An ontology in OWL for legal case-based reasoning

The paper gives ontologies in the Web Ontology Language (OWL) for Legal Case-based Reasoning (LCBR) systems, giving explicit, formal, and general specifications of a conceptualisation LCBR. Ontologies for different systems allows comparison and contrast between them. OWL ontologies are standardised, machine-readable formats that support automated processing with Semantic Web applications. Intermediate concepts, concepts between base-level concepts and higher level concepts, are central in LCBR. The main issues and their relevance to ontological reasoning and to LCBR are discussed. Two LCBR systems (AS-CATO, which is based on CATO, and IBP) are analysed in terms of basic and intermediate concepts. Central components of the OWL ontologies for these systems are presented, pointing out differences and similarities. The main novelty of the paper is the ontological analysis and representation in OWL of LCBR systems. The paper also emphasises the important issues concerning the representation and reasoning of intermediate concepts.

Analogical model formulation for transfer learning in AP Physics

Transfer learning is the ability to apply previously learned knowledge to new problems or domains. In qualitative reasoning, model formulation is the process of moving from the unruly, broad set of concepts used in everyday life to a concise, formal vocabulary of abstractions, assumptions, causal relationships, and models that support problem-solving. Approaching transfer learning from a model formulation perspective, we found that analogy with examples can be used to learn how to solve AP Physics style problems. We call this process analogical model formulation and implement it in the Companion cognitive architecture. A Companion begins with some basic mathematical skills, a broad common sense ontology, and some qualitative mechanics, but no equations. The Companion uses worked solutions, explanations of example problems at the level of detail appearing in textbooks, to learn what equations are relevant, how to use them, and the assumptions necessary to solve physics problems. We present an experiment, conducted by the Educational Testing Service, demonstrating that analogical model formulation enables a Companion to learn to solve AP Physics style problems. Across six different variations of relationships between base and target problems, or transfer levels, a Companion exhibited a 63% improvement in initial performance. While already a significant result, we describe an in-depth analysis of this experiment to pinpoint the causes of failures. Interestingly, the sources of failures were primarily due to errors in the externally generated problem and worked solution representations as well as some domain-specific problem-solving strategies, not analogical model formulation. To verify this, we describe a second experiment which was performed after fixing these problems. In this second experiment, a Companion achieved a 95.8% improvement in initial performance due to transfer, which is nearly perfect. We know of no other problem-solving experiments which demonstrate performance of analogical learning over systematic variations of relationships between problems at this scale.     

基于本体的分布式实例推理技术研究

为了克服单一实例库知识的局限性,实现分布式环境下多数据源的知识重用和共享,提出了一个分布式实例推理系统框架.系统通过本体服务器建立和维护实例库之间的本体知识,其中基本本体为知识的表示提供了全局约束和基础,实例推理服务器可以在基本本体框架下定义领域本体来灵活表达各自的领域知识,而本体目录则为知识的检索提供了向导.本体的引入解决了不同实例库之间知识的互理解和互操作性,能够有效地实现多实例库的协同推理.系统采用Web Service技术构建,是一个开放的系统框架,具有很强的可扩展性.     

A case-based reasoning approach for automating disassembly process planning

One of the first processes for preparing a product for reuse, remanufacture or recycle is disassembly. Disassembly is the process of systematic removal of desirable constituents from the original assembly so that there is no impairment to any useful component. As the number of components in a product increases, the time required for disassembly, as well as the complexity of planning for disassembly rises. Thus, it is important to have the capability to generate disassembly process plans quickly in order to prevent interruptions in processing especially when multiple products are involved. Case-based reasoning (CBR) approach can provide such a capability. CBR allows a process planner to rapidly retrieve, reuse, revise, and retain solutions to past disassembly problems. Once a planning problem has been solved and stored in the case memory, a planner can retrieve and reuse the product's disassembly process plan at any time. The planner can also adapt an original plan for a new product, which does not have an existing plan in case memory. Following adaptation and application, a successful plan is retained in the case memory for future use. This paper presents the procedures to initialize a case memory for different product platforms, and to operate a CBR system, which can be used to plan disassembly processes. The procedures are illustrated using examples.     

基于本体的可重构实例存储技术

如何实现CBR系统中实例存储的灵活性和可重构性是CBR系统的一个难点。该文分析了如何采用本体技术实现实例存储的灵括性和可重构性,通过本体描述企业的知识框架,并在本体的基础上建立和配置实例模板,实现了实例的存储,给出了系统实现方案。     

Intelligent index selection for case-based reasoning

In this paper, we present an indexing technique for case-based reasoning called D-HS^E, that is shown to be more competent than and twice as efficient as the commonly used R-tree. D-HS^E was designed to addresses periodical competency shortcomings of the related D-HS^M index but unfortunately in doing so some efficiency was seen to be sacrificed. In order to address this problem of competency verses efficiency, we propose an intelligent selection algorithm that automatically analyses the case-base and decides which index (D-HS^M or D-HS^E) should be used to optimize performance. The algorithm is designed to favour competency at the expense of efficiency where a competency gain is deemed highly likely to be achieved by using the less efficient approach. In effect we are proposing a flexible indexing scheme that is aware of changes within its environment and which reacts to these changes to optimize performance.     

CaBMA: a case-based reasoning system for capturing,refining, and reusing project plans

In this paper, we present CaBMA, a prototype of a knowledge-based system designed to assist with project planning tasks using case-based reasoning. CaBMA introduces a novel approach to project planning in that, for the first time, a knowledge layer is added on top of traditional project management software. Project management software provides editing and bookkeeping capabilities. CaBMA enhances these capabilities by automatically capturing project plans in the form of cases, refining these cases over time to avoid potential inconsistency between them, reusing these cases to generate plans for new projects, and indicating possible repairs for project plans when they derive away from existing knowledge. We will give an overview of the system, provide a detailed explanation on each component, and present an empirical study based on synthetic data.     

Multi-modal diagnosis combining case-based and model-based reasoning: a formal and experimental analysis

Integrating different reasoning modes in the construction of an intelligent system is one of the most interesting and challenging aspects of modern AI. Exploiting the complementarity and the synergy of different approaches is one of the main motivations that led several researchers to investigate the possibilities of building multi-modal reasoning systems, where different reasoning modalities and different knowledge representation formalisms are integrated and combined. Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) is often considered a fundamental modality in several multi-modal reasoning systems; CBR integration has been shown very useful and practical in several domains and tasks. The right way of devising a CBR integration is however very complex and a principled way of combining different modalities is needed to gain the maximum effectiveness and efficiency for a particular task. In this paper we present results (both theoretical and experimental) concerning architectures integrating CBR and Model-Based Reasoning (MBR) in the context of diagnostic problem solving. We first show that both the MBR and CBR approaches to diagnosis may suffer from computational intractability, and therefore a careful combination of the two approaches may be useful to reduce the computational cost in the average case. The most important contribution of the paper is the analysis of the different facets that may influence the entire performance of a multi-modal reasoning system, namely computational complexity, system competence in problem solving and the quality of the sets of produced solutions. We show that an opportunistic and flexible architecture able to estimate the right cooperation among modalities can exhibit a satisfactory behavior with respect to every performance aspect. An analysis of different ways of integrating CBR is performed both at the experimental and at the analytical level. On the analytical side, a cost model and a competence model able to analyze a multi-modal architecture through the analysis of its individual components are introduced and discussed. On the experimental side, a very detailed set of experiments has been carried out, showing that a flexible and opportunistic integration can provide significant advantages in the use of a multi-modal architecture.     

Length of stay prediction for clinical treatment process using temporal similarity

In clinical treatment processes, inpatient length of stay (LOS) is not only a readily available indicator of hospital activity, but also a reasonable proxy of resource consumption. Accurate inpatient LOS prediction has strong implications for health service delivery. Major techniques proposed (statistical approaches or artificial neuronal networks) consider a priori knowledge, such as demographics or patient physical factors, providing accurate methods to estimate LOS at early stages of the patient (admission). However, unexpected scenarios and variations are commonplaces of clinical treatment processes that have a dramatical impact on the LOS. Therefore, these predictors should deal with adaptability, considering the temporal evolution of the patient. In this paper, we propose an inpatient LOS prediction approach across various stages of clinical treatment processes. This proposal relies on a kind of regularity assumption demanding that patient traces of the specific treatment process with similar medical behaviors have similar LOS. Therefore, this approach follows a Case-based Reasoning methodology since it predicts an inpatient LOS of a partial patient trace by referring to the past traces of clinical treatment processes that have similar medical behaviors with the current one. The proposal is evaluated using 284 patient traces from the pulmonary infection CTPs, extracted from Zhejiang Huzhou Central Hospital of China.     

实例推理和规则推理在实例修改中的应用

在CBR系统中实例修改是一个关键环节,该文通过分析几种实例修改的方法,提出了将实例推理和规则推理进行整合后引入到实例修改过程中,建立修改规则库来完成实例修改,并就如何建立修改规则库进行了说明,为建立智能化的实例修改提供一种思路。     

基于智能CASE库的多时相SAR影像分类方法-土地利用及变化监测

针对SAR影像分类,提出了一种基于智能案例(CASE)库多时相SAR影像分类方法。该方法主要分为4部分:SAR影像预处理;智能CASE的建构;基于CASE相似度匹配的SAR影像分类;分类后处理。在智能CASE建构期间,引入时空分析技术去除“伪”CASE,从而保证了CASE库中CASE信息的可靠性。接着,在基于CASE匹配的SAR影像分类过程中,采用分层相似度评价的方法,消除CASE特征相互之间的混叠效应。最后,采用面向对象的方法进行影像分类后处理。该方法有效地考虑了分类地块的形状因子,使分类结果更精确、更符合逻辑性。以2000年(4景,包含4个季度)和2004年(3景,包含3个季度)的多时相SAR影像作为实验数据,结果表明,使用我们提出的方法能达到较好的SAR影像分类结果,分类总体精度达到85%～90%,这为利用多时相SAR影像实施土地利用和变化监测(Land Use and Land Cover Change,LULC)奠定了良好基础。     

基于CBR的复杂结构井钻井过程智能决策支持系统

由于复杂结构井钻井过程存在大量复杂和不确定性因素,建立精确的数学模型来解决钻井决策问题十分困难,提出了基于实例推理技术构建钻井过程智能决策支持系统.在传统的实例相似度计算模型基础上,针对不同类型的属性设计了一个相似度综合计算模型,有效地解决信息的不精确性.详细描述了系统的总体结构、实例表示与组织以及推理模型的设计.     

The development and utilization of the case-based help-desk support system HOMER

Current case-based reasoning (CBR) process models present CBR as a low-maintenance AI-technology and do not take the processes that have to be enacted during system development and utilization into account. Since a CBR system can only be useful if it is integrated into an organizational structure and used by more than one user, processes for continuous knowledge acquisition, utilization and maintenance have to be put in place. In this paper the shortcomings of classical CBR process models are analyzed, and, based on the experiences made during the development of the case-based help-desk support system HOMER, the managerial, organizational and technical processes related to the development and utilization of CBR systems are described.     

A case-based reasoning system for PCB principal process parameter identification

The Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturing process usually consists of lengthy production activities. Each activity is controlled by a number of process parameters. Although numerous process parameters must be determined before fabrication, only a number of parameters called principal process parameters because they affect the quality of a PCB product. As long as the principal process parameters are identified efficiently and controlled well, the manufacturing lead-time can be shortened and the quality of the new PCB product can be assured. This research proposes a Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) system to infer the principal process parameters for a new PCB product. Each case in the case-base stores design specifications, process parameters, and the corresponding production quality specifications. A Significant Nearest Neighbor (SNN) search is developed to retrieve similar cases from a case-base. A Mutual Correlation Parameter Selection (MCPS) method and a correlation-based parameter setting method are developed to identify the principal parameters and infer their reasonable value range. A set of experiments and a practical implementation case are demonstrated to show the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed system.     

基于案例推理的工作流异常处理研究

对工作流的异常和案例推理(Case-Based Reasoning,简称CBR)的机制进行了介绍,给出了一个应用CBR技术进行异常处理的工作流模型,并研究了应用CBR方法处理工作流异常的关键技术。     

A hierarchical approach for the redesign of chemical processes

An approach to improve the management of complexity during the redesign of technical processes is proposed. The approach consists of two abstract steps. In the first step, model-based reasoning is used to generate automatically alternative representations of an existing process at several levels of abstraction. In the second step, process alternatives are generated through the application of case-based reasoning. The key point of our framework is the modeling approach, which is an extension of the Multimodeling and Multilevel Flow Modeling methodologies. These, together with a systematic design methodology, are used to represent a process hierarchically, thus improving the identification of analogous equipment/sections from different processes. The hierarchical representation results in sets of equipment/sections organized according to their functions and intentions. A case-based reasoning system then retrieves from a library of cases similar equipment/sections to the one selected by the user. The final output is a set of equipment/sections ordered according to their similarity. Human intervention is necessary to adapt the most promising case within the original process.     

A case-based reasoning system development for statistical process control: Case representation and retrieval

Statistical process control (SPC) is a sub-area of statistical quality control. Considering the successful results of the SPC applications in various manufacturing and service industries, this field has attracted a large number of experts. Despite the development of knowledge in this field, it is hard to find a comprehensive perspective or model covering such a broad area and most studies related to SPC have focused only on a limited part of this knowledge area. According to many implemented cases in statistical process control, case-based reasoning (CBR) systems have been used in this study for developing of a knowledge-based system (KBS) for SPC to organize this knowledge area. Case representation and retrieval play an important role to implement a CBR system. Thus, a format for representing cases of SPC and the similarity measures for case retrieval are proposed in this paper.     

案例修正方法研究

提出并实现了一种基于广义算子模型的相似案例案修正方法,即用这些广义算子模型转换一个旧案例成为与新案例完全相同的案例,从而得到问题的解。