Data classification

1. A computer-implemented method for classifying a set of data values, the method comprising:

determining, for each of the data values of the set of data values, a set of one or more terms associated with the respective data value using one or more first knowledge bases,

determining a set of common terms, the set of common terms comprising terms that are present in all of the sets of one or more terms,

for each term of the set of common terms, querying a second knowledge data bases and determining a number of hits returned from the query,

identifying one or more common terms of the set of common terms with the smallest number of hits by creating an ordered list of the one or more common terms, the ordered list of common terms comprising the common terms of the set of common terms in ascending order according to their respective numbers of hits, the order list representing a candidate hierarchy of candidate classes for classifying the set of data values wherein a lower value of the respective numbers of hits for each term is indicative of a more specific candidate class; and

returning a result comprising an excerpt from the ordered list of common terms, the excerpt comprising common terms with the number of hits smaller than a maximum number of hits, wherein each term in the result is a candidate class for classifying the set of data values.

2. The method of claim 1 , the result exclusively comprising the one or more common terms with the smallest number of hits.

3. The method of claim 1 , further extending the number of terms of one or more of the sets of terms, the extending comprising for each term of each set of terms: querying for one or more additional terms, the additional terms being generalizations or synonyms of the respective term,

if an additional term is found, adding the respective additional term to the respective set of terms.

4. The method of claim 3 , one or more of the following being queried for additional terms: an ontology, a taxonomy, a glossary.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing the number of common terms comprised by the set of common terms, the reducing comprising for each of the common terms: determining whether the common term is a generalization of another one of the common terms comprised by the set of common terms,

deleting the common term from the set of common terms if it is determined to be a generalization.

6. The method of claim 5 , using for the determining whether the common term is a generalization one or more of the following: an ontology, a taxonomy, a glossary.

7. The method of claim 5 , the reducing further comprising for each of the common terms in sequence:

determining whether the common term is a synonym of one of the remaining common terms comprised by the set of common terms,

deleting the common term from the set of common terms if it is determined to be a synonym.

8. The method of claim 7 , using for the determining whether the common term is a synonym one or more of the following: an ontology, a taxonomy, a glossary.

9. The method of claim 1 , the set of common terms exclusively comprising terms present in at least a minimum number of the sets of terms, the minimum number being larger than one.

10. The method of claim 9 , the minimum number being equal to the number of sets of terms.