Using ontologies for solving cross-domain collaboration issues
Résumé
In a Model-Driven Engineering methodology, the design phase of a product involves the creation of models in multiple domains. A current industrial issue is the integration of domain-specific models in order to homogeneously design the product from the different perspectives. For example, testing a product (e.g. a plane) based on its model is easier and cheaper, but requires the domain-specific representations to be integrated. This paper proposes to solve this integration issue through the use of OWL ontologies. It emphasizes the importance of taking care of the behavioral semantics of the domain-specific models and provides a solution based on the xOWL language, used for the expression of behaviors within ontologies. This paper is supported by a case study, extracted from the industry, about the multiple domains of expertise involved in the design of an aircraft's cockpit.