Portable self-describing representations of measurements

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method creates and stores measurement statement objects representing complete statements of measurement. Each measurement statement object represents a measurement, such as “the left wing of the F-16 aircraft has a span of 36 m,” and contains a value object, an aspect object, and an entity object. The value object represents a value of the measurement (such as 36 meters) and the aspect object represents an aspect of the measurement (such as span). The value is a value of the aspect of the measurement. The entity object represents an entity (such as the left wing of an F-16 aircraft) measured by the measurement. The aspect of the measurement is an aspect of the entity measured by the measurement. Measurement statement objects may be created by parsing text describing measurements. Operations including computations, validation, searching, and reporting may be performed on measurement statement objects.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A data storage and retrieval system for a computer memory, the data storage and retrieval system comprising:
 means for configuring and storing first structured data in the computer memory as a computer-readable first measurement statement object, the first measurement statement object including:
 a first value constituting a first portion of the first structured data; and 
 first natural language content providing context for the first value by describing the first value as a first measurement of a first measurable entity, the first natural language content constituting a second portion of the first structured data such that the first structured data includes both the first value and the first natural language content describing the first value; and 
   means for searching a plurality of measurement statement objects including the first measurement statement object stored in the computer memory.   
     
     
         3 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 2 , wherein the first measurable entity is a physical product. 
     
     
         4 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 2 , wherein the first measurable entity is a service, a project or a financial instrument. 
     
     
         5 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 2 , wherein the first value is a first numeric value, and wherein the system further comprises:
 means for performing at least one computation using respective numeric values of multiple measurement statement objects of the plurality of measurement statement objects including the first measurement statement object.   
     
     
         6 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 2 , wherein the first measurement statement object comprises:
 a first value object including the first value; and   a first entity object including at least a first part of the first natural language content that identifies the first measurable entity on which the first measurement is performed.   
     
     
         7 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 6 , wherein the first value object further comprises a units object, wherein the units object comprises:
 another part of the first natural language content that identifies a first unit of measure associated with the first value.   
     
     
         8 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first value includes a first number; and   the first value object further comprises at least one of:
 a magnitude object representing a magnitude of the first number; 
 an exponent object representing a decimal exponent of the first number; or 
 a precision object representing a precision of the first number. 
   
     
     
         9 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 6 , wherein the first value represents a color or other quality of the first measurable entity. 
     
     
         10 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 at least the first entity object is represented in the first structured data as a first structured resource descriptor (SRD); and   the first SRI) includes:
 the first part of the first natural language content; and 
 at least one entity operator to divide the first part of the first natural language content into: 
 a first identifier for the first measurable entity; and 
 at least one of a second identifier specifying a kind of the first measurable entity or a third identifier specifying a part of the first measurable entity. 
   
     
     
         11 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 6 , wherein the first measurement statement object further comprises:
 a first aspect object including another part of the first natural language content that identifies a first measurable aspect of the first measurable entity on which the first measurement is performed.   
     
     
         12 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 11 , wherein the first measurable aspect of the first measurable entity includes one of a height, a width, a depth, a span, a thickness, an area, a distance, a separation, a radius, a diameter, a bore, a wavelength, at least one coordinate, a position, a mass, a weight, a load, a tonnage, a value, a price, a cost, a shear, a yield point, a modulus of elasticity, a voltage, a resistance, a capacitance, an inductance, a duration, an interval, a period, a time span, a speed, an acceleration, a factor, a ratio, a coefficient, or a specific gravity. 
     
     
         13 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the first measurement statement object is represented in the first structured data as a first structured resource descriptor (SRD); and   the first SRD includes:
 the first part of the first natural language content corresponding to the first entity object; 
 the other part of the first natural language content corresponding to the first aspect object and that identifies the first measurable aspect; 
 at least one aspect operator to distinguish the first aspect object from the first entity object; 
 the first value object; and 
 at least one value operator to distinguish the first value object from the first aspect object and the first entity object. 
   
     
     
         14 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 13 , wherein the first SRD further comprises:
 at least one entity operator o divide the first part of the first natural language content into:
 a first identifier for the first measurable entity; and 
 at least one of a second identifier specifying a kind of the first measurable entity or a third identifier specifying a part of the first measurable entity. 
   
     
     
         15 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 13 , wherein the first SRD is arranged in the following order:
 the first part of the first natural language content corresponding to the first entity object;   the at least one aspect operator to distinguish the first aspect object from the first entity object;   the other part of the first natural language content corresponding to the first aspect object and that identifies the first measurable aspect;   the at least one value operator to distinguish the first value object from the first aspect object and the first entity object; and   the first value object.   
     
     
         16 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 2 , wherein the means for configuring and storing the first structured data comprises means for parsing first measurement statement text in a first computer-readable document to generate the first measurement statement object. 
     
     
         17 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 16 , wherein the first computer-readable document is one of a word processing document written using word processing software, an email message, or a spreadsheet. 
     
     
         18 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 16 , wherein the first measurement statement text in the first computer-readable document is identified by at least one computer-readable signal in the first computer-readable document. 
     
     
         19 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one computer-readable signal includes at least one of:
 a pattern of text which is unlikely to appear in natural language; e   at least one designated word;   at least one designated phrase;   at least one designated symbol;   at least one designated tag; or   document formatting.   
     
     
         20 . The data storage and retrieval system of  claim 18 , wherein the first measurement statement text includes a first structured resource descriptor (SRD). 
     
     
         21 . A data storage and retrieval method for a computer memory, the method comprising:
 configuring and storing first structured data in the computer memory as a. computer-readable first measurement statement object, the first measurement statement object including:
 a first value constituting a first portion of the first structured data; and 
 first natural language content providing context for the first value by describing the first value as a first measurement of a first measurable entity, the first natural language content constituting a second portion of the first structured data such that the first structured data includes both the first value and the first natural language content describing the first value. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 searching a plurality of measurement statement objects including the first measurement statement object stored in the computer memory.   
     
     
         23 . A data storage and retrieval system for a computer memory, the data storage and retrieval system comprising at least one computing device to:
 configure and store first structured data in the computer memory as a computer-readable first measurement statement object, the first measurement statement object including:
 a first numeric value constituting a first portion of the first structured data; and 
 first natural language content providing context for the first numeric value by describing the first numeric value as a. first measurement of a first measurable entity, the first natural language content constituting a second portion of the first structured data such that the first structured data includes both the first numeric value and the first natural language content describing the first numeric value; and 
   perform at least one computation using respective numeric values of multiple measurement statement objects of the plurality of measurement statement objects including the first measurement statement object.