SmartEnv as a network of ontology patterns

In this article we outline the details of an ontology, called SmartEnv, proposed as a representational model to assist the development process of smart (i.e., sensorized) environments. The SmartEnv ontology is described in terms of its modules representing different aspects including physical and conceptual aspects of a smart environment. We propose the use of the Ontology Design Pattern (ODP) paradigm in order to modularize our proposed solution, while at the same time avoiding strong dependencies between the modules in order to manage the representational complexity of the ontology. The ODP paradigm and related methodologies enable incremental construction of ontologies by first creating and then linking small modules. Most modules (patterns) of the SmartEnv ontology are inspired by, and aligned with, the Semantic Sensor Network (SSN) ontology, however with extra interlinks to provide further precision and cover more representational aspects. The result is a network of 8 ontology patterns together forming a generic representation for a smart environment. The patterns have been submitted to the ODP portal and are available on-line at stable URIs.