Knowledge Utilization

Abstract

Data is organized in a knowledge network by defining a set of nodes, each node comprising data describing knowledge and a task pertinent to the knowledge, and defining relationships between the nodes based on the data.

1 . A method comprising:
 defining conceptual nodes, each node identifying at least one piece of knowledge located in a place and at least one task that can be performed, by a system that controls the place, using the piece of knowledge,   the piece of knowledge and the task being expressed by natural language words of a vocabulary that is associated with a specific domain of human activity,   expressing a job to be done using natural language words of the vocabulary, without requiring a specification of (a) the places where pieces of knowledge needed to perform the job are located, or (b) tasks to be performed to complete the job, and   enabling the job to be done by identifying one or more of the conceptual nodes that are able (c) to understand natural language words expressed in the job and (d) to perform one or more of the tasks on one or more of the pieces of information to complete the job, without requiring copies of the pieces of knowledge to be stored anywhere other than the places.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  in which defining the conceptual nodes comprises:
 creating a first node, and 
 recording an identification of the at least one piece of knowledge in the first node and a task that the first node is capable of performing. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  in which creating the first node comprises:
 in the first node,
 collecting knowledge relevant to the task, 
 establishing an RDF triplet and metadata characterizing the first node, 
 providing a server node with the identification of the knowledge in the first node and the task, and 
 
 carrying out the task. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  also comprising:
 in a node,
 releasing resources from the node, 
 establishing metadata characterizing the final state of the node, and 
 returning the metadata to another node. 
 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  in which performing a task comprises:
 in a routing node,
 receiving a request that uses a vocabulary that the routing node does not understand, 
 sending the request to a first node that understands the vocabulary, and 
 sending any metadata needed to satisfy the request to the first node. 
 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  in which defining relationships between the nodes comprises:
 in a routing node,
 receiving a request that uses a vocabulary that the routing node does not understand, 
 receiving a translation of the request's vocabulary from a first node that understands the vocabulary, 
 adding the request's vocabulary to the routing node's vocabulary, and 
 sending the request and any metadata needed to satisfy the request to a node that includes a task corresponding to the request. 
 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  in which performing a task comprises:
 in a routing node,
 receiving a request that uses a vocabulary that the routing node understands, and 
 sending the request and any metadata needed to satisfy the request to a node that includes a task corresponding to the request. 
 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  in which performing a task comprises:
 in a switch node,
 receiving a request that uses a vocabulary that the switch node does not understand, 
 transmitting the vocabulary to discover a first node that understands the vocabulary, 
 sending the request to the first node, and 
 sending any metadata needed to satisfy the request to the first node. 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  in which performing a task comprises:
 in a switch node,
 receiving a request that uses a vocabulary that the switch node does not understand, 
 transmitting the vocabulary to discover a first node that understands the vocabulary, 
 receiving a translation of the request's vocabulary from the first node, 
 adding the request's vocabulary to the switch node's vocabulary, and 
 sending the request and any metadata needed to satisfy the request to a node that includes a task corresponding to the request. 
 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  in which performing a task comprises:
 in a switch node,
 receiving a request that uses a vocabulary that the switch node understands, and 
 sending the request and any metadata needed to satisfy the request to a first node that includes a task corresponding to the request. 
 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  in which defining the conceptual nodes includes:
 in a first node
 changing one or more of the pieces of knowledge and one or more of the tasks identified by the first node, and 
 communicating the change to a second node. 
 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 retrieving first information from a subset of the conceptual nodes, 
 from the first information, identifying a second subset of the conceptual nodes, retrieving second information from the second subset, and 
 providing the second information to an output process. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  in which the natural language words of the common vocabulary comprises a pool of metadata nouns and verbs describing information. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  in which the natural language words of the common vocabulary describing the tasks for a conceptual node comprise a pool of metadata verbs describing actions that the node can perform itself. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  in which the natural language words of the common vocabulary describing the tasks for a conceptual node comprise a pool of metadata verbs describing actions that the conceptual node can perform for other conceptual nodes. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  in which the piece of information for a first node comprises an identification of second nodes with which the first node can exchange data. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  in which the pieces of knowledge and tasks identified by a node also describe output of the node.