The image above represents something like a snap shot of the ontology model based on the scheduling ontology file I created. This scheduling ontology is based on the domain theory by Axel van Lamsweerde. During the process of coming up with acceptable meeting schedule(s)/date(s), the ontology model, which can also be considered the “brain” of an agent, contains a Meeting instance, and several (at least one) instances of Participant. Before continuing, I’d like to note that the image does not illustrate all the components of the ontology I created. All of the components in the illustration are only those that I find necessary to describe the overview of the operation I’d like to do with the ontology model. (Although it raises a question on why do I actually put the other components if they are not necessary. But I’d like to leave the model as I’ve created it for the moment.)
Here is a brief description of the classes:
- Meeting – represents a meeting to schedule. A meeting has a start and end dates that limit the dates when the meeting should have been held (not the start and end of the meeting).
- Participant – represents an expected participant (which is represented by a personal agent). A participant is related to several date literals either by a hasExcludedDate (a date when the participant would not be able to come) and hasPreferredDate (a date when the participant can surely come).
To get a set of acceptable meeting schedules, there will be some steps. So far the following is the list of operations that must be made to see what schedules will be possible. (Participant importance is still not considered.)
- Get the intersection of all the preferred dates. This produces a “date pool.” It is most desirable if the date pool is not empty. I’m not sure, however, if the ontology model could support this operation.Or if there is another way to do this with the ontology model.
- Get the non empty intersection of preferred dates with the maximum number of participants.
So far this are the only operations I’d like to emphasize.
