ISO/IEC 21838-4:2023 PDF

Information technology — Top-level ontologies (TLO) — Part 4: TUpper

First page of standard ISO/IEC 21838-4:2023

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Title (English):

ISO/IEC 21838-4:2023

Information technology — Top-level ontologies (TLO) — Part 4: TUpper

Document status:: Active
Format:: Electronic (PDF)
Number of pages:: 7
Publication date:: September 19, 2023
Edition:: ISO/IEC IS 21838 edition 1 version 1
ICS:: 01.040.35

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Description (English):

This document describes TUpper as an ontology that is conformant to the requirements specified for top-level ontologies in ISO/IEC 21838-1. This document describes TUpper as a resource designed to support ontology design, ontology integration, automated reasoning, and semantic integration of heterogeneous information systems. The following are within the scope of this document: — definitions of classes and relations in the signature of TUpper; — axiomatizations of TUpper in OWL 2 and CL; — documentation of the conformity of TUpper to the requirements specified for top-level ontologies in ISO/IEC 21838-1; — documentation of the methodology for specifying domain ontologies that conform to TUpper. The following are outside the scope of this document: — specification of ontology languages, including the languages RDF, OWL and CL standardly used in ontology development; — specification of methods for reasoning with ontologies; — specification of translators between the notations of ontologies developed in different ontology languages.

Technical details

Technical committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 32 - Data management and interchange
SKU: ISO/IEC 21838-4:2023

Abstract

Overview

ISO/IEC 21838-4:2023 - TUpper defines TUpper, a top-level ontology (TLO) that is conformant with the requirements in ISO/IEC 21838-1. TUpper is published with three complementary artifacts: a natural-language specification (TUpper‑Terms), an OWL 2 formalization (TUpper‑OWL) and a Common Logic (CL) axiomatization (TUpper‑CL). The standard documents the ontology signature (classes and relations), OWL/CL axiomatizations, modular structure, conformity evidence to ISO/IEC 21838-1, and the methodology for creating domain ontologies that conform to TUpper.

Key topics and requirements

Conformance to ISO/IEC 21838-1: TUpper documents how its elements satisfy the requirements for top-level ontologies in the Part 1 standard.
Multi‑notation delivery: Natural language, OWL 2 and Common Logic representations are provided to support human understanding, OWL-based integration/reasoning, and a formal CL semantics.
Modularity (sideways approach): TUpper is a modular TLO composed of modules (e.g., time, process, space, mereotopology) derived from existing ISO ontologies rather than a single monolithic taxonomy.
Scope inclusions:
- Definitions of classes and relations in the TUpper signature
- Axiomatizations in OWL 2 and CL
- Documentation of conformity and methodology for domain‑ontology conformance
Scope exclusions:
- Specification of ontology languages (RDF, OWL, CL)
- Methods for reasoning with ontologies
- Translators between ontology notations
Conformance rule for domain ontologies: A domain ontology conforms to TUpper iff its axioms (in the same CL dialect) are a consistent extension of the TUpper axiomatization.

Applications and users

TUpper is designed to support practical tasks in semantic technologies and information systems:

Ontology design & integration: Provides reusable top-level concepts to harmonize domain ontologies and enable semantic integration across heterogeneous systems.
Automated reasoning: OWL 2 formalization allows use with OWL reasoners for classification and consistency checks; CL axiomatization captures intended semantics.
Standards alignment: Enables applications that must interoperate with multiple ISO-standard ontologies. Primary users:
Ontology engineers and knowledge engineers
Semantic web and linked-data developers
Data architects, system integrators, and AI practitioners working on semantic interoperability
Standards organizations and domain modelers

Related standards

ISO/IEC 21838-1:2021 - Top-level ontologies (requirements)
ISO/IEC 24707 - Common Logic (CL) framework
ISO 18629 (PSL modules), ISO 19107, ISO/TS 19150-1, ISO/IEC 80000 - sources of modules incorporated in TUpper

Keywords: ISO/IEC 21838-4:2023, TUpper, top-level ontology, TLO, OWL 2, Common Logic, ontology integration, semantic integration, modular ontology, ISO top-level ontology.

Related standards

Standards mentioned in the description

Abstract

Overview

Key topics and requirements

Conformance to ISO/IEC 21838-1: TUpper documents how its elements satisfy the requirements for top-level ontologies in the Part 1 standard.
Multi‑notation delivery: Natural language, OWL 2 and Common Logic representations are provided to support human understanding, OWL-based integration/reasoning, and a formal CL semantics.
Modularity (sideways approach): TUpper is a modular TLO composed of modules (e.g., time, process, space, mereotopology) derived from existing ISO ontologies rather than a single monolithic taxonomy.
Scope inclusions:
- Definitions of classes and relations in the TUpper signature
- Axiomatizations in OWL 2 and CL
- Documentation of conformity and methodology for domain‑ontology conformance
Scope exclusions:
- Specification of ontology languages (RDF, OWL, CL)
- Methods for reasoning with ontologies
- Translators between ontology notations
Conformance rule for domain ontologies: A domain ontology conforms to TUpper iff its axioms (in the same CL dialect) are a consistent extension of the TUpper axiomatization.

Applications and users

TUpper is designed to support practical tasks in semantic technologies and information systems:

Ontology design & integration: Provides reusable top-level concepts to harmonize domain ontologies and enable semantic integration across heterogeneous systems.
Automated reasoning: OWL 2 formalization allows use with OWL reasoners for classification and consistency checks; CL axiomatization captures intended semantics.
Standards alignment: Enables applications that must interoperate with multiple ISO-standard ontologies. Primary users:
Ontology engineers and knowledge engineers
Semantic web and linked-data developers
Data architects, system integrators, and AI practitioners working on semantic interoperability
Standards organizations and domain modelers

Related standards

ISO/IEC 21838-1:2021 - Top-level ontologies (requirements)
ISO/IEC 24707 - Common Logic (CL) framework
ISO 18629 (PSL modules), ISO 19107, ISO/TS 19150-1, ISO/IEC 80000 - sources of modules incorporated in TUpper

Keywords: ISO/IEC 21838-4:2023, TUpper, top-level ontology, TLO, OWL 2, Common Logic, ontology integration, semantic integration, modular ontology, ISO top-level ontology.

ISO/IEC 21838-4:2023 PDF

Technical details

Abstract

Overview

Key topics and requirements

Applications and users

Related standards

Related standards

Abstract

Overview

Key topics and requirements

Applications and users

Related standards

Related standards

Information technology — Top-level ontologies (TLO) — Part 1: Requirements

Information technology — Common Logic (CL): a framework for a family of logic-based languages

Industrial automation systems and integration. Process specification language. PSL core.

Geographic information - Spatial schema (ISO 19107:2019)

Geographic information — Ontology — Part 1: Framework