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Formalization of “Context” for Information Fusion

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Context-Enhanced Information Fusion

Part of the book series: Advances in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ((ACVPR))

Abstract

Context exploitation can provide benefits for information fusion by establishing expectations of world states, explaining received data, and resolving ambiguous interpretations; thereby improving process efficiency, reliability, and trustworthiness of the fusion product. While everybody recognizes the importance of considering context in inferencing, designers of information fusion processes only recently have begun to incorporate context explicitly into fusion processes. Effective context exploitation requires a clear understanding of what context is, how to represent it in a formal way, and how to use it for particular information fusion applications. Although these problems are similar to the ones discussed by researchers in many other fields, consideration of context in designing information fusion systems also poses additional challenges such as understanding the relationships between situations and context, utilizing context for understanding and fusion of natural language data, context dynamics, context recognition, and contextual reasoning under the uncertainty inherent in fusion problems. This chapter provides a brief discussion on possible ways of confronting these challenges while designing information fusion systems.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    While we recognize the difference between data and information, we will generally use these terms interchangeably throughout this chapter.

  2. 2.

    A topic might be a real entity, but it doesn't have to be. The atmospheric conditions on Mars are used as a context for inferring a low probability that there are living beings there. Life on Mars that is the reference item, not the Martians (who may not exist).

  3. 3.

    Indeed, George Lakoff and other developers of Generative Semantics and Cognitive Linguistics have argued that “Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature” [37, 38]. They argue that our minds begin with a small number of basic experiential concepts involving substance, space, time and causation. From these we generate ever more abstract concepts by metaphor: time is conceived as moving object, goals are destinations, knowing is seeing, society is a family, etc. [36].

  4. 4.

    Our discussion throughout this chapter is independent of the communication means; therefore, ‘speaker’ and ‘hearer’ will do equal service for ‘writer’ and ‘reader’.

  5. 5.

    They are demons in the eighth circle, fifth bolge, of Dante’s Inferno.

  6. 6.

    These follow the applicable types of evidence that we have employed in source characterization; i.e. in inferring and predicting the fidelity of information received from an information source [43].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Galina L. Rogova

  2. Independent Consultant, Woodbridge, VA, USA

    Alan N. Steinberg

Authors
  1. Galina L. Rogova
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  2. Alan N. Steinberg
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Correspondence to Galina L. Rogova .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Udine, Udine, Italy

    Lauro Snidaro

  2. University Carlos III, Department of Computer Science and Engg. University Carlos III, Colmenarejo, Spain

    Jesús García

  3. Center Multisource Info. Fusion & Dept, Univ. at Buffalo, of Industrial and Engg Center Multisource Info. Fusion & Dept, Buffalo, New York, USA

    James Llinas

  4. Information Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate, Rome, New York, USA

    Erik Blasch

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Rogova, G.L., Steinberg, A.N. (2016). Formalization of “Context” for Information Fusion. In: Snidaro, L., García, J., Llinas, J., Blasch, E. (eds) Context-Enhanced Information Fusion. Advances in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28971-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28971-7_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28969-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28971-7

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