基于场景及规则获取模板的知识获取方法

产生式规则作为知识库系统进行推理的常用的、可读性好的知识表示形式,在构建知识库系统时有极大的优越性.提出一种基于场景及规则获取模板的知识获取方法,并以某高分子复合材料的加工专家为知识获取对象.该方法通过分析、记录领域专家进行设计的过程、解决问题的过程和动作,将领域问题按层次细化为一系列子问题,并在子问题场景下结合场景模型及知识获取模板来获取规则性知识.采用该方法可以辅助领域专家在明晰领域知识结构的基础上,逐步挖掘领域中细粒度的规则性知识.     

Integrated graphical approach to knowledge representation and acquisition

An approach toward improving the accessbility of the knowledge and information structures of expert systems is described; it is based upon a foundation development environment called the Rule-Based Frame System (RBFS), which forms the kernel of a larger system, IDEAS. RBFS is a knowledge representation language, within which a distinction is drawn between information which represents the world or domain, and knowledge which states how to make conclusions based upon the domain. Information takes the form of frames, for system processing, but is presented to the user/developer as an associative network via a Visual Editor for the Generation of Associative Networks (VEGAN). Knowledge takes the form of production rules, which are connected at suitable points in the domain model, but again it is presented to the user via a graphical interface known as the Knowledge Encoding Tool (KET). KET is designed to assist in knowledge acquisition in expert systems. It uses a combination of decision support trees and associative networks as its representation. A combined use of VEGAN and KET will enable domain experts to interactively create and test their knowledge base with minimum involvement on behalf of a knowledge engineer. An inclusion of learning features in VEGAN/KET is desirable for this purpose. The main objective of these tools, therefore, is to encourage rapid prototyping by the domain expert. VEGAN and KET are implemented in the Poplog environment on SUN 3/50 workstations.     

An approach to capturing and reusing tacit design knowledge using relational learning for knowledge graphs

Tacit design knowledge plays an important role in the process of product design and is a valuable knowledge asset for enterprises. In terms of the characteristics of tacit rational design knowledge, this paper puts forward a scientific hypothesis and approach on capturing and reusing tacit rational design knowledge. The presented approach represents the observable design result facts of products using design knowledge graphs. A design issue-solving oriented knowledge graph model is presented, where directed relation edges represent design issues, and nodes stand for design solutions. When a new design solutions requirement needs to be searched, tacit design knowledge can be reused by relational learning for the constructed design knowledge graphs. In relational learning, the design knowledge graph is converted into a three-order tensor, where two modes are solution nodes, and the third mode holds the issue relations. Then, a tensor factorization approach is employed to calculate the latent features between design solutions for an issue relation. As a result, a score vector to represent the existence of issue-solution relations can be obtained. By sorting the scores in descending order, we may select the solution node with the highest score as the design solution to be searched. Finally, a stamping die design case study is provided. The case study shows that the proposed approach is feasible, and effective, and has better flexibility, scalability and efficiency than CBR methods.     

Multiple-vector user profiles in support of knowledge sharing

This paper describes an algorithm to automatically construct expertise profiles for company employees, based on documents authored and read by them. A profile consists of a series of high dimensional vectors, each describing an expertise domain, and provides a hierarchy between these vectors, enabling a structured view on an employee’s expertise. The algorithm is novel in providing this layered view, as well as in its high degree of automation and its generic approach ensuring applicability in an industrial setting.The profiles provide support for several knowledge management functionalities that are difficult or impossible to achieve using existing methods. This paper in particular presents the initialization of communities of practice, bringing together both experts and novices on a specific topic. An algorithm to automatically discover relationships between employees based on their profiles is described. These relationships can be used to initiate communities of practice. The algorithms are validated by means of a realistic dataset.     

A user requirement driven framework for collaborative design knowledge management

In today’s competitive global marketplace and knowledge-based economy, user requirement becomes an important input information for enterprises to develop new product and a critical factor to drive product collaborative design evolution. Meanwhile, there remains no consensus on how best to support knowledge activities and significant challenges to establishing design information management facing to rapid collaborative product development with dynamic user requirement. This paper introduces solutions for designer to deal with dynamic user requirement information through requirement evaluation and prediction method. In this study, we propose a user requirements-oriented knowledge management concept that is based on a four level hierarchy map model with special regard to knowledge collaboration and information communication. Furthermore, a novel distributed concurrent and interactive user requirement database was constructed, and the framework driven by user requirement was put forward to support collaborative design knowledge management. Finally, the service robot design project of a start-up company is used as a case study to explain the implementation of proposed framework.     

A systematic approach for coupling user satisfaction with product design

A fundamental assumption in this paper is that user satisfaction depends on product design. The approach consists of 5 steps: (1) define user satisfaction, (2) decompose product design elements, (3) conduct experiments, (4) develop relationship models, and (5) analyse critical design features. In order to demonstrate the practicability of this approach, relationship models were developed based on experimental data using a total of 60 subjects (30 American and 30 Korean subjects). In addition, critical design features and their common properties were identified for audio/visual consumer products. Similarities and differences between American and Korean consumers were discussed. The resulting relationship models can be used to predict user satisfaction and provide significant remedies for design change.     

An agent-based approach to knowledge management in distributed design

The collaboration process among individuals with heterogeneous skills in a distributed virtual environment represents a crucial element of the extended enterprise. In order to achieve global optima in design, there is an increasing need for design teams to establish and maintain cooperative work through effective communication, co-location, coordination and collaboration at the knowledge level. Because of the distributed nature of users and information resources involved in the design process, the need for appropriate knowledge management tools is imperative. This paper proposes an agent-based architecture to support multi-disciplinary design teams that cooperate in a distributed design environment (DDE). Using ontologies and multi-agent systems (MAS), the proposed framework aims to optimise design process operation and management by supporting the dialogue among distributed design actors. Received: February 2005/Accepted: January 2006     

Knowledge types: a practical approach to guide knowledge engineering in domains of building design

Abstract: This paper presents experiences and findings achieved through several expert system projects in domains of technical buiding design. The main focus is on knowledge acquisition and knowledge decomposition. Different approaches are presented and discussed. Four types of knowledge are presented: object knowledge, performance knowledge, event knowledge and metaknowledge, and the applicability of this classification to building design is justified. The paper includes a listing of experiences gained by real world testing of an expert system, and finally we outline guidelines to knowledge engineering in the domain of technical building     

Causal design knowledge: Alternative representation method for product development knowledge management

This paper presents a mathematical comparison of procedural knowledge and causal knowledge, and discusses the potential roles and feasibility of causal knowledge across product development knowledge management. Since reuse of knowledge is so important in product development, various knowledge management approaches have been introduced. Most of the product design knowledge is represented by procedural knowledge, which unfortunately requires cumbersome processes to define, and is typically inadequate for representing the kind of knowledge generated during the product development process. A causal knowledge representation, however, can help us to overcome this limitation and is an alternative formalism for representing product design knowledge. In this paper we compare the procedural and causal knowledge representations. We present the mathematical definitions of two knowledge paradigms, then mathematically describe the relationship between the two. Both knowledge paradigms are then compared based on the perspective of knowledge expression, decision alternative representation, reasoning capability, and knowledge cultivation. This paper concludes that causal knowledge representation is superior to procedural knowledge representation based on the four perspectives. Finally, the knowledge systems are modeled using Systems Modeling Language (SysML), and we present a case study that demonstrates the causal knowledge features using a realistic example from industry.     

Integrated knowledge acquisition architectures

An architecture for knowledge acquisition systems is proposed based upon the integration of existing methodologies, techniques and tools which have been developed within the knowledge acquisition, machine learning, expert systems, hypermedia and knowledge representation research communities. Existing tools are analyzed within a common framework to show that their integration can be achieved in a natural and principled fashion. A system design is synthesized from what already exists, putting a diversity of well-founded and widely used approaches to knowledge acquisition within an integrative framework. The design is intended to be clean and simple, easy to understand, and easy to implement. A detailed architecture for integrated knowledge acquisition systems is proposed that also derives from parallel cognitive and theoretical studies.     

Demand-driven knowledge acquisition method for enhancing domain ontology integrity

Knowledge, as the most important resource for the knowledge economy in the 21st century, is fundamental to enterprise competitive strength. Therefore, how to effectively integrate internal and external knowledge and provide correct knowledge to the right users in a timely fashion have become key success factors in business operation.     

Inference in the SOOKAT object-oriented knowledge acquisition tool

The SOOKAT (structured object-oriented knowledge acquisition tool) knowledge acquisition (KA) tool, supporting the SeSKA (seamless structured knowledge acquisition) methodology, integrates phases of KA through seamless transformations between object-oriented (OO) models.The integration of constructing a knowledge base (KB) can be extended beyond the KA process by performing inferences in instantiations of models constructed during the KA process.The models, constructed during the KA process, form a framework for performing inferences in instantiations of the models.Inferences performed in instantiations of OO models are guided by control objects (CO). Messages are sent between COs and components of the inference structure. A specific CO, possibly using subordinate COs, can be specified for each inference strategy.There exists a mutual CO for forward and backward chaining that can also be used when reasoning according to protocols. In addition, COs for problem-solving methods (PSMs), such as cover-and-differentiate or propose-and-revise, can be used.Mechanisms for importing PSMs over the Internet, as well as for generating specific COs for PSMs, are under development.     

Knowledge granulation, knowledge entropy and knowledge uncertainty measure in ordered information systems

In this paper, concepts of knowledge granulation, knowledge entropy and knowledge uncertainty measure are given in ordered information systems, and some important properties of them are investigated. From these properties, it can be shown that these measures provides important approaches to measuring the discernibility ability of different knowledge in ordered information systems. And relationship between knowledge granulation, knowledge entropy and knowledge uncertainty measure are considered. As an application of knowledge granulation, we introduce definition of rough entropy of rough sets in ordered information systems. By an example, it is shown that the rough entropy of rough sets is more accurate than classical rough degree to measure the roughness of rough sets in ordered information systems.     

Attribute selection-based recommendation framework for short-head user group: An empirical study by MovieLens and IMDB

Most of recommender systems have serious difficulties on providing relevant services to the “short-head” users who have shown intermixed preferential patterns. In this paper, we assume that such users (which are referred to as long-tail users) can play an important role of information sources for improving the performance of recommendation. Attribute reduction-based mining method has been proposed to efficiently select the long-tail user groups. More importantly, the long-tail user groups as domain experts are employed to provide more trustworthy information. To evaluate the proposed framework, we have integrated MovieLens dataset with IMDB, and empirically shown that the long-tail user groups are useful for the recommendation process.     

Automated knowledge acquisition for design and manufacturing: The case of micromachined atomizer

In order to remain competitive in the global market, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are developing a process-based, knowledge-driven product development environment with emphasis on the acquisition, storing, and utilization of manufacturing knowledge. This is usually achieved by using the symbolic artificial intelligence (AI) approach. Specifically, knowledge-based expert systems are developed to capture human expertise, mostly in terms of IF–THEN production rules. It has been recognized that the development of symbolic knowledge-based expert systems suffers from the so-called knowledge acquisition bottleneck. Knowledge acquisition is the process of collecting domain knowledge and transforming the knowledge into a computerized representation. It is a challenging and time-consuming process due to the difficulties involved in eliciting knowledge from human experts. This paper presents an automated approach for knowledge acquisition by integrating neural networks learning ability and fuzzy logics structured knowledge representation. Using this approach, knowledge is automatically acquired from data and represented using humanly intelligible fuzzy rules. The approach is applied to a case study of the design and manufacturing of micromachined atomizers for gas turbine engine. The influence of geometric features on the performance of the atomizers is investigated. The results are then compared with those obtained using traditional regression analysis approach (abstract mathematical models). It was found that the automated approach provides an efficient means for knowledge acquisition. Since the fuzzy rules extracted are easy to understand, they can be used to allow more clear specification of manufacturing processes and to shorten learning curves for novice manufacturing engineers.     

Strategic knowledge acquisition: a case study of learning through prototyping

To understand useful strategies for guiding the design process, we analyze the relationship between the use of prototypes and design knowledge acquisition. Prototyping in five design projects at a science museum is analyzed and compared. We also extract situations in which design knowledge is acquired from prototyping.     

Using a hybrid rule-based approach in developing an intelligent tutoring system with knowledge acquisition and update capabilities

In this paper, we present the architecture and describe the functionality of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), which uses an expert system to make decisions during the teaching process. The expert system uses neurules for knowledge representation of the pedagogical knowledge. Neurules are a type of hybrid rules integrating symbolic rules with neurocomputing. The expert system consists of three components: the user modelling unit, the pedagogical unit and the inference system. The pedagogical knowledge is distributed in a number of neurule bases within the user modelling and the pedagogical unit. Another important component of the ITS, for both its development and maintenance, is its knowledge management unit, which provides knowledge acquisition and knowledge update capabilities to the system, that is, offers expert knowledge authoring capabilities to the system.     

MRM: A matrix representation and mapping approach for knowledge acquisition

Knowledge acquisition plays a critical role in constructing a knowledge-based system (KBS). It is the most time-consuming phase and has been recognized as the bottleneck of KBS development. This paper presents a matrix representation and mapping (MRM) approach to facilitate the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition in building a KBS. The proposed MRM approach, which is based on matrix representation and mapping operations, comprises six consecutive steps for generating rules. The procedure in each step is elaborated. A case study on primarily diagnosing an automotive system is employed to illustrate how the MRM approach works.     

Fostering continuous innovation in design with an integrated knowledge management approach

In the global competition, companies are propelled by an immense pressure to innovate. The trend to produce more new knowledge-intensive products or services and the rapid progress of information technologies arouse huge interest on knowledge management for innovation. However the strategy of knowledge management is not widely adopted for innovation in industries due to a lack of an effective approach of their integration. This study aims to help the designers to innovate more efficiently based on an integrated approach of knowledge management. Based on this integrated approach, a prototype of distributed knowledge management system for innovation is developed. An industrial application is presented and its initial results indicate the applicability of the approach and the prototype in practice.     

Knowledge acquisition and knowledge representation with class: the object-oriented paradigm

Knowledge acquisition and knowledge representation are the fundamental building blocks of knowledge-based systems (KBSs). How to efficiently elicit knowledge from experts and transform this elicited knowledge into a machine usable format is a significant and time consuming problem for KBS developers. Object-orientation provides several solutions to persistent knowledge acquisition and knowledge representation problems including transportability, knowledge reuse, and knowledge growth. An automated graphical knowledge acquisition tool is presented, based upon object-oriented principles. The object-oriented graphical interface provides a modeling platform that is easily understood by experts and knowledge engineers. The object-oriented base for the automated KA tool provides a representation independent methodology that can easily be mapped into any other object-oriented expert system or other object-oriented intelligent tools.