast amounts of implicit knowledge have accumulated among nursing practitioners, this knowledge needs to be communicated when hospitals train younger generations of nurses and integrate nursing guidelines among multiple hospitals. In this paper, the authors have proposed an activity model called CHARM – the Convincing Human Action Rationalized Model. CHARM was developed to resolve the diverse needs of hospitals. CHARM explicates multidimensional purpose-oriented procedure relations often existing as implicit knowledge. For this reason, CHARM supports the training and education of novice nurses. CHARM also is used as a tool to integrate different knowledge and work procedures tacitly existing among different organizations. We developed CHARM models according to nursing guidelines of hospitals and applied them to the integration of nursing procedures at two hospitals. Based on these CHARM models, 12 differences were found among the two guidelines covering the same procedure for different hospitals. CHARM is being evaluated at these hospitals and positive responses are coming from nurses.

Are Services Functions

This paper proposes an ontological definition of services. Such a definition is one of the fundamentals of service research. The understanding of essentialities of the notion of services as its definition, which differentiates services from the other notions, contributes proper modeling and conceptualization of services in services design and knowledge management of services. The existing definitions and characteristics of services, however, cannot differentiate services from other concepts: especially function of product. In this paper, we propose a new definition of services based on ontological consideration. Our definition can differentiate services from product functions. Firstly, we discuss the problem of the existing definitions and characteristics about the distinction. Secondly, we explain our definition and the essential characteristics of services using an ontological model of services. Lastly, we demonstrate its applicability of our definition using some examples and compare it with the existing definitions.

AN ONTOLOGY OF CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA FOR FUNCTIONAL TAXONOMIES

In order to facilitate sharing of functional models, some functional taxonomies each of which provides a set of verbs for representing generic functions (called functional terms here) have been developed. Their examples include some sets of generally valid functions in the book written by Pahl and Beitz, Functional Basis (FB) developed by Hirtz et al. and FOCUS/Tx developed by the authors of this paper. The issue addressed in this paper is the implicitness of the criteria of classification of functional terms in those taxonomies and thus unclearness of their definitions. This paper proposes an ontology of logical criteria for classification of functional terms (called FOCUS/View). Using the classes defined in FOCUS/View, the classification criteria of a functional taxonomy can be explicitly represented. These classes have been conceptualized based on deep investigation on FB and FOCUS/Tx. The benefits of the proposed FOCUS/View ontology include: (1) users of a taxonomy can easily understand differences of similar terms and select an appropriate term out of them, (2) a developer of a taxonomy can check its logical classification structure and then improve its logical clearness, and (3) we can compare different taxonomies and establish more reliable mappings between their terms for interoperability of functional models. In this paper, as a demonstration of the benefit (1), the classification criteria of FB, FOCUS/Tx, Krumhauer’s and Roth’s generally valid functions are explicitly presented using FOCUS/View. As a demonstration of the benefit (2), some logically problematic classification structures of FB and the Krumhauer’s functions are discussed and modified for the logical clearness. For the benefit (3), this paper demonstrates the mappings between FB and FOCUS/Tx and a semantic interoperable document search system based on these mappings.

A method of structuring communication data for in-vehicle information service

New in-vehicle information provision services have started according to the progress of data communication infrastructure surrounding vehicles, where the vehicles can connect to communication network outside. In such information services, a large amount of various data related to vehicles and/or drivers will be stored to the datacenter over the network in near future. Data and functions which are currently equipped with in-vehicle devices will be shifted to the datacenter, and these data and functions will be delivered to each of vehicles from the data center in need. In this paper, we propose a method of structuring such data based on ontological engineering approach for the purpose of providing drivers with useful information utilizing a large amount of communication data effectively. That is, we introduce a mechanism of providing drivers with information effectively, using the data structure which refers to ontology as a data schema. Also we describe about the information space with the contents of information to provide and the driver model with ontology.