A Translation Scheme for Domain Ontologies Based on Model Ontologies of KBS

Papers Submitted to the Workshop

To ensure the re-use of domain ontologies the usual approach relies on a pivot language, e.g., Kif, into and from which the domain ontology is translated. This requires several distinct translators for the different target Knowledge Based System (KBS). We propose a solution which uses a unique translator whatever the target KBS, Description Logic, objects or frames. It relies on a Domain Ontology Description Language which allows writing domain ontologies in a declarative manner and a Model Ontology Description Language, a meta-language which allows a declarative description of any model based on frames, objects, relations, and Description Logic. Both languages are based on Kif binary and unary relations. Starting from these relations, we have identified a certain number of concepts which enable a user to perform explicitly a semantic enrichment of binary and unary relations. We introduce the concept of meta-relation which allows the expression of knowledge on the relations themselves. The set of meta-relation definitions describing the KBS primitives constitutes its model ontology. A unique translator associated to the metaAanguage generates a schema which describes a domain ontology only using representative terms of the target KBS.