Metadata Creation for Compound Objects Using Unique Instance Identifiers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing metadata systems are inadequate for compound objects, as they often fail to capture and maintain information about the ingredients used in their creation, leading to incomplete metadata and issues with temporal objects when changes occur, resulting in lost information and incompatibilities between objects.
Innovation Solution
A method of creating metadata that involves identifying changes to objects during development, assigning unique instance identifiers, and incorporating information about the inclusion and modification of ingredients, including part mapping and partial trimming of metadata, to track the history and usage of ingredients within compound objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If metadata is embedded in compound objects to provide assertions about data properties, then object identification is improved, but the metadata becomes incomplete when ingredients are used multiple times or modified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides metadata into two separate components: ingredient metadata (stored once per unique ingredient) and compound object metadata (stored per each version). This segmentation allows complete tracking of ingredient usage across multiple compounds while maintaining efficient storage, resolving the contradiction between metadata completeness and adaptability to ingredient reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates copies of ingredient metadata for each compound object version that uses the ingredient. This ensures that each compound object version has complete metadata about its ingredients, while the original ingredient metadata is preserved and can be referenced by multiple compounds. This copying mechanism maintains completeness without requiring redundant storage of all ingredient information in every compound.
2Loss of information
If ingredient metadata is captured in compound objects, then information about ingredients is improved, but the metadata is lost when objects are changed or manipulated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by capturing and storing ingredient metadata at the time of ingredient inclusion in a compound object. This preliminary capture ensures that ingredient information is preserved before any subsequent manipulation, changes, or reuses occur. The metadata is stored in a structured way that survives object manipulation, resolving the contradiction between information retention and manipulation flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through version tracking and change logging. When a compound object is modified, the system records the changes and maintains links to previous versions, ensuring that ingredient metadata is preserved and can be retrieved even after manipulation. This feedback loop prevents information loss while allowing flexible object manipulation.
3Reliability
If temporal references are stored in compound objects, then time-based tracking is improved, but the references become incompatible when time bases change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a time base identifier as an intermediary element between temporal references and compound objects. Each temporal reference is associated with a specific time base identifier, and the compound object metadata includes information about the time bases used. This intermediary layer allows accurate temporal tracking within each time base while enabling compatibility and translation between different time bases, resolving the contradiction between temporal accuracy and cross-time-base compatibility.
4Loss of information
If complete ingredient tracking is implemented, then metadata comprehensiveness is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the metadata management system into distinct components: an ingredient registry that stores unique ingredient information once, and compound object metadata structures that reference ingredients. This segmentation reduces overall system complexity by avoiding redundant storage of ingredient information in every compound object, while still achieving complete ingredient tracking through the reference mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal ingredient metadata structure that serves multiple functions: it identifies the ingredient, stores its properties, tracks usage across compounds, and provides references for versioning. This multi-functional design reduces the need for separate tracking mechanisms, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive ingredient tracking capability.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present disclosure is a method of creating metadata during object development. The method comprises receiving a change to an object during its development that results in a changed version of the object, identifying information about the change, and creating metadata comprising the information about the change. The information about the change may include a unique instance identifier identifying and unique to the changed version of the object. As an object is changed multiple times during development, the created metadata may include a series of information segments each relating to a particular change and each uniquely identified by its unique instance identifier. The information about the change may also include, as examples, an identification of a unique instance identifier of a prior version of the object, the time of the change to the object, and/or identification of the software used to make the change. Other embodiments relate to compound objects, part mapping, and modification of ingredients, among other things.