An Object-Relational Approach to the Representation of Multi-granular Spatio-Temporal Data

Abstract

Abstract. The notion of spatio-temporal multi-granularity is fundamental when modeling objects in GIS applications in that it supports the representation of the temporal evolutions of these objects. Concepts and issues in multi-granular spatio-temporal representations have been widely investigated by the research community. However, despite the large number of theoretical investigations, no comprehensive approaches, have been proposed dealing with the representation of multi-granular spatio-temporal objects in commercially available DBMSs. The goal of the work that we report in this paper is to address this gap. To achieve it, the paper first introduces an object-relational model based on OpenGis specifications described in SQL3. Several extensions are developed in order to improve the semantics and behavior for spatio-temporal data types introducing an approach to represent the temporal dimension in this model and the multi-representation of spatio-temporal granularities.

A Model for Multigranular Data and Its Integrity

“…In a similar way, the work in Belussi et al (2009) assigns to each spatio-temporal granule a sequence of spatial granules, one for each granule in the temporal granularities. Based on the concept of spatial and temporal granules and granularities, the work in Camossi et al (2006), Bertino et al (2005) proposes a multigranular object-oriented framework that supports conversion operators between granules related by inclusion and provides a language where users can specify a particular conversion for moving from one to another granularity.…”

Mining Spatio-Temporal Data at Different Levels of Detail

“…The model relies on the work presented in (Camossi et al, 2006), where the ODMG type system (Cattel et al, 1999) has been extended to enable the representation and the conversion of spatio-temporal object attributes at different levels of details, for both the spatial and the temporal dimensions. The same set of conversions has been applied in the definition of an object-relational spatio-temporal multigranular model (Bertino et al, 2005). In this paper we follow the object-relational approach, instead of the full object oriented approach, because it is adopted by current commercial DBMS.…”