From Information to Interaction: in Pursuit of Task-centred Infornation Management

Alan Dix², Akrivi Katifori³, Antonella Poggi¹, Tiziana Catarci¹, Giorgos Lepouras^3,4, M. Mora^1,5

¹Computing Department,
Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
²Department of Informatics & Telecommunications,
University of Athens, Athens, Hellas (Greece)
³Dipartimento di Informatica e Sistemistica,
Universita' di Roma "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy

⁴Dept. of Computer Science and Technology,
University of Peloponnese, Tripolis, Hellas (Greece)
⁵Escuela Politécnica Superior,
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Abstract

In this paper we describe two automatic inference mechanisms constructed around a personal ontology with the aim of providing human like assistance for form-filling.  This is part of the wider vision of DELOS Task 4.8 Task-centered Information Management, which aims to create a more activity or task-focused interaction environment for users, taking their individual library of digital information and turning it into a resource for automated support.  The two techniques described in this paper are (i) a spreading activation algorithm operating over the user's personal ontology which enables a form of temporal context or memory and (ii) a rule inference algorithm that takes examples of completed forms and infers how the fields map to generic sub-gaps of the ontology

keywords: Personal Information Management, Ontology Management, Task Management 

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Figure 1: Overview of the Personal Ontology with the upper levels expanded

Figure 2. Part of the plug-in window showing the STA, MTA and LTA values for the entities that received STA activation value greater than 12, when entity “Alan Dix” was activated.

Figure 3. Forms annotated with ontology relationships

Figure 4. Alternative possible relationship of fields

Figure 5. Each field has rules showing how it can be derived from others

Figure 6 . Task inference architecture

http://www.hcibook.com/alan/papers/DELOS-TIM2-2007/

Alan Dix 13/12/2007