Ontology-guided knowledge discovery of event sequences in maintenance data

Abstract

We created an application that facilitates improved knowledge discovery from aircraft maintenance data by transforming transactional database records into ontology-based event graphs, and then providing a filterable visualization of event sequences through time. We developed OWL ontologies based on formally defined IEEE standards, and use these ontologies to guide the data mining and data transformation processes. Our application removes much of the users burden for data look-up and greatly increases the potential for knowledge discovery from data (KDD) in this field. We provide an easy-to-use interface that generates relevant sequences of data in a meaningful context in a fraction of the time it would take domain experts to retrieve and display similar information.