Method of building persistent polyhierarchical classifications based on polyhierarchies of classification criteria

Abstract

A method for providing a polyhierarchical classification includes identifying properties of objects useful for distinguishing objects under classification. A plurality of criteria are identified for specializing the identified properties. A form is chosen for attributive expressions that describe classification categories. The attributive expressions are customizable and encode compositions of object properties in terms of attributes from the plurality of criteria. A domain of applicability is identified for each criterion that is representable by attributive expressions, and a dependence relationship between criteria is defined by the inclusion of attributes in the attributive expressions, where a selected criterion depends on another criterion if its domain of applicability includes at least one attribute by the other criterion. A generating polyhierarchy of criteria is automatically established by the dependence relationships between the criteria. The generating polyhierarchy of criteria implicitly defines an induced polyhierarchy of classification categories.

1 . A method for providing a polyhierarchical classification, the method comprising: 
 identifying properties of objects considered useful for distinguishing objects under classification;    identifying a plurality of criteria for specializing the identified properties of the objects, wherein each criterion of the plurality of criteria is defined by a set of mutually exclusive attributes so that a single classified object can be assigned no more than one attribute by the same criterion;    choosing a form of attributive expressions for describing classification categories, wherein the attributive expressions are information structures encoding logical formulas that define compositions of object properties in terms of attributes from the plurality of criteria, while the form of the attributive expressions is customizable; and    identifying a domain of applicability for each criterion, wherein the domains of applicability are representable by attributive expressions composed of attributes from other criteria or the empty attributive expression, and a dependence relationship between criteria is defined by the inclusion of attributes in the attributive expressions, wherein a selected criterion depends on another criterion if the attributive expression defining its domain of applicability includes at least one attribute by the other criterion, and a generating polyhierarchy of criteria is automatically established by the dependence relationships between the criteria, wherein, 
 the attributive expressions identifying domains of applicability of criteria, define corresponding root categories in the polyhierarchical classification, wherein each criterion originates from its respective root category, and  
 when established, the generating polyhierarchy of criteria implicitly defines an induced polyhierarchy of classification categories without requiring an explicit enumeration of the categories and an ordering between them.  
   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the induced categories are represented by the set of all valid attributive expressions.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the generating polyhierarchy of criteria in a data repository.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generating polyhierarchy of criteria is represented in an alternative form other than attributive expressions, wherein the alternative form is distributable and capable of being converted into a representation in terms of equivalent attributive expressions.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration of the data repository used to store the generating polyhierarchy of criteria and persistent categories of the induced classification of categories is customized for facilitating basic operations on attributive expressions of the chosen form.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising developing non-application specific reusable software code that facilitates polyhierarchy classification operations, wherein functionality of the software code depends on the chosen form of the attributive expressions and supported operations on the generating polyheiarchy of criteria and the induced polyhierarchy of categories.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the domains of criteria applicability are identified simultaneously when identifying the plurality of criteria.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein criteria sharing a root category are not ordered with respect to each other in the structure of the generating polyhierarchy of criteria.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the criteria sharing the root category are not ordered with respect to each other in the structure of the generating polyhierarchy of criteria but are ordered in an application environment for selected purposes.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 during run-time, automatically generating additional attributive expressions that describe corresponding categories for classifying objects, wherein the additional categories are part of the induced polyhierarchy of classification categories but are not necessary for defining the structure of the generating polyhierarchy of criteria.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein choosing the form of the attributive expressions includes constructing an application-specific form that is designed based on a set of supported operations to be used for defining classification categories.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the form of the attributive expressions includes at least one of the following: 
 attributive expressions encoding a conjunction of elementary specializations, wherein each elementary specialization is encoded by a single attribute, and no one attributive expression includes more than one attribute from the same criterion;    attributive expressions encoding a conjunction of logical terms, wherein each logical term is a disjunction of elementary specializations encoded by attributes from the same criterion, or a negation of an elementary specialization encoded by a complement of an attribute, and no one attributive expression includes codes of more than one disjunctive logical term with the same criterion;    attributive expressions encoding a disjunction of logical terms, wherein each logical term is a conjunction of elementary specializations encoded by attributes from different criteria, and no one code of a logical term contained in an attributive expression includes more than one attribute from the same criterion; and    attributive expressions encoding a disjunction of logical terms, wherein each logical term is a conjunction of simpler logical terms, wherein each simpler logical term is a disjunction of elementary specializations encoded by attributes from the same criterion, or a negation of an elementary specialization encoded by a complement of an attribute, and no one code of a conjunctive logical term includes codes of more than one simpler disjunctive logical term with the same criterion.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising extending the polyhierarchy classification by introducing an additional attribute to an existing criterion.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising extending the polyhierarchy classification by introducing an additional criterion into the generating polyhierarchy of criteria, wherein the additional criterion has a root category defined in terms of attributes from existing criteria, and the dependence relationships between the existing criteria and the additional criterion automatically incorporates the additional criterion into the generating polyhierarchy of criteria.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 adding a second polyhierarchy classification to the existing polyhierarchy classification;    identifying a root category from which the second polyhierarchy classification is to originate from in the existing polyhierarchy classification, wherein the identified root category is defined in terms of attributes from existing criteria, and the dependence relationships between the existing criteria and topmost criteria of the second polyheiarchy automatically incorporates the second polyhierarchy classification into the existing polyhierarchy classification.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 storing the generating polyhierarchy of criteria as a reusable template classification that is capable of being associated with a set of objects.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 using the template classification as a prototype classification for constructing a more comprehensive generating classification of criteria.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 using the template classification or at least one of its components as a component of another polyhierarchy classification.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 when classifying objects, automatically identifying persistent categories from the induced polyhierarchy of classification categories that serve as containers for the classified objects in the induced polyhierarchy of classification categories; and    storing attributive expressions defining the identified persistent categories, wherein all other categories used with the application are capable of being dynamically restored in run-time using the generating polyhierarchy of criteria.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 browsing the polyhierarchy classification; and    extracting user-specified sub-hierarchies in the induced polyhierarchy of classification categories, wherein the user-specified sub-hierarchies are automatically restored during run-time using algorithms for retrieving direct child categories and direct parent categories of selected classification categories, wherein the direct child and parent categories of the selected categories are defined by the structure of the generating polyhierarchy of criteria and the form of the attributive expressions.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 automatically performing tests for inclusion between classification categories to determine whether a general-specific relationship exists between the categories, wherein the algorithm used to test for inclusion depends on the chosen form of the attributive expressions representing the classification categories.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the chosen form of the attributive expressions determines what set theory operations on categories are supported in the induced polyhierarchy of categories, wherein the supported operations includes at least one of: 
 intersection of categories;    difference of categories;    unification of categories; and    complement of a category.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 classifying a set of available objects by associating the objects with attributive expressions defining categories in the induced polyhierarchy of classification categories, wherein software code supporting the polyhierarchy classification provides for an automatic extension of persistent categories serving as containers for the classified objects.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the polyhierarchy classification includes an option of extending the set of objects classified by the polyhierarchy classification.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 facilitating an interactive classification of new objects, wherein the interactive classification includes specifying traits of a new object using the criteria of the generating polyhierarchy of criteria, wherein a set of specified traits determines a current specialization level in the polyhierarchical classification, and the polyhierarchical classification:    provides automatic recognition of all criteria that are applicable to the new object at the current specialization level,    provides random access to all the criteria applicable at the current specialization level, and    automatically constructs attributive expressions for the for respective persistent categories serving as containers for the classified objects.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the generating polyhierarchy facilitates an automatic classification of new objects with run-time constructed attributive expressions for the new objects using an external application-specific programming environment that automatically retrieves attributes for encoding the traits of the new object and classifies the new object by dynamically composing the attributes into an attributive expression.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 facilitating an interactive search and retrieval of information on specific objects from the set of classified objects by specifying a set of traits of the specific objects using criteria of the generating polyhierarchy, wherein the set of specified traits determines a current specialization level in the polyhierarchical classification, and the polyhierarchical classification automatically recognizes all criteria applicable to the search at the current specialization level and provides random access to all the applicable criteria.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein facilitating an interactive search and retrieval of information is performed using a user interface that is operable for entering queries that include logical combinations of traits, wherein the user interface is capable of translating the queries into respective attributive expressions for searching and retrieving information on the classified objects.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the form of the attributive expressions used for facilitating user queries when searching classified objects is different from the chosen form of the attributive expressions for constructing the polyhierarchical classification.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 facilitating an automatic search for and retrieval of information on objects pertaining to a particular category of the induced polyhierarchy of classification categories, wherein the category is defined by a dynamically constructed attributive expression, and the polyhierarchical classification provides return information requested using an external application-specific programming environment.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein automatic queries are encoded by attributive expressions using a form that is different from the chosen form of the attributive expressions for constructing the polyhierarchy classification.