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Re: [ontology-summit] Hackathon: BACnet Ontology

To: Ontology Summit 2013 discussion <ontology-summit@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Ontology Summit 2013 discussion <ontology-summit@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Deborah MacPherson <debmacp@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:30:50 -0400
Message-id: <09FBED0A-802B-4169-8CAB-1B963E3FBB97@xxxxxxxxx>
That must be why I want one    (01)

Deb    (02)

Sent from my iPhone    (03)

On Mar 12, 2013, at 8:27 PM, "Hans Polzer" <hpolzer@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:    (04)

> Ed, Deb:
> 
> This same line of thinking applies to the scope of applicability of 
>ontologies themselves. If you view an ontology as a model or representation of 
>some portion of conceptual reality, it is essentially the same kind of thing 
>as a CAD model, albeit the CAD model might be viewed as a much more 
>constrained model than most ontologies.  So ontologies are multi-dimensional 
>"surfaces" (presumably closed) in an n-dimensional concept/scope space. They 
>may intersect along some (or none) dimensions in that concept/scope space, 
>just like some CAD models overlap each other, but may not be completely 
>aligned along some dimensions (like level of dimensional precision, or 
>inclusion of dynamic or material properties). Having a CAD model or ontology 
>advertise its concept/scope assumptions via such an n-dimensional concept 
>space would allow reasoning about areas of compatibility between diverse CAD 
>models or ontologies, and areas where the results of such interaction might be 
>"unpredictable" or "indeterminate". 
> 
> Hans
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>[mailto:ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Barkmeyer, 
>Edward J
> Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 5:11 PM
> To: Ontology Summit 2013 discussion
> Subject: Re: [ontology-summit] Hackathon: BACnet Ontology
> 
> Deb,
> 
> I completely agree.  That is what I meant about knowing the intended use of 
>the measurements.  You can always "zoom out seamlessly" in a CAD system, but 
>you can only "zoom in" to the accuracy of the measurements provided.  The CAD 
>system can produce some really weird results if you zoom in to the measurement 
>noise area.  So, if you get a model with some elements to the nearest cm and 
>others to the nearest mm, you will see nonsense when you look at the join at 
>the mm scale.  In a similar way, if I get pressure data for a reduction valve 
>with the process fluid at 20C, it may be a bad predictor of the pressure 
>behaviors of the same valve when the fluid is at 100C.
> 
> So, yes, if you want to put the building HVAC architecture diagram on your 
>cell phone, you have two choices:  If you are going to use the same model to 
>zoom in and emplace ductwork behind a stairwell, you are going to need a 
>measurements model that is accurate enough for emplacing the ductwork, and the 
>software that crafts the overview  display has to work from that.  Or, you can 
> just have a companion model that will be suitable for the overview display, 
>and may be useful for estimating ductwork quantities, but will never be used 
>for emplacing equipment.   Every model is made to a purpose and all models are 
>wrong (by eliminating details unrelated to the purpose).  Making a model for 
>competing purposes is not easy, and may not be necessary.  You don't give the 
>mechanics the architect's plan view, and you don't force customers to look at 
>plumbing blueprints.  The Google Earth model only works down to the highest 
>accuracy satellite photos, and those are not uniform over all the earth.  
>Google software gives the illusion of much more flexibility than is there.  
>You can't use it to find your cell phone when you set it down somewhere on the 
>building site.
> 
> -Ed
> 
> 
> From: ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>[mailto:ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of MacPherson, 
>Deborah
> Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 4:23 PM
> To: Ontology Summit 2013 discussion
> Subject: Re: [ontology-summit] Hackathon: BACnet Ontology
> 
> Yes – all of that –in the manufacturing process tolerances are very 
>precise, less than the width of a human hair. I’ve seen structural 
>engineer’s be very concerned over a 2 mm creep in a survey. Many purposes of 
>exchanging measurable, modeled, design or production information versus 
>results in the real world, as built, do need to be very precise. Both in the 
>models and in the executed results.
> 
> However, similar to geospatial being able to zoom in and out apparently 
>seamlessly, sometimes using vectors, sometimes using faceted curves and points 
>to just look enough like a curve - BIM and mechanical-electrical-plumbing 
>systems inside real buildings (which might be specified and conform to 
>BACnet), need a way to exchange basic geometries with looser tolerances. Just 
>getting a fire fighter to the right room is enough, someone renting a studio 
>apartment at XX sq.ft. is not going to get out a laser measure the way a GSA 
>leasing agent might.
> 
> GSA does have some rules about “…..agreement on rounding values or 
>stating uncertainties”. 95% of all other lifecycle exchange partners 
>probably could not care less about precision, or even know why a stated 
>uncertainty might matter to them outside of the telephone game problem where 
>each next retelling changes just a little more and more.
> 
> To align, up to, 10 models for interaction that would take a building layout 
>from a digital fire panel, “enlivened” by sensor data, put into a message 
>on the wire, and displayed on a mobile data computer – is going to need to 
>be very generalized curves. That is why the background IE last known 
>configuration of a building needs to be static, a PDF or JPG, only the 
>location of sensor information needs to be dynamic, messages being transported 
>over wires only need a “hint” of this measured, modeled, building.
> 
> 
> DEBORAH MACPHERSON
> Specifications and Research
> 
> Cannon Design
> 3030 Clarendon Blvd.
> Suite 500
> Arlington, VA 22201
> 
> Phone: 703.907.2353
> Direct Dial: 2353
> 
> dmacpherson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Cannondesign.com
> Skype debmacp
> 
> From: ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>[mailto:ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Barkmeyer, 
>Edward J
> Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 2:45 PM
> To: Ontology Summit 2013 discussion
> Subject: Re: [ontology-summit] Hackathon: BACnet Ontology
> 
> Matthew,
> 
> I have to disagree.  Only some measurement data is easy to exchange, and even 
>then one must be careful that both the sender and the receiver have a common 
>understanding of the nature and purpose of the measurement.  This includes 
>simple common sense ideas like agreeing on (and documenting) the units to be 
>used, or explicitly exchanging units with the numeric measurements.  It also 
>includes agreement on rounding values or stating uncertainties.
> 
> But there is a lot more to the context of a measurement than just the units 
>and the uncertainty.  There are standard sizes that have the same name but 
>temporal differences in tolerances, and there are considerations like 
>operational state and ambient temperature and pressure that affect values of 
>the same measurement of the same thing.  And finally, like parametrics, there 
>are measurement values that are plugged into functions and equations to 
>produce other measurement values, and it is very important to agree on what 
>those mathematical formulae are.  In the particular case of chemical 
>processes, semiconductor fabrication, and plastic and metal molding, for 
>example, a group of reference measurements is used to specify an observed 
>performance curve, while the actual process depends on accurate depiction of 
>performance at other points on that curves.  Humans often exchange these 
>curves as graphs, but software isn’t good at turning PNG images into 
>quantitative performance estimations.
> 
> I know for a fact that this last problem is not solved in 15926, and you 
>don’t want to open the Pandora’s box that is the relationship between 
>control parameters and performance parameters.  This is not, in general, a 
>solved problem.  There are known standard solutions to specific known 
>problems.  The best guidance is to characterize the measurement information 
>you want to exchange in the context of use and look to see whether that 
>problem has already been acceptably solved in industry.
> 
> The important ideas in the VIM are (a) that every quantity (in a use) has a 
>‘quantity kind’ that identifies what quantities it can be compared with, 
>(b) that no quantity can be known exactly, measurements are comparisons 
>against reference quantities of the same kind, (c) that units are associated 
>with quantity kinds and are reference quantities for comparisons.  The rest is 
>about what measurement you made, how you made it, and how accurate you know 
>your technique to be in that situation.
> 
> There are many cases in which most of these details don’t matter, because 
>both parties to the exchange understand the intent and typical quality of the 
>measurement.  But there are also many cases in which some of these details do 
>matter, because the parties to the exchange have different backgrounds and 
>mental models of the situation.  The designer of an airflow system and the 
>designer of the fans do not have the same model of the problem space.  They do 
>have models that can be aligned for the purpose of their interaction, but they 
>have to be cognizant of the need for that alignment in their exchanges.
> 
> -Ed
> 
> 
> --
> Edward J. Barkmeyer                     Email: edbark@xxxxxxxx
> National Institute of Standards & Technology Systems Integration Division
> 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8263             Work:   +1 301-975-3528
> Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8263             Mobile: +1 240-672-5800
> 
> "The opinions expressed above do not reflect consensus of NIST,  and have not 
>been reviewed by any Government authority."
> 
> 
> 
> From: ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>[mailto:ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Matthew West
> Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 7:11 AM
> To: 'Ontology Summit 2013 discussion'
> Subject: Re: [ontology-summit] Hackathon: BACnet Ontology
> 
> Dear Deborah,
> Well if you are trying to exchange measurement data, that is relatively easy, 
>and pointing to parametric design examples as having problems for standards 
>based exchange, therefore meaning that standards based exchange of measurement 
>data is difficult is just plain misleading. You can easily exchange 
>measurement data using ISO 15926 for example, or a number of other standards, 
>usually labelled SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition). What is not 
>needed is another standard for doing this, there are already too many.
> By the way, measurements look easy from the outside, but once you lift the 
>lid, you find all kinds of interesting things there you can easily get tripped 
>up by – another reason for not reinventing.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Matthew West
> Information  Junction
> Tel: +44 1489 880185
> Mobile: +44 750 3385279
> Skype: dr.matthew.west
> matthew.west@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.informationjunction.co.uk/
> http://www.matthew-west.org.uk/
> 
> This email originates from Information Junction Ltd. Registered in England 
>and Wales No. 6632177.
> Registered office: 2 Brookside, Meadow Way, Letchworth Garden City, 
>Hertfordshire, SG6 3JE.
> 
> 
> 
> From: ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>[mailto:ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Deborah 
>MacPherson
> Sent: 12 March 2013 10:11
> To: Ontology Summit 2013 discussion
> Cc: Ontology Summit 2013 discussion
> Subject: Re: [ontology-summit] Hackathon: BACnet Ontology
> 
> Thanks for the response Matthew. You are probably right on target. The thing 
>is some problems and opportunities should not wait. Creating modular solutions 
>to keep some information in sets as its transferred would help.
> 
> Toby and I have been talking about "lighter" versions of our standards that 
>are made for heavy monolithic models. What I like about BACnet as an angle on 
>this is the transactional nature of collecting and reporting temperatures, 
>tasking sensors and so forth that are only one small set of information at a 
>time.
> 
> Deborah
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Mar 12, 2013, at 4:46 AM, "Matthew West" <dr.matthew.west@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Dear Deborah,
> I think the problem, in this case at least, is not quite as you describe.
> My understanding is that the issue here was around parametrically defined 
>objects, where different CAD systems use different parametric functions to 
>generate objects from their parametric definition. Because of the different 
>functions, to round trip you would have to wrap the parametric description so 
>it can be sent to the receiving system, and sent back later. Actually, I think 
>it would be smarter just to send an identifier that told you the original 
>object when it came back, but even that does not help you with changes that 
>have been made to the object in the receiving system with an incompatible 
>parametric system. The problems are just harder than you would think at a 
>surface level.
> Now this is just an inevitable stage of development. In the early stages, a 
>thousand flowers bloom, but the vast majority fade. Eventually a few remain, 
>and it becomes more important (now these are the survivors) that they can 
>interoperate, than that they retain competitive advantage, so interoperation 
>is achieved, or a standard developed that customers require them to conform to.
> You can see that the state you are pointing to is in the middle of this 
>process. Eventual completion of the process is pretty much inevitable. The bad 
>news is that from what I have seen and experienced there is relatively little 
>you can do to speed the process up (or slow it down) significantly and the 
>time-scale for the process is decades (or more in some cases), not months or 
>years.
> So the smart thing to do is to recognise where you are, try to encourage 
>progress through the process, and adopt strategies that recognise the reality 
>of where you are in the process.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Matthew West
> Information  Junction
> Tel: +44 1489 880185
> Mobile: +44 750 3385279
> Skype: dr.matthew.west
> matthew.west@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.informationjunction.co.uk/
> http://www.matthew-west.org.uk/
> 
> This email originates from Information Junction Ltd. Registered in England 
>and Wales No. 6632177.
> Registered office: 2 Brookside, Meadow Way, Letchworth Garden City, 
>Hertfordshire, SG6 3JE.
> 
> 
> 
> From: ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>[mailto:ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of MacPherson, 
>Deborah
> Sent: 11 March 2013 21:56
> To: Ontology Summit 2013 discussion
> Subject: Re: [ontology-summit] Hackathon: BACnet Ontology
> 
> Somewhere in this discussion is a problem that is the essence of what has 
>been holding up progress in the facilities domain.
> 
> There are ways to publish technical requirements or test for conformance 
>online for free, and pay (even substantially) to participate in the working 
>groups or have voting privileges. For example OGC, W3C.
> 
> I can even see being able to own a part name or number within a larger 
>communication machine that could be mapped to a generic form for broader 
>exchange purposes. For example “13-57 13 15 Dining and Drinking Spaces” 
>versus “The Sand Bar and Grille”
> 
> Depending on the domain, or need for cross disciplinary discussion, many on 
>the  IP-protected side have no interest in supporting, or will even actively 
>stops progress, on a common model. There is also the problem of failed common 
>models that do not work, will not accommodate different object definitions - 
>from software to software or industry model to industry model - without loss 
>of data or functionality. Bentley systems has stepped forward in this white 
>paper on the IFC model to say actually – the emperor has no clothes on. See 
>pages 6 and 7 “Round Tripping”
> 
> For some reason I think ontologies might be a way these IP-With-Open problems 
>might be fixed but maybe I am wrong or wishing for too much.
> 
> DEBORAH MACPHERSON
> Specifications and Research
> 
> Cannon Design
> 3030 Clarendon Blvd.
> Suite 500
> Arlington, VA 22201
> 
> Phone: 703.907.2353
> Direct Dial: 2353
> 
> dmacpherson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Cannondesign.com
> Skype debmacp
> 
> From: ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>[mailto:ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Simon Spero
> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 5:25 PM
> To: Ontology Summit 2013 discussion
> Subject: Re: [ontology-summit] Hackathon: BACnet Ontology
> 
> On Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 11:53 AM, Peter R. Benson <Peter.Benson@xxxxxxxxx> 
>wrote:
> Deborah, IP is a real issue. We designed the eOTD to try to resolve some of 
>these issues. In a dictionary the IP resides in the representation but also in 
>the identifiers or codes as these are always copyright.
> 
> That is not entirely clear;  see e.g.  SOUTHCO, INC v. KANEBRIDGE CORPORATION 
>(  http://www.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/021243pe.pdf ), where part numbers 
>were found to be not protected (but see also how Alito takes care to 
>distinguish Delta Dental )
> 
> Simon
> 
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