Overview
ISO 19150-2:2015 - "Geographic information - Ontology - Part 2" defines rules and guidelines for developing ontologies in the Web Ontology Language (OWL) to improve interoperability of geographic information on the Semantic Web. The standard prescribes how to convert UML static view elements used by ISO geographic information standards and how to express application schemas based on the General Feature Model (ISO 19109) into OWL. It adopts OWL/RDF as the ontology language but does not create domain semantics, define semantics operators, or specify service ontologies.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Mapping UML → OWL: detailed rules for converting UML packages, classes, abstract classes, attributes, associations, aggregations and inheritance into OWL constructs.
- Naming and namespaces: conventions for ontology names, RDF namespaces, class/property/datatype names and code lists to ensure consistent, resolvable identifiers.
- Data modeling elements: rules for enumerated types (enumerations and code lists), union classes, multiplicity, and constraints when formalizing application schemas in OWL.
- Feature modeling: formalization rules for FeatureType, PropertyType, FeatureAssociationType, FeatureAggregationType, FeatureCompositionType, and spatial/temporal associations grounded in ISO 19109’s General Feature Model.
- Constraints & value assignments: patterns for representing constraints, ValueAssignment, RDF reification and SPARQL named-graph approaches when annotation or provenance is required.
- Documentation, identification & integration: mandatory documentation and identification practices for ontology components plus rules for integrating multiple ontologies.
- Test and support materials: normative abstract test suite, namespaces guidance, a “base” ontology, and an application example (PropertyParcel) provided in annexes.
Practical applications
- Enable conversion of existing ISO UML application schemas to OWL for Linked Data exposure and semantic interoperability.
- Support development of geospatial ontologies that can be reasoned over by OWL-compatible tools and queried via SPARQL.
- Provide consistent naming, documentation and integration patterns for national mapping agencies, geospatial data providers, and standards bodies releasing interoperable RDF datasets.
- Facilitate GIS vendors and ontology engineers in building semantically consistent geospatial data services, knowledge graphs, and federation layers.
Who should use this standard
- Ontology engineers and Semantic Web developers working with geospatial data
- GIS data architects and standards developers
- National mapping agencies and geospatial data publishers
- Software vendors implementing ontology-enabled GIS services
Related standards
- ISO 19150-1 (Ontology - Framework)
- ISO 19109 (Rules for application schema / General Feature Model)
- Semantic Web technologies: OWL, RDF, SPARQL
Keywords: ISO 19150-2, OWL ontology, geographic information, Semantic Web, UML to OWL mapping, ISO 19109, interoperability, geospatial ontology.
Open preview (PDF)Geographic information — Ontology — Part 2: Rules for developing ontologies in the Web Ontology Language (OWL)
