Modeling IoT-aware Business Processes - A State of the Art Report

This research report presents an analysis of the state of the art of modeling Internet of Things (IoT)-aware business processes. IOT links the physical world to the digital world. Traditionally, we would find information about events and processes in the physical world in the digital world entered by humans and humans using this information to control the physical world. In the IoT paradigm, the physical world is equipped with sensors and actuators to create a direct link with the digital world. Business processes are used to coordinate a complex environment including multiple actors for a common goal, typically in the context of administrative work. In the past few years, we have seen research efforts on the possibilities to model IoT- aware business processes, extending process coordination to real world entities directly. This set of research efforts is relatively small when compared to the overall research effort into the IoT and much of the work is still in the early research stage. To create a basis for a bridge between IoT and BPM, the goal of this report is to collect and analyze the state of the art of existing frameworks for modeling IoT-aware business processes.Comment: 42 page

A cognitive model for the representation of time in a man-machine dialogue.

This paper develops the foundations of a model for time representation in the framework of a man-machine dialogue system. While we analyse other approaches, especially Allen's interval calculus, we show how the relations that we commonly manipulate in everyday reasoning can in fact be reduced to two fondamental ones : succession and inclusion. By the way, we insist on the fact that a temporal model intended to reproduce some features of the human cognitive abilities shall include in a common representation linguistic information and conceptual objects. We then present the main characteristics of our temporal model, introducing the concept of coherence zone, and how this one can be used to represent tense information in natural language. Finally, we briefly show the mechanisms that ensure temporal consistency when combining new temporal information to an existing structure, and present the main elements that allow learning and predicting mechanisms within this model

Toward a Unified Timestamp with explicit precision

Demographic and health surveillance (DS) systems monitor and document individual- and group-level processes in well-defined populations over long periods of time. The resulting data are complex and inherently temporal. Established methods of storing and manipulating temporal data are unable to adequately address the challenges posed by these data. Building on existing standards, a temporal framework and notation are presented that are able to faithfully record all of the time-related information (or partial lack thereof) produced by surveillance systems. The Unified Timestamp isolates all of the inherent complexity of temporal data into a single data type and provides the foundation on which a Unified Timestamp class can be built. The Unified Timestamp accommodates both point- and interval-based time measures with arbitrary precision, including temporal sets. Arbitrary granularities and calendars are supported, and the Unified Timestamp is hierarchically organized, allowing it to represent an unlimited array of temporal entities.demographic surveillance, standardization, temporal databases, temporal integrity, timestamp, valid time

On the representation of temporal knowledge

The growing interest in an adequate modelling of time in Artificial Intelligence has given rise to the research discipline of Temporal Reasoning (TR). Due to different views, different approaches towards TR such as PL1, modal logics or Allen\u27s intervall logic have been investigated. It was realized at an early stage that each of this approaches has some strong points whereas it suffers from certain drawbacks. Thus recently, a number of research activities have emerged aiming at a combination of the classical paradigms for representing time. In the first part of this paper, we present an overview of the most important approaches to the integration of temporal knowledge into logic programming. In the second part, we present the CRONOLOG temporal logic programming language which has been developed to cover the quintessence of the approaches presented before. The third part of the paper describes TRAM, which it is an extension of CRONOLOG to a temporal knowledge representation system. Using TRAM it is possible to represent knowledge depending on time and to reason about this knowledge. TRAM has been conceptually based on a combination of modal logics with Allen\u27s interval logic. We present the Extended Modal Logics (EML) which establishes the theoretical framework for TRAM. We define an operational semantics and a horizontal compilation scheme for TRAM

Orientation in French spatial expressions: formal representations and inferences

International audienceIn this paper we propose several formal tools intended to grasp an important aspect of static localisation in language namely orientation. We consider French spatial expressions used in localising an entity in an internal way (Internal Localisation Nouns such as 'haut' (top), 'bas' (bottom), 'devant' (front), 'derrière' (back)) or in an external way (prepositions 'devant' (in front of), 'derrière' (behind), 'au-dessus de' (above), 'au-dessous de' (below)). In order to represent these orientation phenomena, we build a logical framework made up of three levels that we call geometrical, functional and pragmatic. First, we define a geometry based on directions and relative localisation operators. Then, we introduce the functional notions that underly intrinsic orientation processes and we propose several formal definitions which may serve to represent the semantic content of the studied lexemes. These definitions allow us to make a difference between deictic and intrinsic uses of these spatial expressions and to draw interesting deductions and inferences. Finally, we integrate at the pragmatic level various principles governing the interpretation of such orientational expressions. By taking into account the different inferential schemata linked to the use of spatial expressions in discourse, this modular approach constitutes an original contribution to the semantic and cognitive studies of linguistic space

A general approach to temporal reasoning about action and change

Reasoning about actions and change based on common sense knowledge is one of the most important and difficult tasks in the artificial intelligence research area. A series of such tasks are identified which motivate the consideration and application of reasoning formalisms. There follows a discussion of the broad issues involved in modelling time and constructing a logical language. In general, worlds change over time. To model the dynamic world, the ability to predict what the state of the world will be after the execution of a particular sequence of actions, which take time and to explain how some given state change came about, i.e. the causality are basic requirements of any autonomous rational agent. The research work presented herein addresses some of the fundamental concepts and the relative issues in formal reasoning about actions and change. In this thesis, we employ a new time structure, which helps to deal with the so-called intermingling problem and the dividing instant problem. Also, the issue of how to treat the relationship between a time duration and its relative time entity is examined. In addition, some key terms for representing and reasoning about actions and change, such as states, situations, actions and events are formulated. Furthermore, a new formalism for reasoning about change over time is presented. It allows more flexible temporal causal relationships than do other formalisms for reasoning about causal change, such as the situation calculus and the event calculus. It includes effects that start during, immediately after, or some time after their causes, and which end before, simultaneously with, or after their causes. The presented formalism allows the expression of common-sense causal laws at high level. Also, it is shown how these laws can be used to deduce state change over time at low level. Finally, we show that the approach provided here is expressive

Theory and ontology for sharing temporal knowledge

Using current technology, the sharing or re-using of knowledge-bases is very difficult, if not impossible. ARPA has correctly recognized the problem and funded a knowledge sharing initiative. One of the outcomes of this project is a formal language called Knowledge Interchange Format (KIF) for representing knowledge that could be translated into other languages. Capturing and representing design knowledge and reasoning with them have become very important for NASA who is a pioneer of innovative design of unique products. For upgrading an existing design for changing technology, needs, or requirements, it is essential to understand the design rationale, design choices, options and other relevant information associated with the design. Capturing such information and presenting them in the appropriate form are part of the ongoing Design Knowledge Capture project of NASA. The behavior of an object and various other aspects related to time are captured by the appropriate temporal knowledge. The captured design knowledge will be represented in such a way that various groups of NASA who are interested in various aspects of the design cycle should be able to access and use the design knowledge effectively. To facilitate knowledge sharing among these groups, one has to develop a very well defined ontology. Ontology is a specification of conceptualization. In the literature several specific domains were studied and some well defined ontologies were developed for such domains. However, very little, or no work has been done in the area of representing temporal knowledge to facilitate sharing. During the ASEE summer program, I have investigated several temporal models and have proposed a theory for time that is flexible to accommodate the time elements, such as, points and intervals, and is capable of handling the qualitative and quantitative temporal constraints. I have also proposed a primitive temporal ontology using which other relevant temporal ontologies can be built. I have investigated various issues of sharing knowledge and have proposed a formal framework for modeling the concept of knowledge sharing. This work may be implemented and tested in the software environment supplied by Knowledge Based System, Inc

The study of the soap opera

No abstract available