260 research outputs found
LC3: A spatio-temporal and semantic model for knowledge discovery from geospatial datasets
International audienceThere is a need for decision-makers to be provided with both an overview of existing knowledge, and information which is as complete and up-to-date as possible on changes in certain features of the biosphere. Another objective is to bring together all the many attempts which have been made over the years at various levels (international, Community, national and regional) to obtain more information on the environment and the way it is changing. As a result, remote sensing tools monitor large amount of land cover informations enabling study of dynamic processes. However the size of the dataset require new tools to identify pattern and extract knowledge. We propose a model to discover knowledge on parcel data allowing analysis of dynamic geospatial phenomena using time, spatial and thematic data. The model is called Land Cover Change Continuum (LC3) and is able to track the evolution of spatial entities along time. Based on semantic web technologies, the model allows users to specify and to query spatio-temporal informations based on semantic definitions. The semantic of spatial relationships are of interest to qualify filiation relationships. The result of this process permit to identify evolutive patterns as a basis for studying the dynamics of the geospatial environment. To this end, we use CORINE datasets to study changes in a specific part of France. In our approach, we consider entities as having several representations during their lifecycle. Each representation includes identity, spatial and descriptives properties that evolve over time
Dwelling on ontology - semantic reasoning over topographic maps
The thesis builds upon the hypothesis that the spatial arrangement of topographic
features, such as buildings, roads and other land cover parcels, indicates how land is
used. The aim is to make this kind of high-level semantic information explicit within
topographic data. There is an increasing need to share and use data for a wider range of
purposes, and to make data more definitive, intelligent and accessible. Unfortunately,
we still encounter a gap between low-level data representations and high-level concepts
that typify human qualitative spatial reasoning. The thesis adopts an ontological
approach to bridge this gap and to derive functional information by using standard
reasoning mechanisms offered by logic-based knowledge representation formalisms. It
formulates a framework for the processes involved in interpreting land use information
from topographic maps. Land use is a high-level abstract concept, but it is also an
observable fact intimately tied to geography. By decomposing this relationship, the
thesis correlates a one-to-one mapping between high-level conceptualisations
established from human knowledge and real world entities represented in the data.
Based on a middle-out approach, it develops a conceptual model that incrementally
links different levels of detail, and thereby derives coarser, more meaningful
descriptions from more detailed ones. The thesis verifies its proposed ideas by
implementing an ontology describing the land use âresidential areaâ in the ontology
editor Protégé. By asserting knowledge about high-level concepts such as types of
dwellings, urban blocks and residential districts as well as individuals that link directly
to topographic features stored in the database, the reasoner successfully infers instances
of the defined classes. Despite current technological limitations, ontologies are a
promising way forward in the manner we handle and integrate geographic data,
especially with respect to how humans conceptualise geographic space
A conceptual framework and a risk management approach for interoperability between geospatial datacubes
De nos jours, nous observons un intĂ©rĂȘt grandissant pour les bases de donnĂ©es gĂ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles. Ces bases de donnĂ©es sont dĂ©veloppĂ©es pour faciliter la prise de dĂ©cisions stratĂ©giques des organisations, et plus spĂ©cifiquement lorsquâil sâagit de donnĂ©es de diffĂ©rentes Ă©poques et de diffĂ©rents niveaux de granularitĂ©. Cependant, les utilisateurs peuvent avoir besoin dâutiliser plusieurs bases de donnĂ©es gĂ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles. Ces bases de donnĂ©es peuvent ĂȘtre sĂ©mantiquement hĂ©tĂ©rogĂšnes et caractĂ©risĂ©es par diffĂ©rent degrĂ©s de pertinence par rapport au contexte dâutilisation. RĂ©soudre les problĂšmes sĂ©mantiques liĂ©s Ă lâhĂ©tĂ©rogĂ©nĂ©itĂ© et Ă la diffĂ©rence de pertinence dâune maniĂšre transparente aux utilisateurs a Ă©tĂ© lâobjectif principal de lâinteropĂ©rabilitĂ© au cours des quinze derniĂšres annĂ©es. Dans ce contexte, diffĂ©rentes solutions ont Ă©tĂ© proposĂ©es pour traiter lâinteropĂ©rabilitĂ©. Cependant, ces solutions ont adoptĂ© une approche non systĂ©matique. De plus, aucune solution pour rĂ©soudre des problĂšmes sĂ©mantiques spĂ©cifiques liĂ©s Ă lâinteropĂ©rabilitĂ© entre les bases de donnĂ©es gĂ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles nâa Ă©tĂ© trouvĂ©e. Dans cette thĂšse, nous supposons quâil est possible de dĂ©finir une approche qui traite ces problĂšmes sĂ©mantiques pour assurer lâinteropĂ©rabilitĂ© entre les bases de donnĂ©es gĂ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles. Ainsi, nous dĂ©finissons tout dâabord lâinteropĂ©rabilitĂ© entre ces bases de donnĂ©es. Ensuite, nous dĂ©finissons et classifions les problĂšmes dâhĂ©tĂ©rogĂ©nĂ©itĂ© sĂ©mantique qui peuvent se produire au cours dâune telle interopĂ©rabilitĂ© de diffĂ©rentes bases de donnĂ©es gĂ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles. Afin de rĂ©soudre ces problĂšmes dâhĂ©tĂ©rogĂ©nĂ©itĂ© sĂ©mantique, nous proposons un cadre conceptuel qui se base sur la communication humaine. Dans ce cadre, une communication sâĂ©tablit entre deux agents systĂšme reprĂ©sentant les bases de donnĂ©es gĂ©ospatiales multidimensionnelles impliquĂ©es dans un processus dâinteropĂ©rabilitĂ©. Cette communication vise Ă Ă©changer de lâinformation sur le contenu de ces bases. Ensuite, dans lâintention dâaider les agents Ă prendre des dĂ©cisions appropriĂ©es au cours du processus dâinteropĂ©rabilitĂ©, nous Ă©valuons un ensemble dâindicateurs de la qualitĂ© externe (fitness-for-use) des schĂ©mas et du contexte de production (ex., les mĂ©tadonnĂ©es). Finalement, nous mettons en Ćuvre lâapproche afin de montrer sa faisabilitĂ©.Today, we observe wide use of geospatial databases that are implemented in many forms (e.g., transactional centralized systems, distributed databases, multidimensional datacubes). Among those possibilities, the multidimensional datacube is more appropriate to support interactive analysis and to guide the organizationâs strategic decisions, especially when different epochs and levels of information granularity are involved. However, one may need to use several geospatial multidimensional datacubes which may be semantically heterogeneous and having different degrees of appropriateness to the context of use. Overcoming the semantic problems related to the semantic heterogeneity and to the difference in the appropriateness to the context of use in a manner that is transparent to users has been the principal aim of interoperability for the last fifteen years. However, in spite of successful initiatives, today's solutions have evolved in a non systematic way. Moreover, no solution has been found to address specific semantic problems related to interoperability between geospatial datacubes. In this thesis, we suppose that it is possible to define an approach that addresses these semantic problems to support interoperability between geospatial datacubes. For that, we first describe interoperability between geospatial datacubes. Then, we define and categorize the semantic heterogeneity problems that may occur during the interoperability process of different geospatial datacubes. In order to resolve semantic heterogeneity between geospatial datacubes, we propose a conceptual framework that is essentially based on human communication. In this framework, software agents representing geospatial datacubes involved in the interoperability process communicate together. Such communication aims at exchanging information about the content of geospatial datacubes. Then, in order to help agents to make appropriate decisions during the interoperability process, we evaluate a set of indicators of the external quality (fitness-for-use) of geospatial datacube schemas and of production context (e.g., metadata). Finally, we implement the proposed approach to show its feasibility
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