Method and device for ontology evolution

1. A computer implemented method comprising the steps of:

detecting a change to one or more conceptual paths, each path addressing a part of a structure of an ontology system, the ontology system being an application-independent representation of domain knowledge by a set of concepts and relationships between the concepts, the change being described by an ordered sequence of first operators defining semantic information on said change, the change comprising appending another structure to part of the ontology system structure, said another structure not being part of the ontology system structure before the change;

defining one or more second operators that operate on a mapping from at least one application path of an intentional part of a data system to a conceptual path of the ontology system, the intentional part being prescribed by constraints on data elements and relationships between the data elements, each application path addressing a part of the structure of the data system, said one or more second operators being equivalent to said one or more first operators used to describe said change to said one or more conceptual paths addressing said part of the structure of said ontology system; and

updating said mapping with said one or more equivalent second operators to reflect the change to said one or more conceptual paths addressing said part of the structure of the ontology system.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said detected change is stored in a change log.

3. The method as in claim 1 , comprising an initial step of applying said change to said ontology system.

4. The method as in claim 3 , whereby one or more conditions are imposed for applying said change.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said change comprises a relabeling of part of the ontology system structure.

6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said change comprises inserting a further structure to a part of the ontology system structure, said further structure not being part of the ontology system structure before the change.

7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said change comprises deleting part of the ontology system structure.

8. A programmable device containing instructions, which, when executed, perform a method comprising steps of:

detecting a change to one or more conceptual paths, each path addressing a part of a structure of an ontology system, the ontology system being an application-independent representation of domain knowledge by a set of concepts and relationships between the concepts, the change being described by an ordered sequence of first operators defining semantic information on said change, the change comprising appending another structure to part of the ontology system structure, said another structure not being part of the ontology system structure before the change;

defining one or more second operators that operate on a mapping from at least one application path of an intentional part of a data system to a conceptual path of the ontology system, the intentional part being prescribed by constraints on data elements and relationships between the data elements, each application path addressing a part of the structure of the data system, said one or more second operators being equivalent to said one or more first operators used to describe said change to said one or more conceptual paths addressing said part of the structure of said ontology system; and

updating said mapping with said one or more equivalent second operators to reflect the change to said one or more conceptual paths addressing said part of the structure of the ontology system.

9. A device comprising:

means for detecting a change to one or more conceptual paths, each path addressing a part of a structure of an ontology system, the ontology system being an application-independent representation of domain knowledge by a set of concepts and relationships between the concepts, the change being described by an ordered sequence of first operators defining semantic information on said change, the change comprising appending another structure to part of the ontology system structure, said another structure not being part of the ontology system structure before the change;

means for defining one or more second operators that operate on a mapping from at least one application path of an intentional part of a data system to a conceptual path of the ontology system, the intentional part being prescribed by constraints on data elements and relationships between the data elements, each application path addressing a part of the structure of the data system, said one or more second operators being equivalent to said one or more first operators used to describe said change to said one or more conceptual paths addressing said part of the structure of said ontology system; and

means for updating said mapping with said one or more equivalent second operators to reflect the change to said one or more conceptual paths addressing said part of the structure of the ontology system.

10. The device as in claim 9 , wherein said device is arranged to identify and store information on the version of said ontology system.

11. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting a change to a conceptual path addressing a part of a structure of an ontology system, the ontology system being an application-independent representation of domain knowledge by a set of concepts and relationships between the concepts, the change being described by an ordered sequence of first operators defining semantic information on said change, the change comprising appending another structure to part of the ontology system structure, said another structure not being part of the ontology system structure before the change;

defining one or more second operators that operate on a mapping from at least one application path of an intentional part of a data system to the conceptual path addressing the part of the structure of the ontology system, the intentional part of the data system being prescribed by constraints on data elements and relationships between the data elements, the application path addressing a part of a structure of the data system, the one or more second operators being equivalent to the one or more first operators used to describe the change to the conceptual path addressing the part of the structure of the ontology system; and

updating the mapping with the one or more equivalent second operators to reflect the change to the conceptual path addressing the part of the structure of the ontology system.