Rich Semantic Track: A Unifying
Information Model for C4I and
M&S Track Data Interchange
Curtis Blais
[email protected]
August 1, 2012
831-656-7582
http://movesinstitute.org
Motivation: Data Sharing
• DoD net-centric data sharing policy (8320.02)
requires making data “visible, accessible, and
understandable to any potential user in the [DoD] as
early as possible in the life cycle to support mission
objectives.”
– Visible: “by creating and associating metadata … including
discovery metadata”
– Accessible: “by making data available in shared spaces”
– Understandable: “by publishing associated semantic and
structural metadata in a federated DoD metadata registry”
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But Wait…There’s Too Much Data
• Advances in sensor and data processing technologies
have resulted in a data deluge:
“We’re going to find ourselves in the not too distant future
swimming in sensors and drowning in data,” said Lt. Gen.
david A. Deptula, Air Force deputy chief of staff for
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
National Defense, January 2010
http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2010/January/Pages/Milit
ary‘SwimmingInSensorsandDrowninginData’.aspx
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Solution: VIRT
• NPS Prof Rick Hayes-Roth advanced a theory he
called “Valued Information at the Right Time”
• Premise: The information system (e.g., the GIG) can
reduce the flow of unnecessary information to a user
if the system knows what the user is trying to do.
• Similar notion in the Semantic Web (Berners-Lee,
Hendler, and Lassila, Scientific American, May 2001):
a web of self-describing data that can be processed
directly or indirectly by machines to meet user needs
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A VIRT Product-Line Architecture
Planning Toolset
Key Assumptions
Plans
Plan Generator
Plan Evaluator
Plan Justifier
Dependency Analyzer
Condition Generator
Plan Updater
Operational Domain
Ontology
Concepts
Conditions
Significant Deltas
Condition Monitor
Condition (t, loc)
Significant Deltas
Agenda for Updates
Condition Alerter
Concerned Parties
History of Alerts
Notification Methods
Domain Translator
Conditions
Significant Deltas
Information Registry
Information Source
Meta-data
Qualities/Cost
Access/Query Methods
Information Domain
Ontology
Concepts
Conditions
Significant Deltas
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Generic VIRT Architecture
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Rich Semantic Track
• Described in the VIRT theory as a fundamental
and foundational for representing beliefs
about the battlespace
• Semantics of track are driven by the
pragmatics of track (how the information is
used to meet operator needs)
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Models of “Track” Abound
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cursor on Target (CoT)
Track-Lite
National Information Exchange Model (NIEM)
Tactical Assessment Markup Language (TAML)
Anti-Submarine Warfare Community of Interest Data Model (ACDMv3)
track profile
Mine Warfare (MIW)
Autonomous Vehicle Control Language (AVCL)
Universal Core (UCore)
Command and Control Core (C2Core)
Coalition Battle Management Language (C-BML)
Automatic Identification System (AIS)
Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC)
System Track Manager
…many more…
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Tactical Data Converter
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Track Data Converter GUI
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Syntactic
and Semantic
Mappings
• Initial mappings across
TAML, UCore, TrackLite, others
• Conceptual models and
mappings being expressed
in Semantic Web languages
(RDF, OWL)
• General “theory” of tracks
under development (Rich
Semantic Track model) as
conceptual base for
semantic interoperability
and track data processing
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Semantic Representations
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Semantic Web Technologies
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What Questions
Do We Want Answered?
• Is the Track believed to be operating outside
spatial/temporal bounds of expected
behavior?
• Is the Track believed to be under control of
expected personnel?
• Is the Track believed to be carrying expected
passengers/cargo?
• … and more …
RST Concept Hierarchy*
• Track
– Beliefs
•
•
•
•
Identity and Characteristics
Dynamic State at Time T
History of States (past “track”)
Predicted States (future “track”)
– Meta-Information (applicable to each element of belief)
•
•
•
•
•
Evidence
Inferences
Error and Uncertainty Estimates
Temporal Qualifications
Spatial Qualifications
*Hayes-Roth. Towards a rich semantic
model of Track: Essential Foundation for
Information Sharing. NPS Research Paper.
Monterey, CA. February 25, 2005.
Identity and Characteristics
• Owner
– Affiliation
• Operator
– Affiliation
•
•
•
•
•
Registration number
Communications call sign
Weight
Observable features
Aggregation
– Components
– Structure
•
•
•
•
•
Construction features
Class
Category
Type
Capacities
– Fuel
– Load
Identity and Characteristics, cont’d
•
Capabilities standard for type
–
–
–
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–
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–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Take-off
Landing
Range
Altitude
Speed
Operation in icing conditions
Maneuver
Evasion
Stealth
Defense
Offense
Support
Diversion
Turnaround
Differences from standard type
• Operational
characteristics
– Limitations
– Resource requirements and
consumption
Dynamic State at Time T
• Time T
• Temporal coordinate system
• Position, velocity, acceleration,
etc.
– Spatial Coordinates
– Error of measurement
• Operations
– Control
• Operations (cont’d)
– Plan
• Route
– Waypoints
– Corridors
• Timing
• Tactics
• Resources
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–
–
–
• Possessor
– Affiliation
• Crew
• Non-Crew
– Intent
• Peaceful
• Threatening
Personnel
Consumables
Systems
Weapons
– Carried Load
•
•
•
•
•
Electronic Equipment
Weapons
Crew
Passengers
Cargo
Dynamic State at Time T, cont’d
• Operations (cont’d)
–
–
–
–
Other Behaviors
Other Qualities
Transponder Code
Dynamic variations in Identity and
Characteristics (if any)
– Identity and Characteristics
(basically as before, but
identifying changes)
Meta-Information
• Evidence
– Observations
• Reported values
– Time of observation
– Sensor
» Capabilities
» Dynamic state at time of
observation
– Reporter
– Evidentiary events
• Confirming events
– Confirming events to notice
– Confirming events detected
– Confirming events missed
• Disconfirming events
– Confirming events to notice
– Confirming events detected
– Confirming events missed
• Inferences
• Error and Uncertainty
Estimates
• Temporal Qualifications
• Spatial Qualifications
Current RST Research
• Funding from Navy M&S Office (NMSO),
complementing ongoing work for the ASW COI (IWS-5)
• Considering broader track model semantics for data
interchange across the DoD Enterprise
– Gathering models across air, land, maritime domains to
identify commonalities/differences for synthesis into a
common abstract model for comparison to RST
– Investigating integration with cross-domain data exchange
models (e.g., UCore, C2Core)
• ACDMv3 providing principal use case for describing
capabilities and challenges of track data interchange
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Plan of Action (1 of 4)
• Examine various track data models and synthesize a
conceptual model of information content common
across the models.
• Refine and complete prior work on conceptualizing
and formalizing the RST model to capture and
operationalize track theory, including consideration
of track data expression and interchange activities
occurring in parallel in the ASW COI. Include findings
from the synthesis of track data from various current
and emerging track data models.
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Plan of Action (2 of 4)
• Develop prototype track model conversion logic to automate
conversion from one data model to the other, informed by the
RST annotations. Include ASW COI track data interchange as a
key use case for demonstrating application of the RST
concepts.
• Develop exemplar rule sets and other logical formalisms for
track operations, such as track correlation, classification of
contacts, identifying high interest targets, etc. to demonstrate
ability of the RST to support critical warfare actions, such as
those defined in the ASW Mission Capabilities Architecture
(MCA).
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Plan of Action (3 of 4)
• Implement in the Track Data Conversion tool (see
https://savagedefense.nps.navy.mil/track/) track
data interchange capabilities based on the RST
model, including track data interchange within the
ASW community and track data interchange external
to the ASW community.
• Evaluate use of RST for track data model conversion
and track data processing.
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Plan of Action (4 of 4)
• Investigate application of RST across communities.
Assess and make recommendations regarding
bridging ASW COI services and capabilities to Navy
M&S services and capabilities, in concert with efforts
of the M&S Coordination Office M&S COI subgroup
for C4I and other organizations seeking greater
capabilities in data interchange.
• Summarize findings and recommended future work.
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Questions/Discussion
For additional information, contact:
Curtis Blais
[email protected]
831-656-3215
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