ERL: Logic for entity-relationship databases

We develop a logic for entity-relationship databases, ERL, that is a generalization of database logic. ERL provides advantages to the ER model much as FOL (first-order logic) does to the relational model: a uniform language for expressing database schema, integrity constraints, and database manipulation; clearly defined semantics; the capability to express database transformations; and deductive capabilities. We propose three query languages for ER databases called ERRC, ERSQL, and ERQBE, which are generalizations of the relational calculus, SQL, and QBE, respectively. We use example queries and updates to demonstrate the capabilities of these languages. We apply database transformations to introduce the notion of views and to show that both ERRC and ERSQL are relationally complete.Research sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation under grant IRI-8921951 and by Towson State University.     

PNN query processing on compressed trajectories

Trajectory compression is widely used in spatial-temporal databases as it can notably reduce (i) the computation/communication load of clients (GPS-enabled mobile devices) and (ii) the storage cost of servers. Compared with original trajectories, compressed trajectories have clear advantages in data processing, transmitting, storing, etc. In this paper, we investigate a novel problem of searching the Path Nearest Neighbor based on Compressed Trajectories (PNN-CT query). This type of query is conducted on compressed trajectories and the target is to retrieve the PNN with the highest probability (lossy compression leads to the uncertainty), which can bring significant benefits to users in many popular applications such as trip planning. To answer the PNN-CT query effectively and efficiently, a two-phase solution is proposed. First, we use the meta-data and sample points to specify a tight search range. The key of this phase is that the number of data objects/trajectory segments to be processed or decompressed should be kept as small as possible. Our efficiency study reveals that the candidate sets created are tight. Second, we propose a reconstruction algorithm based on probabilistic models to account for the uncertainty when decompressing the trajectory segments in the candidate set. Furthermore, an effective combination strategy is adopted to find the PNN with the highest probability. The complexity analysis shows that our solution has strong advantages over existing methods. The efficiency of the proposed PNN-CT query processing is verified by extensive experiments based on real and synthetic trajectory data in road networks.     

Query optimization for nontraditional database applications

Database query languages and their use for programming nontraditional applications, such as engineering and artificial intelligence applications, are discussed. In such environments, database programs are used to code applications that work over large data sets residing in databases. Optimizing such programs then becomes a necessity. An examination is made of various optimization techniques, and transformations are suggested for improving the performance of database programs. These transformations result in new equivalent database programs with better space and time performance. Several of these techniques apply to classical query languages, although extended query languages which include an iteration operator are specifically discussed     

Spatio-temporal data reduction with deterministic error bounds

A common way of storing spatio-temporal information about mobile devices is in the form of a 3D (2D geography + time) trajectory. We argue that when cellular phones and Personal Digital Assistants become location-aware, the size of the spatio-temporal information generated may prohibit efficient processing. We propose to adopt a technique studied in computer graphics, namely line-simplification, as an approximation technique to solve this problem. Line simplification will reduce the size of the trajectories. Line simplification uses a distance function in producing the trajectory approximation. We postulate the desiderata for such a distance-function: it should be sound, namely the error of the answers to spatio-temporal queries must be bounded. We analyze several distance functions, and prove that some are sound in this sense for some types of queries, while others are not. A distance function that is sound for all common spatio-temporal query types is introduced and analyzed. Then we propose an aging mechanism which gradually shrinks the size of the trajectories as time progresses. We also propose to adopt existing linguistic constructs to manage the uncertainty introduced by the trajectory approximation. Finally, we analyze experimentally the effectiveness of line-simplification in reducing the size of a trajectories database. This research is supported by NSF Grants 0326284, 0330342, ITR-0086144, 0513736, 0209190, and partly supported by the NSF grant IIS-0325144/003 and the Northrop-Grumman Corp. grant PO 8200082518.     

Representing and manipulating uncertain data

Conventional Information Systems are limited in their ability to represent uncertain data. A consistent and useful methodology for representing and manipulating such data is required. One solution is proposed in this paper. Objects are modeled by selecting representative attributes to which values are assigned. Any attribute value can be one of the following: a regular precise value, a special value denoting “value unknown”, a special value denoting “attribute not applicable”, a range of values or a set of values. If there are uncertain data then the semantics of query evaluation are no longer clear and uncertainty is introduced. To handle the uncertainty two sets of objects are retrieved in response to each query: the set know to satisfy the query with complete certainty, and the set of objects which possibly satisfy the query with some degree of uncertainty. Two methods of estimating this uncertainty are examined.     

Popularity-aware spatial keyword search on activity trajectories

The proliferation of GPS-enabled smart mobile devices enables us to collect a large-scale trajectories of moving objects with GPS tags. While the raw trajectories that only consists of positional information have been studied extensively, many recent works have been focusing on enriching the raw trajectories with semantic knowledge. The resulting data, called activity trajectories, embed the information about behaviors of the moving objects and support a variety of applications for better quality of services. In this paper, we propose a Top-k Spatial Keyword (TkSK) query for activity trajectories, with the objective to find a set of trajectories that are not only close geographically but also meet the requirements of the query semantically. Such kind of query can deliver more informative results than existing spatial keyword queries for static objects, since activity trajectories are able to reflect the popularity of user activities and reveal preferable combinations of facilities. However, it is a challenging task to answer this query efficiently due to the inherent difficulties in indexing trajectories as well as the new complexity introduced by the textual dimension. In this work, we provide a comprehensive solution, including the novel similarity function, hybrid indexing structure, efficient search algorithm and further optimizations. Extensive empirical studies on real trajectory set have demonstrated the scalability of our proposed solution.     

基于迭代网格划分和熵估计的稀疏轨迹预测

针对移动对象轨迹预测所面临的"数据稀疏"问题,即有效的历史轨迹空间不能覆盖所有可能的查询轨迹,提出了一种基于迭代网格划分和熵估计的稀疏轨迹预测算法(TPDS-IGP&EE).首先,对轨迹区域进行迭代网格划分并生成轨迹序列;然后,引入L-Z熵估计计算轨迹序列的熵值,在轨迹熵值的基础上进行轨迹综合形成新的轨迹空间;最后,结合子轨迹综合算法,进行稀疏轨迹预测.实验结果表明,当轨迹完整度达到90%以上,Baseline算法的查询覆盖率只有25%左右;而TPDS-IGP&EE算法几乎不受查询轨迹长度的影响,可以预测几乎100%的查询轨迹;并且TPDS-IGP&EE算法的预测准确率普遍高于Baseline算法4%左右;同时Baseline算法的预测时间非常长,达到100 ms,而TPDS-IGP&EE算法的预测时间(10 μs)几乎可以忽略不计.TPDS-IGP&EE算法能够有效地进行稀疏环境下的轨迹预测,具有更广的预测范围、更快的预测速度和较高的预测准确率.     

面向路网连通关系的车辆轨迹数据查询技术研究

定位及通信技术的发展使获取和传输移动车辆的轨迹信息成为可能。从车辆轨迹数据中可以提取出大量的交通信息,这些信息是对交通状况的一个直接和全面的反映。但由于轨迹数据固有的网络特性及时空特性,使针对此类数据的查询成为一个难点,其中关键技术包括建立用于车辆轨迹数据的索引结构及其对应的轨迹数据查询语言。在比较现有轨迹数据索引结构的基础上,对轨迹数据查询语言的分类及其与索引结构之间的调用关系进行了初步的探讨,提出了面向连通关系的查询语言（connectivity-oriented query language, CQL）的定义、分类及实现方法,并简要讨论了车辆轨迹数据查询原型系统的结构和实现方法。     

Foundations for object-oriented query processing

A minimal framework for an object-oriented query language standard should (1) include a formal definition of a high-level data model and the syntax and semantics of associated query languages, (2) provide the functionality of relational query languages, and (3) support proofs of correctness of transformations for logical query optimization. In this paper, a high-level conceptual model for object-oriented query processing is discussed; the model includes widely-used structural abstractions such as the isa relationship, associations (properties) between complex objects and complex objects/values, and inheritance of properties. A formal, algebraic query language for the model, inspired by relational algebra, is presented. Operators of the algebra allow queries based on values, queries that manipulate entire objects, and queries that construct new objects from existing objects/values. All queries retain connections to existing database objects, providing logical access paths to data. Each query result is a class, so the algebra has the closure property. The intensional and extensional results of query operators are summarized. Two forms of logical query optimization supported by the query algebra are outlined: algebraic transformations and classifier-based optimizations (optimizations which employ inclusion and exclusion dependencies between classes).     

基于轨迹多特性的隐私保护算法

现有基于聚类的轨迹隐私保护算法在衡量轨迹间的相似性时大多以空间特征为标准,忽略了轨迹蕴含的其他方面的特性对轨迹相似性的影响。针对这一情况可能导致的匿名后数据可用性较低的问题,提出了一种基于轨迹多特性的隐私保护算法。该算法考虑了轨迹数据的不确定性,综合方向、速度、时间和空间4个特性的差异作为轨迹相似性度量的依据,以提高轨迹聚类过程中同一聚类集合中轨迹之间的相似度;在此基础上,通过空间平移的方式实现同一聚类集合中轨迹的k-匿名。实验结果表明,与经典隐私保护算法相比,在满足一定隐私保护需求的前提下,采用所提算法实施隐私保护之后的轨迹数据整体具有较高的数据可用性。     

Transformation of structure-shy programs with application to XPath queries and strategic functions

Various programming languages allow the construction of structure-shy programs. Such programs are defined generically for many different datatypes and only specify specific behavior for a few relevant subtypes. Typical examples are XML query languages that allow selection of subdocuments without exhaustively specifying intermediate element tags. Other examples are languages and libraries for polytypic or strategic functional programming and for adaptive object-oriented programming.In this paper, we present an algebraic approach to transformation of declarative structure-shy programs, in particular for strategic functions and XML queries. We formulate a rich set of algebraic laws, not just for transformation of structure-shy programs, but also for their conversion into structure-sensitive programs and vice versa. We show how subsets of these laws can be used to construct effective rewrite systems for specialization, generalization, and optimization of structure-shy programs. We present a type-safe encoding of these rewrite systems in Haskell which itself uses strategic functional programming techniques. We discuss the application of these rewrite systems for XPath query optimization and for query migration in the context of schema evolution.     

Constructing unbiased prediction limits on future outcomes under parametric uncertainty of underlying models via pivotal quantity averaging approach

This paper presents a new simple, efficient and useful technique for constructing lower and upper unbiased prediction limits on outcomes in future samples under parametric uncertainty of underlying models. For instance, consider a situation where such limits are required. A customer has placed an order for a product which has an underlying time-to-failure distribution. The terms of his purchase call for k monthly shipments. From each shipment the customer will select a random sample of q units and accept the shipment only if the smallest time to failure for this sample exceeds a specified lower limit. The manufacturer wishes to use the results of an experimental sample of n units to calculate this limit so that the probability is γ that all k shipments will be accepted. It is assumed that the n experimental units and the kq future units are random samples from the same population. In this paper, attention is restricted to invariant families of distributions. The pivotal quantity averaging approach used here emphasizes pivotal quantities relevant for obtaining ancillary statistics and is applicable whenever the statistical problem is invariant under a group of transformations that acts transitively on the parameter space. It does not require the construction of any tables and is applicable whether the past data are complete or Type II censored. The proposed pivotal quantity averaging approach is conceptually simple and easy to use. For illustration, a left-truncated Weibull, two-parameter exponential, and Pareto distribution are considered. A practical numerical example is given.     

Learning to rank biological motion trajectories

Many feature transforms have been proposed for the problem of trajectory matching. These methods, which are often based on shape matching, tend to perform poorly for biological trajectories, such as cell motion, because similar biological behavior often results in dissimilar trajectory shape. Additionally, the criteria used for similarity may differ depending on the user's particular interest or the specific query behavior. We present a rank-based distance metric learning method that combines user input and a new set of biologically-motivated features for biological trajectory matching. We show that, with a small amount of user effort, this method outperforms existing trajectory methods. On an information retrieval task using real world data, our method outperforms recent, related methods by ~ 9%.     

Grammar-based model transformations: Definition,execution, and quality properties

Model transformation is a key concept in model-driven software engineering. The definition of model transformations is usually based on meta-models describing the abstract syntax of languages. While meta-models are thereby able to abstract from superfluous details of concrete syntax, they often loose structural information inherent in languages, like information on model elements always occurring together in particular shapes. As a consequence, model transformations cannot naturally re-use language structures, thus leading to unnecessary complexity in their development as well as in quality assurance.In this paper, we propose a new approach to model transformation development which allows to simplify the developed transformations and improve their quality via the exploitation of the languages׳ structures. The approach is based on context-free graph grammars and transformations defined by pairing productions of source and target grammars. We show that such transformations have important properties: they terminate and are sound, complete, and deterministic.     

Algorithms for constrained <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-nearest neighbor queries over moving object trajectories

An important query for spatio-temporal databases is to find nearest trajectories of moving objects. Existing work on this topic focuses on the closest trajectories in the whole data space. In this paper, we introduce and solve constrained k-nearest neighbor (CkNN) queries and historical continuous CkNN (HCCkNN) queries on R-tree-like structures storing historical information about moving object trajectories. Given a trajectory set D, a query object (point or trajectory) q, a temporal extent T, and a constrained region CR, (i) a CkNN query over trajectories retrieves from D within T, the k (≥ 1) trajectories that lie closest to q and intersect (or are enclosed by) CR; and (ii) an HCCkNN query on trajectories retrieves the constrained k nearest neighbors (CkNNs) of q at any time instance of T. We propose a suite of algorithms for processing CkNN queries and HCCkNN queries respectively, with different properties and advantages. In particular, we thoroughly investigate two types of CkNN queries, i.e., CkNN_P and CkNN_T, which are defined with respect to stationary query points and moving query trajectories, respectively; and two types of HCCkNN queries, namely, HCCkNN_P and HCCkNN_T, which are continuous counterparts of CkNN_P and CkNN_T, respectively. Our methods utilize an existing data-partitioning index for trajectory data (i.e., TB-tree) to achieve low I/O and CPU cost. Extensive experiments with both real and synthetic datasets demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithms in terms of efficiency and scalability.     

On the Repeatability and Quality of Keypoints for Local Feature-based 3D Object Retrieval from Cluttered Scenes

3D object recognition from local features is robust to occlusions and clutter. However, local features must be extracted from a small set of feature rich keypoints to avoid computational complexity and ambiguous features. We present an algorithm for the detection of such keypoints on 3D models and partial views of objects. The keypoints are highly repeatable between partial views of an object and its complete 3D model. We also propose a quality measure to rank the keypoints and select the best ones for extracting local features. Keypoints are identified at locations where a unique local 3D coordinate basis can be derived from the underlying surface in order to extract invariant features. We also propose an automatic scale selection technique for extracting multi-scale and scale invariant features to match objects at different unknown scales. Features are projected to a PCA subspace and matched to find correspondences between a database and query object. Each pair of matching features gives a transformation that aligns the query and database object. These transformations are clustered and the biggest cluster is used to identify the query object. Experiments on a public database revealed that the proposed quality measure relates correctly to the repeatability of keypoints and the multi-scale features have a recognition rate of over 95% for up to 80% occluded objects.     

时空双仿射微分不变量及骨架动作识别

目的 人体骨架的动态变化对于动作识别具有重要意义。从关节轨迹的角度出发,部分对动作类别判定具有价值的关节轨迹传达了最重要的信息。在同一动作的每次尝试中,相应关节的轨迹一般具有相似的基本形状,但其具体形式会受到一定的畸变影响。基于对畸变因素的分析,将人体运动中关节轨迹的常见变换建模为时空双仿射变换。方法 首先用一个统一的表达式以内外变换的形式将时空双仿射变换进行描述。基于变换前后轨迹曲线的微分关系推导设计了双仿射微分不变量,用于描述关节轨迹的局部属性。基于微分不变量和关节坐标在数据结构上的同构特点,提出了一种通道增强方法,使用微分不变量将输入数据沿通道维度扩展后,输入神经网络进行训练与评估,用于提高神经网络的泛化能力。结果 实验在两个大型动作识别数据集NTU（Nanyang Technological University）RGB+D（NTU 60）和NTU RGB+D 120（NTU 120）上与若干最新方法及两种基线方法进行比较,在两种实验设置（跨参与者识别与跨视角识别）中均取得了明显的改进结果。相比于使用原始数据的时空图神经卷积网络（spatio-temporal graph convolutional networks,ST-GCN）,在NTU 60数据集中,跨参与者与跨视角的识别准确率分别提高了1.9%和3.0%;在NTU 120数据集中,跨参与者与跨环境的识别准确率分别提高了5.6%和4.5%。同时对比于数据增强,基于不变特征的通道增强方法在两种实验设置下都能有明显改善,更为有效地提升了网络的泛化能力。结论 本文提出的不变特征与通道增强,直观有效地综合了传统特征和深度学习的优点,有效提高了骨架动作识别的准确性,改善了神经网络的泛化能力。     

移动对象历史轨迹的连续最近邻查询算法

提出一种直接在原始时空坐标系下对一维移动对象的历史轨迹进行连续最近邻查询的算法,给出相关的定义与定理,通过分析轨迹之间的交点及轨迹线段单调性等特征,利用以前所求得的最近邻结果信息进行连续最近邻的查询判断。实验结果与分析表明,该算法具有较好的性能。     

LINGUISTIC GEOMETRY: METHODOLOGY AND TECHNIQUES

This paper reports new results of research on techniques for the search for the optimal (suboptimal) operation of complex control systems, first of all, robotic systems. In order to discover the inner, domain-independent properties of human expert heuristics, which were successful in a certain class of complex control systems, we develop a formal theory, the so-called linguistic geometry. This research includes the development of syntactic tools for knowledge representation and reasoning about large-scale hierarchical complex systems. It relies on the formalization of search heuristics of the highly skilled human experts, which allow decomposition of a complex system into a hierarchy of subsystems, and, thus, solve intractable problems reducing the search. The hierarchy of subsystems is represented as a hierarchy of formal attribute languages. This paper includes an informal survey of the linguistic geometry; major formal issues on the languages of trajectories, trajectory networks, and network transformations; and a comprehensive example of a solution of an optimization problem for military autonomous agents employing linguistic geometry tools. This example includes actual generation of the hierarchy of languages and demonstrates a dramatic reduction of search in comparison with conventional search algorithms.