Knowledge transformation and fusion in diagnostic systems

Diagnostic systems depend on knowledge bases specifying the causal, structural or functional interactions among components of the diagnosed objects. A diagnostic specification in a diagnostic system is a semantic interpretation of a knowledge base. We introduce the notion of diagnostic specification morphism and some operations of diagnostic specifications that can be used to model knowledge transformation and fusion, respectively. The relation between diagnostic methods in the source system and the target system of a specification morphism is examined. Also, representations of diagnostic methods in a composed system modelled by operations of specifications are given in terms of the corresponding diagnostic methods in its component systems.