Observable Entity

Post by Martin on June 7, 2021: 

Dear All,

Attached my attempt to redefine Observable Entity so that we can measure distances between things!

Here the summary:
I reconsider Observation, Observable Entity and Situation in the light of the question, how to define Position Measurement. This leads to measuring distances as a “primitive”. Since this must be an observation, the fundamental problem that appears is that observations may pertain to constellations of multiple things.

Therefore:

• The properties O9, O16 are problematic and too restrictive. Situation as a proposition set holding at a particular time is more adequate, may be a straight-forward generalization.
• O9 observed property type (property type was observed by): S9 Property Type
• O16 observed value (value was observed by): E1 CRM Entity

We should introduce:

Oxxx observed situation (was observed by): Sxxx Observable Situation

An “Observable Situation” would be a proposition set relating Observable Entities, with a validity time-span that must be within the time-span of the observation. To be elaborated. Examples: People talking to each other, vehicles approaching each other, a vehicle moving in direction x with speed y etc.

E13 can manage only one property at a time. Therefore, S4 Observation is not a subclass of E13 Attribute Assignment.

 We may need to consider an S4 Observation consisting of multiple Attribute Assignments. We can regard each propositions in the observed Sxxx Observable Situation to be result of an E13 Attribute Assignment. This can then gracefully collapse to a one-property observation.

This works, if restricting cardinality is a specialization ???

Then, an Observable Entity has a Dimension. In case of distances however, two observable entities share one Dimension. If we can formulate Dimension as a kind of Observable Situation (adding time and restricting cardinality), we can manage the generalizations.

Best,

Martin
 

In the 50th joint meeting of the CIDOC CRM SIG and SO/TC46/SC4/WG9; 43nd FRBR – CIDOC CRM Harmonization meeting, the SIG MDs HW (scope notes for S4 Observation and S15 Observable Entity, reorganization of class hierarchies). 

A summary of the decisions reached can be found below. For the details of the proposal and the discussion that followed see here. 

Decision

• Pursue this issue further by attempting to define a more general concept of Observation and see how that translates into defining Observable Situations in CRMinf. 
• Postpone 388.

HW: SdS definitions for I12 Observable Situation, Jxx observed situation, Jxx held at least for
HW: OE provide examples from the performing arts, MD categorical examples.

June 2021 
 

Post by Martin, 4 October 2021

Dear All,

Here an attempt to improve the new scope note of S15 Observable Entity with respect to the confinement of event observation:

S15 Observable Entity

Subclass of:         E1 CRM Entity

Superclass of:      E5 Event

                           O10 Material Substantial

Scope note:                                    

This class comprises instances of E5 Event and O10 Material Substantial i.e. items or phenomena, such as physical things, their behavior, current state and interactions or events, that can be observed by human sensory impression as well as enhanced by using tools and measurement or detection devices.

In order to be observable, instances of E5 Event must consist of some interaction or action of material substance. In some cases, the spatiotemporal confinement of the event itself, such as a flash, a car stopping etc. marks the limits of a documented observation of an event. In other cases, such as the situation of a car passing by a certain object, the spatiotemporal limits of the event of observing itself, as well as the direction of attention or the orientation of used instruments, may constrain the observed detail of a larger process, e.g., i.e. noticing the sight of a car passing by, a light emission.

Post by Martin, 4 October 2021

Dear All,

Here some thought on "Observable Situations":

An Observable Situation can be perceived as the focus of an observer, by human senses or enhanced or mediated by technical instruments, on a constellation, an interaction or a dynamic behavior of things or sections of things of  material nature within a particular time-span and spatial extent. The observer him/herself may be directly involved in the latter or be receiving respective signals from these things of material nature. The focus of the observer determines the model he/she overlays over the observed reality in order to describe it in terms of distinct properties and value ranges parameters. The latter selection and projection from reality constitutes the content of a particular observable situation. Multiple observers may select different model, i.e. views, thing they put attention to, details and value systems to the same spatiotemporal area. Consequently, the observed situations may differ, but should, in principle, be compatible with a common reality in their overlaps.

 Categorical Examples:

 Sun rising over the horizon at a particular spot. A car passing by another car. A lightning. An air temperature and wind speed at a certain point and time. People being in a city, a house. Someone showing symptoms of sickness. A vegetation cover of a field. Someone eating. Two mountains being at a certain distance. Cars in a starting position for a race. The direction a compass needle shows at a particular spot.

To be formulated: how Obsevable entities must appear in models of observable situations.

Thoughts?

Best,

Martin

In the 51st CIDOC CRM & 44th FRBRoo SIG meeting, the SIG decided to 

• update the definition of S4 Observation (keep the isA E13 Attribute Assignment statement)
  HW: AK to reformulate the exapmple (The excavation of unit XI by the Archaeologicl Institute of Crete in 2004) according to the template
• update the definition of S15 Observable Entity 
• continue work on defining Observable Situation (in the lines that MD proposed) 
  HW: MD to provide a list of situations that are eligible for observation (or not)
  HW: GH to contribute with examples from excavation records (where stratigraphic units are modelled usung S4 Observation). 
  HW: TV to contribute with examples from risk assemssment 

for details of the scope notes and a summary of the discussion see here

HW by Athina Kritsotaki (reformulation of the example) for  S4 Observation:

The excavation in the NE section of the central court of the Knossos palace by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Heraklion in 1997 (Κνωσός , Συντήρηση, Στερέωση και Ανάδειξη του ανακτόρου και του αρχ / κού χώρου 2008)

Reference: Κνωσός , Συντήρηση, Στερέωση και Ανάδειξη του ανακτόρου και του αρχ / κού χώρου (2008), Ηράκλειο, ΥΠΠΟ, ΤΔΠΕΑΕ, Επιστημονική Επιτροπή Κνωσού

In the 52nd joint meeting of the CIDOC CRM SIG and ISO/TC46/SC4/WG9; 45th FRBR - CIDOC CRM Harmonization meeting; MD outlined the present state of the issue -proposed to split the issue in two parts: (1) finish updating S4 Observation (addition of new example -HW by AK) and (2) work on the class Sxx Observable Situation.

(a) MD presented HW (updated the scope note of Sxx Observable Situation to address comments made by the SIG during its 51st meeting). For a new version of the scope note and example see here. 
Discussion: no objections content-wise, minor editorial changes by SdS and the group. What remains to be done is define the properties linking Sxx Observable Situation to S4 Observable Entity (and/or other classes). 

Proposal: start a new issue (583), to continue this line of work.
Subject: How to assign dimensions to relative positions/ to distances in space-time and other relations between observable entities. 
HW: MD to elaborate on that, set the background and propose a course of action

(B) AK presented HW for the same issue (produce a non-fictitious example for S4 Observation):
The excavation (S4) in the NE section of the central court of the Knossos palace by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Heraklion in 1997 
[see definition of the class A9 Archaeological Excavation in CRMarchaeo version 1.5.0]
Reference: YPPO, TDPEAE, Epistimoniki Epitropi Knossou (2008). Knossos, Sintirisi, Stereosi ke Anadiksi tou anaktorou ke tou archaeologikou xorou. 

The example was accepted. 

Overall decision: The issue will be kept open until all HW has been turned in (HW: GH, TV -examples from excavation records and risk assessment, respectively)

February 2022