Abstract
In a coalition context, data fusion involves combining of soft (e.g., field reports, intelligence reports) and hard (e.g.,
acoustic, imagery) sensory data such that the resulting output is better than what it would have been if the data are taken
individually. However, due to the lack of explicit semantics attached with such data, it is difficult to automatically
disseminate and put the right contextual data in the hands of the decision makers. In order to understand the data,
explicit meaning needs to be added by means of categorizing and/or classifying the data in relationship to each other
from base reference sources.
In this paper, we present a semantic framework that provides automated mechanisms to expose real-time raw data
effectively by presenting appropriate information needed for a given situation so that an informed decision could be
made effectively. The system utilizes controlled natural language capabilities provided by the ITA (International
Technology Alliance) Controlled English (CE) toolkit to provide a human-friendly semantic representation of messages
so that the messages can be directly processed in human/machine hybrid environments. The Real-time Semantic
Enrichment (RTSE) service adds relevant contextual information to raw data streams from domain knowledge bases
using declarative rules. The rules define how the added semantics and context information are derived and stored in a
semantic knowledge base. The software framework exposes contextual information from a variety of hard and soft data
sources in a fast, reliable manner so that an informed decision can be made using semantic queries in intelligent software
systems.
