Knowledge Structuring & Constraint Satisfaction: the Mapsee Approach

This paper shows how to integrate constraint satisfaction techniques with schema-based representations for visual knowledge. This integration is discussed in a progression of three sketch map interpretation programs: Mapsee-l, Mapsee-2, and Mapsee-3. The programs are evaluated by the criteria of descriptive and procedural adequacy. The evaluation indicates that a schema-based representation used in combination with a hierarchical arc consistency algorithm constitutes a modular, efficient, and effective approach to the structured representation of visual knowledge. The schemata used in this representation are embedded in composition and specialization hierarchies. Specialization hierarchies are further expanded into discrimination graphs.