US 5,615,112 A · Synthesized object-oriented entity-relationship (SOOER) model for coupled knowledge-base/database of image retrieval expert system (IRES)

Abstract

A method and system for retrieving images using a coupled knowledge-base/database is provided, the method comprising the steps of modeling structural knowledge by identifying classes and attributes of classes, determining relationships among the classes, operations for each classes; modeling heuristic and general procedural knowledge by acquiring heuristic rules for each class dependent on the application domain, specifying data processing procedures required by the heuristic rules acquired; modeling control knowledge by specifying intra-class-hierarchy searching paths, specifying intra-class-hierarchy searching paths, and representing the specified search paths in triggers for each class; and deriving a schema for the coupled database from the structural knowledge. The knowledge-based system for retrieving images provided includes a coupled knowledge-base/database and comprises a knowledge-base storing expert knowledge information including structural knowledge, general procedural knowledge, heuristic knowledge, and control knowledge; a database storing patient information; a knowledge-base/database interface for coupling the database to the knowledge-base; reasoning means to search the classes for the selecting rules; retrieving means for retrieving the examination data; and a user interface; and a control interface for coupling the user interface to the knowledge-base.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A knowledge-based system for the retrieval of images based on expert knowledge and patient information stored in a computer system, the knowledge-based system comprising:

a first memory means for storing a knowledge-base comprising the expert knowledge information including structural knowledge on a plurality of classes, general procedural knowledge, heuristic knowledge stored in the form of rules, and control knowledge for controlling the functions of searching hierarchies of the plurality of classes and dynamically creating objects;
a second memory means for storing a database comprising the patient information including patient data, examination data and images;
knowledge-base/database interface means for coupling said database to said knowledge-base for receiving and transmitting information therebetween;
means for storing new patient information in the second memory means;
reasoning means for searching the hierarchies of the plurality of classes stored in the knowledge-base, for dynamically creating objects and for selecting rules in response to storing the new patient information in the second memory means, said searching and selecting being conducted based on said stored control knowledge, structural knowledge and general procedural knowledge, and said stored patient information;
retrieving means to search the patient information stored in the database and to retrieve the examination data indicated by the execution of the rules selected by said reasoning means;
user interface means for accessing said stored patient information from said database and outputting the patient information retrieved by said retrieving means;
and
control interface means for coupling said user interface means to said knowledge-base for receiving and transmitting information and controlling the flow of information therebetween.

6 more elements

A knowledge-based system which includes a coupled knowledge-base and database stored in a computer system for operating in a predetermined application domain, the knowledge-based system comprising:

a first memory for storing a knowledge-base comprising data representative of application domain expert knowledge including structural knowledge on a plurality of classes, general procedural knowledge, heuristic knowledge stored in the form of rules, and control knowledge for controlling the functions of searching hierarchies of the plurality of classes and dynamically creating objects;
a second memory for storing a database comprising data which are a plurality of instances of said structural knowledge;
knowledge-base/database interface means for coupling said database to said knowledge-base for receiving and transmitting data therebetween;
means for storing new instances of said structural knowledge in said second memory means;
reasoning means for searching the hierarchies of the plurality of classes stored in the knowledge-base, for dynamically creating objects and for selecting rules in response to storing the new instances of said structural knowledge in said second memory means, said searching and selecting being conducted based on said stored control knowledge, structural knowledge and general procedural knowledge, and the data stored in said database;
retrieving means to search the data stored in the database and to retrieve the data indicated by the execution of the rules selected by said reasoning means;
user interface means for accessing the data stored in said database and outputting the data retrieved by said retrieving means;
and
control interface means for coupling said user interface means to said knowledge-base for receiving and transmitting data and controlling the flow of data therebetween.

6 more elements

A method for retrieving images based on expert knowledge and patient information stored in a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a knowledge-base the expert knowledge information including structural knowledge on a plurality of classes, general procedural knowledge, heuristic knowledge stored in the form of a plurality of rules in an "IF-THEN" format, and control knowledge for controlling the functions of searching hierarchies of the plurality of classes and dynamically creating objects;
storing in a database patient information including patient data, examination data and images;
receiving and transmitting information between the knowledge-base and database;
storing new patient information in the database;
searching the hierarchies of the plurality of classes stored in the knowledge base, creating objects dynamically and selecting rules in response to storing the new patient information in the database, said searching and selecting being conducted based on said stored control knowledge, structural knowledge and general procedural knowledge, and said stored patient information;
executing each rule selected from searching the plurality of classes upon satisfaction of the "IF" condition of said rule;
searching the patient information stored in the database and retrieving the patient information indicated by the rules executed;
and
outputting the patient information retrieved.

6 more elements

A knowledge-based system which includes a coupled knowledge-base and database for operating in a predetermined application domain, the knowledge-based system comprising:

a memory for storing data representative of domain expert knowledge including structural knowledge on attributes and identifiers of a plurality of classes and relationships between the classes, general procedural knowledge on a plurality of data processing procedures performed on the classes, heuristic knowledge on reasoning processes for performing predetermined functions in the application domain, and domain dependent control knowledge for determining the reasoning process specific to the application domain by controlling the functions of searching hierarchies of the plurality of classes and dynamically creating objects;
and
control means coupled to said memory for controlling the storage of new data in said memory by searching the hierarchies of the plurality of classes and dynamically creating objects in response to storing the new data in said memory.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Synthesized object-oriented entity-relationship (SOOER) model for coupled knowledge-base/database of image retrieval expert system (IRES)

Life of this patent

Synthesized object-oriented entity-relationship (SOOER) model for coupled knowledge-base/database of image retrieval expert system (IRES)

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35