Method and system of splitting and merging information spaces

Abstract

An approach is provided for managing split and merge operations for information spaces with respect to their information content.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for merging a plurality of information spaces in an information system, comprising:
 retrieving the one or more information spaces that are represented, respectively, by a plurality of graphs, the information spaces having a plurality of subscribed agents one or more graphs, wherein the one or more graphs are a model of information implemented in web resources; 
 receiving a at least one request to merge the information spaces into a new information space generate one or more new information spaces represented by one or more new graphs based, at least in part, on the one or more information spaces; 
 determining to unify histories of the information spaces for the new information space, the histories relating to interactions, transitions, or a combination thereof of the information spaces with one another; 
 when an information space of the information spaces is determined to have a portion of history about other information spaces of the information spaces, removing the history portion that the information space has about the other information spaces; 
 determining one or more broken links of the one or more graphs; 
 identifying one or more nodes of the one or more graphs that are to be grounded; 
 grounding the one or more graphs based, at least in part, on the one or more nodes; 
 removing one or more portions from at least one history associated with the one or more graphs that are also included in at least one other history associated with the one or more graphs; 
 retrieving one or more rules corresponding to the one or more information spaces; and  
 generating a resultant set of rules one or more new rules for the one or more new information space spaces based, at least in part, on resolving inconsistencies of the retrieved one or more rules; and 
 determining to update subscription information for the respective agents and the new information space. 
 
     
     
       2. A method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one request comprises at least one merge request to merge the one or more information spaces, the method further comprising:
 unifying the agents for subscription to the new information space one or more graphs and one or more histories associated with the one or more graphs to create a new graph. 
 
     
     
       3. A method of claim  1  2, wherein the one or more information spaces are subscribed by a plurality of agents, further comprising:
 updating subscription lists of the respective agentsunifying the plurality of agents for subscription to the one or more new information spaces. 
 
     
     
       4. A method of claim  1  3, further comprising:
 updating one or more subscription lists of the subscribed plurality of agents for the new information space. 
 
     
     
       5. A method of claim  1  3, further comprising:
 determining priority of the rules, based on heuristics, for the generation of the resultant set of rulesupdating one or more lists of the subscribed agents for the one or more new information spaces. 
 
     
     
       6. An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and 
 at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, 
 the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,;
 retrieve a plurality of one or more information spaces of an information system that are represented, respectively, by a plurality of one or more graphs for the new information space, the information spaces having a plurality of subscribed agents, wherein the one or more graphs are a model of information implemented in web resources; 
 receive a at least one request to merge the information spaces into a new information space generate one or more new information spaces represented by one or more new graphs based, at least in part, on the one or more information spaces,; 
 determine to unify histories of the information spaces for the new information space, the histories relating to interactions, transitions, or a combination thereof of the information spaces with one another, 
 when an information space of the information spaces is determined to have a portion of history about other information spaces of the information spaces, remove the history portion that the information space has about the other information spaces, 
 determine one or more broken links of the one or more graphs; 
 identifying one or more nodes of the one or more graphs that are to be grounded; 
 ground the one or more graphs based, at least in part, on the one or more nodes; 
 remove one or more portions from at least one history associated with the one or more graphs that are also included in at least one other history associated with the one or more graphs,; 
 retrieve one or more rules corresponding to the one or more information spaces, and generate a resultant set of one or more new rules for the one or more new information space spaces based, at least in part, on resolving inconsistencies of the retrieved one or more rules, and 
 determine to update subscription information for the respective agents and the new information space. 
 
 
     
     
       7. An apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one request comprises at least one merge request to merge the one or more information spaces, the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 unify the agents for subscription to the new information space the one or more graphs and one or more histories associated with the one or more graphs to create a new graph. 
 
     
     
       8. An apparatus of claim  6  7, wherein the one or more information spaces are subscribed by a plurality of agents, the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 update subscription lists of the respective agentsunify the plurality of agents for subscription to the one or more new information spaces. 
 
     
     
       9. An apparatus of claim  6  8, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 update one or more subscription lists of the subscribed plurality of agents for the new information space. 
 
     
     
       10. An apparatus of claim  6  8, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 determine priority of the rules, based on heuristics, for the generation of the resultant set of rulesupdate one or more lists of the subscribed agents for the one or more new information spaces. 
 
     
     
       11. A method of  claim 1 , wherein the portions of histories that each of the information spaces holds about the other ones of the information spaces are removed from the respective histories before the histories are unified An apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 determine priority of the one or more rules, based on heuristics, for the generation of the one or more new rules. 
 
     
     
       12. A method of claim 1, further comprising:
 determining priority of the one or more rules, based on heuristics, for the generation of the one or more new rules.   
     
     
       13. A method of claim 1, wherein the at least one request comprises at least one split request to split the one or more information spaces, further comprising:
 defining at least a first boundary for at least a first new information space and at least a second boundary for at least a second new information space; and   updating one or more histories of the first new information space and the second new information space based, at least in part, on at least the first boundary and the second boundary.   
     
     
       14. A method of claim 13, wherein the one or more new information spaces are subscribed by a plurality of agents, the method further comprising:
 determining which of the plurality of agents are to be subscribed to which of the one or more new information spaces.   
     
     
       15. A method of claim 14, further comprising:
 updating one or more subscription lists of the plurality of agents.   
     
     
       16. A method of claim 14, further comprising:
 updating one or more lists of the plurality of agents for the one or more new information spaces.   
     
     
       17. A method of claim 14, further comprising:
 receiving at least one query from at least one agent subscribed to at least a first new information space; and   generating at least one response specifying at least one answer found in the first new information space or indicating that the at least one answer may exist in at least a second new information space.   
     
     
       18. An apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one request comprises at least one split request to split the one or more information spaces, the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 define at least a first boundary for at least a first new information space and at least a second boundary for at least a second new information space; and   update one or more histories of the first new information space and the second new information space based, at least in part, on at least the first boundary and the second boundary.   
     
     
       19. An apparatus of claim 18, wherein the one or more new information spaces are subscribed by a plurality of agents, the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 determine which of the plurality of agents are to be subscribed to which of the one or more new information spaces.   
     
     
       20. An apparatus of claim 19, the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to: update one or more subscription lists of the plurality of agents. 
     
     
       21. An apparatus of claim 19, the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to: update one or more lists of the plurality of agents for the one or more new information spaces. 
     
     
       22. An apparatus of claim 19, the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:
 receive at least one query from at least one agent subscribed to at least a first new information space; and   generate at least one response specifying at least one answer found in the first new information space or indicating that the at least one answer may exist in at least a second new information space.