models
level 2

This is an overarching model - a Supermodel - used to integrate multiple, individual, models together for use within a particular scenario.

This scenario is that of Queensland Cadastre, Addressing, Place Naming and Admin Areas.

1. Introduction

The purpose of a Supermodel such as this one is to allow for data integration across multiple component models. This particular Supermodel indicates how to integrate data formulated according to the ANZ National Address Model (Candidate), the proposed QSI Cadastral Model, a model for Place Names and anotehr for Administrative Areas.

The Supermodel does this by implementing a Backbone Model that is an abstracted version of the main objects within the various Component Models. This Backbone Model does not implement any material not already present in the Component Model.

1.1. Modelling Methods

All the Component Models and the Backbone Model given here are implemented using the Web Ontology Language known as OWL [OWL]. OWL is a well used, standardised, powerful, formal, modelling language. Use of OWL creates data models that can be visualised and also that data can be validated against in automated ways, see Annex A: Validators.

OWL modelling is a set-theoretic modelling language which means using it involves placing things - concepts, digital representations of real-world objects - into classes. Objects in the classes are all similar in some way: perhaps they all have similar properties.

In this Supermodel, some fundamental classes are used for all things within scope, such as:

  • Feature - Anything spatial (being or having a shape, position or an extent)

    • From the GeoSPARQL 1.1 Ontology [GEO]

  • Geometry - A coherent set of direct positions in space. The positions are held within a Spatial Reference System (SRS)

  • FeatureLabel - An annotation applied to a Feature. Specialised kinds of FeatureLabel are expected to be used, such as Address or PlaceName

Specialised forms of Feature are used, such as AddressableObject, Parcel and so on. A Geocode is a specialised form of a Geometry.

OWL models visualisation is by diagrams that are similar to UML diagrams and use elements from the following key.

key
Figure 1. Key for OWL diagram figures

OWL modelling and the RDF data that is made according to it make extensive use of namespaces which are globally-unique names based on Internet web addresses. The following namespaces are used in this document:

Prefix Namespace Note

bb

https://w3id.org/profile/qsi-supermodel/backbone/

The namespace for this Supermodel’s Backbone Model

cad

https://w3id.org/profile/qsi-supermodel/cadastre/

The namespace for this Supermodel’s Cadastre Component Model

ex

http://example.com/

An example namespace

geo

http://www.opengis.net/ont/geosparql#

The GeoSAPRQL Ontology’s namespace

rdfs

http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#

The namespace of the fundamental RDF Schema model used for OWL mododelling

In its definion section below, Feature Label is indicated as beeing authoritifely identified with the prefixed IRI (web identifier) bb:FeatureLabel which, expanded using the table above is https://w3id.org/profile/qsi-supermodel/backbone/FeatureLabel which can be clicked on to retieve it’s formal definition.

2. Models

2.1. Supermodel

This Supermodel is the overall system that implements a Backbone Model which contains central elements from the various Component Models and some additional modelling "glue" to allow it to act as the integrative model between them. The Backbone Model, Component Models, model validators and this documentation together make the Supermodel.

The following figure lists the various part models of this Supermodel.

models
Figure 2. An informal diagram the part Models of this Supermodel. The Administrative Areas model is not yet defined.

For technical use, the machine-readable versions of the Backbone Model and the Component Models can be combined and used as the total Supermodel.

2.2. Backbone Model

The Backbone Model for this Queensland Spatial Information scenario overviewed in Figure 3. The elements of the Backbone Model are described next and the formal characterisation of the model in OWL is given in the machein-readable file backbone.ttl.

backbone
Figure 3. An OWL diagram of the Backbone Model overview. Uncertain objects are shown in light red.

Figure 2 indicates two main conceptual domains (the yellow and blue) centered on Feature Labels (defined here) and geo:Feature s which are "Anything spatial (being or having a shape, position or an extent)" [GEO]. Feature Labels are any form of identifying information assigned to a Feature [xxx].

The class hierharchy expressed in this Backbone Model (with sub class of arrows) indicates that:

  • Address, AdministrativeArea and perhaps Title` are all specialised forms of FeatureLabel

  • PlaceName is a form of Address (a very simple one!)

  • Places are a specialised form of AddressableObject and AddressableObject and Parcel, and others, are speciali types of geo:Feature

The various Component Models (next) use these classes of object and imlplement many more specilised forms of them.

2.2.1. Classes

This Backbone Model only defines one class of object not already defined in the various Component models: FeatureLabel.

Feature Label
Property Value

IRI

bb:FeatureLabel

Preferred Label

Feature Label

Definition

An annotation applied to a Feature. Specialised kinds of FeatureLabel are expected to be used, such as Address or PlaceName

Is Defined By

SQI Supermodel Backbone Model

Provenance

Derived from [ISO19160-1]'s AddressLifecycle class

Expected Properties

is label for

Example

 
# The Label "Mount Doom" is applied to Feature X
ex:fl-01
    a bb:FeatureLabel ;
    rdfs:label "Mount Doom" ;
    bb:isLabelFor ex:feature-x ;
.

ex:feature-x
    a geo:Feature ;
    ex:category ex:mountain ;
.

2.2.2. Properties

This Backbone Model only defines one property not already defined in the various Component models: isLabelFor.

is label for
Property Value

IRI

bb:isLabelFor

Preferred Label

is label for

Definition

Indicates an an object that a FeatureLabel is an annotation for

Is Defined By

SQI Supermodel Backbone Model

Sub property of

rdfs:label

Domain

FeatureLabel

Range

geo:Feature

Example

see the example for Feature Label

2.3. Component Models

2.3.1. ANZ National Address Model

The ANZ National Address Model is a model that has bee defined externally to this Supermodel.

It is available online at:

https://w3id.org/profile/anz-address

2.3.2. QSI Place Names Model

The model used for Place Names within this Supermodel is a profile of both the ANZ National Address Model and the Place Names Ontology made for Australian government. This profile shows howt o model Place Names as Addresses with certain Address Components and Place Name ontology properties.

It is defined within an Annex of this Spermodel and is available online separately at:

https://w3id.org/profile/qsi-placenames

2.3.3. QSI Cadastral Model

The Cadastral Model used within this Supermodel is only a class heirarchy of cadastral objects. No properties are yet defined for these classes.

The class hierarchy is as follows, with nested objects being subclasses of their parents:

  • geo:FeatureCollection

    • cad:ParcelCollection

      • cad:Property

        • cad:TitledProperty

        • cad:ValuationProperty

        • cad:RuralProperty

  • geo:Feature

    • cad:Parcel

      • cad:BaseParcel

        • cad:RoadParcel

        • cad:WaterParcel

        • cad:OtherParcel

          • cad:IntersectionParcel

          • cad:UnlinkedParcel

      • cad:Easement

      • cad:BaseParcel

      • cad:StrataParcel

      • cad:Building

This class hierarchy is shown graphically in the figure below:

cadastre
Figure 4. The Cadastre Component Model

Annex A: Validators

This Supermodel combined validators for the Backbone Model and each of the Component Models to make a single Supermodel Validator. The technical artifact for this is online at:

Bibliography