Artifact and Device
Vocabulary
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Update: 3/30/02
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#$Artifact artifacts
A specialization of #$InanimateThing.
Each instance of #$Artifact is an at
least partially tangible thing which was intentionally
created by an #$Agent
(or a group of #$Agents working
together) to serve some purpose or perform some function. In
order to create an instance of #$Artifact, it is
not necessary that an #$Agent create the
matter out of which the #$Artifact is
composed; rather, an #$Agent can create an
instance of #$Artifact by
assembling or modifying existing matter. Examples of #$Artifacts include
a wooden flute that's been whittled from a tree branch, a
sawhorse that's been put together out of boards and nails,
and a coin that's been minted by embossing or by melting
liquid silver into a mold. In addition to the obvious human
artifacts (buildings, tools, textiles, power lines), the
collection #$Artifact also
includes certain sorts of things made by #$Animals, such as
bird nests, termite mounds, and beaver dams. Artifacts
without any tangible parts are excluded from the collection
#$Artifact;
they are included in the collection #$Artifact-Intangible.
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direct instance of:
#$Collection
direct specialization of: #$InanimateThing-NonNatural #$Artifact-Generic
direct generalization of:
#$HardcopyInformationBearingObject
#$ShelterConstruction
#$DefenseSystem #$Weapon #$ArtificialMaterial
#$DrugProduct
#$Form-StandardizedIBO
#$FoodOrDrinkComposite
#$HOCObject
#$TextileProduct
#$RecordedSoundProduct
#$OfficialDocument
#$MilitaryEquipment #$ArtObject #$BuildingMaterial
#$Shaft #$PhysicalDevice
#$Doorway #$ConstructionArtifact
#$PathArtifactSystem
#$PhysicalDevice devices
A specialization of both #$Artifact and
#$SolidTangibleProduct. Each instance of #$PhysicalDevice
is an artifact with a relatively rigid, set shape, designed
for a specific use or to perform a specific function.
Specializations of #$PhysicalDevice
thus include (among others) #$RoadVehicle, #$Motorboat,
#$HandTool,
and #$PlumbingFixture.
Note that artifacts which can only be 'used' in a very loose
or metaphorical sense, such as instances of #$Sculpture,
#$FlowerBed, or #$Advertisement-IBT, are _not_ instances of
#$PhysicalDevice.
Moreover, artifacts which have a specific use or function,
but which do not have a relatively rigid, set shape are
_not_ instances of #$PhysicalDevice;
for this reason, neither #$GasolineFuel nor #$AntiFreeze are
specializations of #$PhysicalDevice.
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direct instance of: #$ProductType #$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of: #$SinglePurposeDevice
direct generalization of:
#$WindPoweredDevice
#$TransportationDevice
#$PlumbingFixture
#$Tool #$FoodOrDrinkPreparationDevice
#$Balloon #$HardwareTool
#$ControlDevice
#$ContainerProduct
#$CleaningDevice
#$InformationRecordingDevice
#$MilitaryHardware #$Weapon
#$Device-UserControlled #$MeasuringDevice
#$NavigationDevice
#$PoweredDevice
#$SinglePurposeDevice #$NonPoweredDevice
#$SeatingDevice
#$MechanicalDevice
#$Device-SingleUser
#$ArtificialMaterial artificial substances
A collection of substances; a subcollection of #$Artifact. An
instance of #$ArtificialMaterial
is a portion of artificial stuff that was intentionally made
by some agent(s), such as #$Plastic or #$SweetNLow. Since #$ArtificialMaterials
are intentionally produced, this class does not normally
include materials which are merely #$byProducts or
#$wasteProducts
of an intentional process. However, what is a by-product at
one time or in one context may be a useful material that
would count as an instance of #$ArtificialMaterial
in another.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingStuffType
direct specialization of:
#$Artifact #$Artifact-NonAgentive
direct generalization of: #$Concrete #$Plastic #$MetalAlloy
#$BuildingMaterial construction materials
A collection of tangible things. An instance of #$BuildingMaterial
is a material thing typically used in making new structures.
Instances of #$BuildingMaterial
include a piece of lumber, a brick, a slab of concrete, a
roof shingle, a copper nail, a double-paned storm window, etc.
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direct instance of: #$ProductType #$ConventionalClassificationType
#$TemporalStuffType
direct specialization of:
#$Artifact-NonAgentive #$Artifact #$PartiallyTangibleProduct
direct generalization of: #$Concrete
Specializations Of Physical Device
Note: Only higher level collections have been released.
More specific collections, such as #$Chair, #$Telephone, and
#$Hammer, have been omitted.
#$NonPoweredDevice non-powered devices
A specialization of #$PhysicalDevice.
Each instance of #$NonPoweredDevice
is a device which does not need to have any kind of energy
supplied to it in order for it to perform its intended
function. Examples of #$NonPoweredDevices
include tables, floor mats, bookshelves, shirts, and coat
hangars. A hammer would not be an instance of #$NonPoweredDevice,
since it requires kinetic energy to perform its intended function.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$Artifact-NonAgentive #$PhysicalDevice
direct generalization of:
#$Connector
#$PhysicalFilter #$ProtectiveAttire
#$Clothing-Generic
#$SomethingToWear wearable items
A collection of tangible objects. Each instance of
#$SomethingToWear
is an object that an animal (usually a person) wears on its
body, i.e., in a #$WearingSomething
event. It is worth remarking that, in such an event, the
wearer doesn't have to exert any intentional effort to
continue wearing the object. For example, shirts remain on
people's torsos, hats stay on heads, rings on fingers; once
in place, dog collars stay on dogs, saddles stay on horses.
By contrast, a hula hoop is NOT an example of #$SomethingToWear.
A borderline case is a #$Purse, which at first blush seems
to be something to wear, yet requires carrying by the
performer, hence is not a member of this collection.
Similarly, a briefcase is not an #$SomethingToWear.
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direct instance of: #$ProductByGenericType #$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PortableObject #$PersonalProduct #$Device-SingleUser #$DurableGoods
direct generalization of: #$Clothing-Generic #$ProtectiveAttire
#$PlumbingTool plumbing tools
A collection of objects; a subset of #$Tool. An instance of
#$PlumbingTool
is any tool used in installing or repairing parts of
plumbing systems (pipes, faucets, drains, etc.) --- such
tools include wrenches, plungers, etc.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$Tool
#$ControlPanel control panels
A collection of tangible things. An instance of #$ControlPanel
is the physical part of a device where all (or most) of the
controls for the device are located. E.g., the instrument
panel of a car or plane. Note: A device's control panel may
be unattached from (and used to control) the rest of the
device --- e.g., a TV remote control. So in some contexts,
the TV is a compound object consisting of two physically
separated parts; in other contexts, the remote control is a
separate device (a #$ControlDevice)
from the TV. See also #$ControlDevice.
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direct instance of: #$ProductType #$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
#$SprayContainer sprayer
A collection of tangible objects, containers which
are designed to spray out their contents, and which are more
or less self-contained systems for doing so. An instance of
#$SprayContainer
is a container for liquids which has a part that causes the
contents to spread out into a mist when they are emitted.
Aerosol cans, plant sprayers, and inhalant devices (e.g.,
for asthma medication) are all instances of #$SprayContainer.
Non-examples include lawn sprinklers, the spray nozzles that
fit on the end of hoses, a rain cloud, a runny nose, etc. A
borderline example includes the case where a powder is being
sprayed, rather than a liquid.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$ContainerProduct
#$AgriculturalImplement farm implements
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$AgriculturalImplement
is a device which is intended for use in some agricultural
activity. These include rotary tillers, plows, hoes,
pitchforks, mechanical planters, threshing machines, hay
balers, and so on.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$MechanicalDevice
#$Handle handles (parts)
A collection of devices. Each instance of #$Handle is a part (it
might be a detachable part, it might be a specially shaped
region of a thing) of another object, of which it is the
handle. Each instance of #$Handle is a physical
device which is designed to be grasped with the human hand
in such a way that the grasper can more easily control his
or her orientation to the object that the handle is attached
to. In most cases, handles are intended to help in
manipulating the object, by allowing the user to move the
object in a more controlled way than s/he could without the
handle. Handles are found on cookware, suitcases, crutches,
doors, hand-held and hand-powered tools -- in fact, on most
artifacts that humans need to manipulate frequently and
which are bigger and heavier than a dinner plate or a book.
In other, less common cases, handles are provided on objects
(a) to facilitate moving oneself around the object (rather
than vice versa), e.g., handles on a pommel horse or other
exercise equipment, or on a ladder, in a spacecraft, or
pounded into a rock face; or (b) for holding oneself
stationary with respect to some moving object, e.g., handles
inside a subway car. Note that handles are sometimes used to
perform other functions, such as hanging one's dry cleaning
from the little handle above the rear door of a passenger car.
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direct instance of:
#$RegionType
direct specialization of:
#$NonPoweredDevice #$Protrusion
#$HeatingDevice heater
A specialization of #$PoweredDevice.
Each instance of #$HeatingDevice
is a device whose primary function (see the predicate #$primaryFunction)
is to generate heat to raise the temperature of something
else. The thing being heated might be in gaseous form (for
example, the air in a room), in liquid form (for example,
the water in a pool), or in solid form (for example, food in
an oven). A given instance of #$HeatingDevice
typically has some energy input, some way of converting that
energy to heat, and some way of delivering the heat to the
object(s) to be heated.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PoweredDevice
#$BuiltInDevice built-in devices
A set of physical devices. An instance of #$BuiltInDevice
is an object that is a device in and of itself, is also a
part of another object, and typically was added to the other
object when that object was constructed. Note: Its function
may or may not be intrinsically dependent upon its being
part of the object it was added to; e.g., the function of a
built-in odometer is to measure miles driven on the car of
which it is a part, but the intrinsic function of a built-in
clock or CD player installed in that same automobile is not
dependent on its being part of the automobile.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice #$PartOfBuilding
#$SeatingDevice seats (devices)
A set of physical objects. An instance of #$SeatingDevice
is a device whose #$primaryFunction
is to serve as a sitting place for people. Types of seating
devices include sofas, chairs, benches, camp and stadium
stools, theatre seats, swings, bicycle seats, saddles, and more.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
#$MultiPurposeDevice multi-purpose devices
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$MultiPurposeDevice
is a device which is designed to have more than one #$primaryFunction.
See also #$SinglePurposeDevice. Of course even a
#$SinglePurposeDevice might be employed for some unintended
purpose, especially in an emergency.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
#$HardwareTool tools (tools)
A collection of tools. An instance of #$HardwareTool
is an object used to perform a task, usually by applying a
particular kind of force on another object. The tool is used
to produce a physical effect in the position, structure, or
arrangement of the other object. Subsets of #$HardwareTool
include #$Hammer, #$Screwdriver, #$HandSaw. An electric
drill is also a #$HardwareTool.
Borderline nonexamples include eating utensils, robot
servants, screws, nails, and levers.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$Tool
#$MechanicalDevice mechanical devices
A specialization of #$PhysicalDevice.
Each instance of #$MechanicalDevice
is a physical device which has at least one part that moves
with respect to another one of its parts. Thus a spoon is
not an instance of #$MechanicalDevice,
but a pair of scissors is, as are more complex devices such
as vacuum cleaners and the #$SpaceShuttleChallenger.
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direct instance of: #$ProductType #$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$CommodityProduct #$PhysicalDevice #$HumanScaleObject
direct generalization of:
#$FuelPoweredDevice
#$Engine #$HouseholdAppliance
#$SelfPoweredDevice
#$MixingDevice mixing device
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$MixingDevice
is a device whose #$primaryFunction
is to mix up substances --- usually substances of some
particular sorts (salads, paint, etc.) Typically, an
instance of #$MixingDevice
is used with some kind of container in which the stuff to be
mixed is contained during the mixing. In some types of #$MixingDevice,
the mixer is a #$BuiltInDevice
with the container (e.g., a cement truck, a blender) and in
some cases it isn't (e.g., a hand-held electric mixer that
is designed to be held above any large bowl.)
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$ElectricalDevice #$MechanicalDevice
#$Conveyance conveyances
(solid objects)
A collection of concrete physical objects. Each
instance of #$Conveyance is
intended for moving partially tangible things --- it could
be a car, ship, plane, or other vehicle for transporting
people; it could be a conveyor belt or a grocery bag for
moving goods; it could be a gun, a bow, or a cannon for
launching projectiles. See also #$TransportationDevice
which are objects that actually move along with the thing
they are transporting, and #$Conveyance-Stationary where the
object doing the moving remains stationary. See
#$Conveying-Generic, #$TransportationEvent
and #$Conveying-Stationary for the different kinds of
conveying events. Some positive exemplars: a gun, a car, a
horse. A wire can be considered to be a #$Conveyance, in
those microtheories were #$Electricity, #$Signals, etc. are
considered to be things that move.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$SolidTangibleThing
direct generalization of:
#$TransportationDevice
#$Conveyance-Stationary #$TransportationContainerProduct
#$TransportationDevice transportation devices
A specialization of both #$Conveyance and
#$PhysicalDevice.
Each instance of #$TransportationDevice
is an artifact designed to move an object from one location
to another, by (for example) carrying, pulling, or pushing
the transported object. Instances of this collection may or
may not have their own power source (see #$SelfPoweredDevice).
Those that do, such as automobiles and speedboats,
constitute the specialization #$TransportationDevice-Vehicle.
Other transportation devices (for example, instances of
#$Wheelbarrow or #$Bicycle)
require an external motive force. Because #$transporter
and #$transportees
are specializations of #$objectMoving,
it follows that any object in the role of #$transporter
moves as a whole with those objects playing the role of #$transportees.
Consequently, since any instance of #$TransportationDevice
has playing the role of #$transporter
as its intended function, stationary objects which cause
motion, such as conveyor belts, escalators, rocket
launchers, and slingshots, are excluded from the collection
#$TransportationDevice.
Although they facilitate travel, ice skates, shoes, skis and
other instances of #$WearableConveyance are also excluded
from the collection #$TransportationDevice,
since they are devices which are worn rather than ridden on,
ridden with, or ridden in.
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direct instance of: #$ProductType #$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$DurableGoods #$PhysicalDevice #$Conveyance
direct generalization of:
#$LandTransportationDevice
#$Spacecraft
#$AirTransportationDevice
#$WaterTransportationDevice
#$TransportationDevice-Vehicle
#$Platform-Military
#$AirTransportationDevice aircraft
A specialization of #$TransportationDevice.
Each instance of #$AirTransportationDevice
is a device used for transporting either people or cargo
through the air. Specializations of #$AirTransportationDevice
include the collections #$Airplane,
#$Helicopter,
#$HotAirBalloon,
and #$GroundToOrbitVehicle.
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direct instance of: #$ProductType #$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$TransportationDevice
direct generalization of: #$RotaryWingAircraft
#$LighterThanAirCraft #$FixedWingAircraft #$MilitaryAircraft
#$LandTransportationDevice land vehicles
A specialization of #$TransportationDevice.
Each instance of #$LandTransportationDevice
is a device used for transportation across land.
Specializations of #$LandTransportationDevice
include the collections #$Automobile,
#$Snowmobile, #$Truck,
#$HorseCarriage, #$BabyCarriage, #$Bus-RoadVehicle,
and #$SkateBoard.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$HexalateralObject #$TransportationDevice
direct generalization of: #$MilitaryLandPlatform
#$ArmoredVehicle #$WheeledVehicle #$TrackedVehicle #$RoadVehicle
#$ConstructionVehicle
#$RoadVehicle motor vehicles
A specialization of both #$LandTransportationDevice
and #$TransportationDevice-Vehicle.
Each instance of #$RoadVehicle is
a vehicle designed primarily for travel on roads (although
some instances may also have limited off-road capabilities).
Notable specializations of #$RoadVehicle
include #$Automobile, #$Truck, and #$Bus-RoadVehicle.
Since #$RoadVehicle is
a specialization of #$TransportationDevice-Vehicle,
each instance of #$RoadVehicle is
self-powered. Consequently, road transportation devices
which are not self-powered (for example, all the instances
of #$Bicycle)
are not included in this collection.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$WheeledVehicle #$TransportationDevice-Vehicle #$TransportationContainerProduct
direct generalization of:
#$Bus-RoadVehicle
#$Automobile #$Motorcycle
#$RoadVehicle-InternalCombustionEngine
#$Automobile cars
(motor vehicles)
A specialization of #$RoadVehicle.
Each instance of #$Automobile is a
four-wheeled road vehicle designed for carrying about two to
eight passengers. Notable specializations of #$Automobile
include #$SportsCar, #$PickupTruck and #$Van. This
collection does _not_ include motorcycles or
tractor-trailers (since both motorcycles and
tractor-trailers are not four-wheeled vehicles), nor does it
include buses (since buses are designed to carry more
passengers than instances of #$Automobile are
designed to carry).
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direct instance of: #$RoadVehicleTypeByUse
direct specialization of:
#$RoadVehicle #$HumanlyOccupiedSpatialObject
#$WaterTransportationDevice water crafts
A subcollection of #$TransportationDevice,
instances of which are used for transportation on or through
water. (Thus not to be confused with a collection of devices
used for transporting water.) Specializations of #$WaterTransportationDevice
include #$Ship, #$Watercraft, and #$Sailboard.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$TransportationDevice #$HexalateralObject
direct generalization of:
#$Watercraft
#$Watercraft watercraft
A subcollection of #$WaterTransportationDevice.
Each instance of #$Watercraft is a
device for transporting people and/or objects over water
(i.e. on the surface) or through water (i.e. under the
surface) without getting them wet. Examples include all
instances of #$Submarine,
#$Rowboat,
and #$Ship.
Non-examples include jet-skis and all instances of
#$Surfboard and #$Sailboard.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$TransportationContainerProduct #$WaterTransportationDevice
direct generalization of: #$Watercraft-Surface
#$Watercraft-Subsurface #$MilitaryWatercraft
#$CollapsibleDevice collapsible devices
A collection of mechanical devices. An instance of
#$CollapsibleDevice
is a device that is designed so that its shape (i.e.,
configuration of its parts) can be changed by collapsing
(and uncollapsing) it. This is a secondary function of some
devices so that they can take up less space when they aren't
being used for their #$primaryFunction.
(So #$CollapsibleDevices
are typically devices that either aren't used often and/or
must be kept or carried in a small space.) Most #$CollapsibleDevices
are collapsed in their storage (or unused) state and
unfolded during use; e.g., instances of #$SofaBed,
#$FoldingChair, and #$FoldingTable, also, #$EyeGlasses and
most elements of #$TentTheShelter. See also #$Collapsible (a
#$PhysicalStructuralAttribute).
Note: A marginal case, one which is better left outside this
collection, is a collapsable front/rear of a car. While it
is a device, and collapsable, most of the things one would
wish to state about a typical #$CollapsibleDevice
would FAIL to be true for the crushable car end.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$MechanicalDevice
#$MagneticDevice magnetic devices
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$MagneticDevice
is a device whose functioning depends on magnetism and which
incorporates magnetized parts as a fundamental (functional)
component in its design. Typical instances include a
compass, a VHS videotape, the VCR machine that tapes on it,
an MRI machine in a hospital, etc. Note: a magnet itself is
not actually a #$PhysicalDevice,
since it has no moving parts, hence is not a #$MagneticDevice.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$MechanicalDevice
#$Shaft shafts
A specialization of both #$Artifact and
#$SolidTangibleProduct. Each instance of #$Shaft is an artifact
that is long, straight, cylindrical, and rigid. Instances of
#$Shaft are
usually made of wood, metal, or plastic.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$Artifact-NonAgentive #$Artifact #$SolidTangibleProduct
direct generalization of:
#$WritingImplement
#$SafetyDevice safety devices
A collection of devices. An instance of #$SafetyDevice
is a device whose #$primaryFunction
is to promote or ensure safety. For example, a
#$LifePreserver, a #$SafetySeatBelt.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
#$SecurityDevice security devices
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$SecurityDevice
is any device designed to protect people or goods from being
harmed (or stolen) intentionally. Some instances of #$SecurityDevice
accomplish this by keeping unauthorized or unwelcome
intruders away from the people or materials in question
(e.g., elements of #$AntiTheftDevice, #$PerimeterSensor).
Others are designed to make it impossible or difficult to
remove goods (e.g., elements of #$Lock). Compare with #$SafetyDevice,
whose elements are designed to protect an object or animal
against accidental harm. Of course some devices play
multiple roles --- a single fence may be a security device
to keep burglars out, and may protect toddlers from
wandering in and falling into a swimming pool.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$DefenseSystem #$PhysicalDevice
#$NavigationDevice navigational devices
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$NavigationDevice
is a device used for #$Navigating,
i.e., for taking the bearings and plotting the course of
someone or something travelling through some medium, usually
in some transportation device. Instances include the
simplest elements of #$Compass, but also sophisticated GPS
(geopositioning systems utilizing satellites.)
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$HumanScaleObject #$PhysicalDevice
#$Navigating navigating events
The collection of all events in which the performer
determines the location of an object in some frame of
reference, and determines the direction the object should
travel to reach some destination. Navigating usually
involves using some devices (compass, clock, etc.) as aids
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direct instance of:
#$TemporalStuffType
direct specialization of: #$Evaluating
#$PoweredDevice mechanisms (devices)
A specialization of #$PhysicalDevice.
Each instance of #$PoweredDevice
is a device which requires some power input in order to
perform its intended function(s). The power supplied may be
muscle power, kinetic energy, fuel, electricity, and so on.
#$PoweredDevice
and #$NonPoweredDevice
partition the collection #$PhysicalDevice.
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direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
direct generalization of:
#$ElectricalDevice
#$Ship
#$CuttingDevice
#$NuclearPoweredDevice
#$ProjectileLauncher #$FuelPoweredDevice
#$HouseholdAppliance
#$Engine #$LightingDevice
#$HeatingDevice
#$KineticEnergyPoweredDevice
#$SolarPoweredDevice
#$SelfPoweredDevice
#$ElectricalDevice electrical devices
A specialization of #$PoweredDevice.
Each instance of #$ElectricalDevice
is a device that requires an input of electrical current (as
its #$energySource)
in order to perform its intended function(s). Instances of
#$ElectricalDevice
include both complex devices (for example, instances of the
collections #$StereoSystem or #$Computer) and
simpler ones (for example, instances of the collection #$ElectricalComponent).
guid: bd58d451-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$PoweredDevice
direct generalization of:
#$ElectricalComponent
#$ElectronicDevice
#$ElectricalComponent electrical components
A specialization of both #$ElectricalDevice
and #$PhysicalPartOfObject. Each instance of #$ElectricalComponent
is an #$ElectricalDevice
which is normally considered to be a part of some larger,
more clearly distinguished #$PhysicalDevice
(for example, clearly distinguished in the sense that it is
sold or moved as a unit). Each instance of #$ElectricalComponent
must be connected with other parts in order to perform its
#$primaryFunction.
guid: bd58d414-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$ElectricalDevice
#$ElectronicDevice electronic devices
A collection of devices which use electronic
circuitry. More specifically, any instance of #$ElectronicDevice
in which electricity passes through a vacuum or semiconductor.
guid: bd589095-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$HumanScaleObject #$ElectricalDevice #$DurableGoods
#$Computer computers
A collection of electronic devices. Any instance of
#$Computer is
an electronic device which acts on input according to some
set of instructions, producing some output. A #$Computer has
specialized parts to handle input and output (sometimes
peripherals like screen and keyboard, sometimes just IO
terminals on a chip), storage (internal memory and external
storage like disk drives), and reasoning (CPU). The
`personal computer' is the popular archetype of what a
computer is; however, computers are incorporated into many
devices (cars, cameras, VCRs, etc.) Note: hydraulic
computers, analog computers, biological computers, etc.
could fall here, but would violate most of the assertions
about #$Computers.
Similarly for the distinction between an abstract
computational machine and a physical embodiment in metal and electronics.
guid: bd58d7cd-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$CompositeTangibleAndIntangibleObject
#$ComputerInterfaceDevice computer
interface devices
A collection of electronic devices. An instance of
#$ComputerInterfaceDevice
is a device that allows a user to communicate with a #$Computer. One
broad sub-collection of #$ComputerInterfaceDevices
is #$ComputerInputDevice -- including devices which are
specialized for transferring information from a user to the
computer -- with its subsets #$ComputerKeyboard,
#$Scanner-Optical, #$ComputerMouse, etc. Another
sub-collection is #$ComputerOutputDevice -- including
devices specialized for transferring information from a
computer to the user -- with its subsets #$MonitorPort,
#$ComputerMonitor-Color, etc.
guid: bd5907c5-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$ElectronicDevice
#$MusicalInstrument musical instruments
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$MusicalInstrument
is a device that (in the standard case) is designed to be
manipulated by a person to generate music -- that is, s/he
successively plays the notes of the music by manipulating
the instrument during the playing. Possibly the player also
supplies by muscle power the force that produces the sound,
but possibly it uses another power source (e.g.,
electricity, or steam). The music may or may not be of his
or her own composition, but the player's actions determine
that the notes are produced by the instrument (in the
standard sense). Note: If the directive role of the human
player is subsumed by the device -- as it is, e.g., by some
electronic instruments which are programmable and/or
pre-programmed to produce music or musical sounds -- the
device loses some of its instrument-like quality, and some
automated uses may be abnormal cases of `playing' an
instrument. An older but analogous example is: player
pianos. If the device is pre-programmed so that humans can't
direct the music at all, then the device is not a musical
instrument (but a musical device) -- for example, music
boxes. Also excluded from #$MusicalInstrument
are devices which produce music `at random' (such as wind
chimes). Devices such as radios, tape decks, CD players,
which are used to play wholly pre-recorded or otherwise
other-controlled music, are also not included in this collection.
guid: bd58c8e8-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of: #$Device-UserControlled
#$ElectronicHouseholdAppliance household
electronic devices
A collection of electronic devices which are also
household appliances. An instance of #$ElectronicHouseholdAppliance
is a #$HouseholdAppliance
which is electrically powered and controlled. Common
instances of #$ElectronicHouseholdAppliance
belong to the subsets #$HomeVideoGameMachine,
#$TelevisionSet, #$AnsweringMachine, #$Telephone,
#$LaserDiscPlayer, etc.
guid: bd5889d6-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$ElectronicDevice
#$AudioEquipment stereo components
A collection of electronic devices. An instance of
#$AudioEquipment
is a device that may be used in audio recording, playback,
amplification, and/or reception. This collection doesn't
include musical instruments. It does include both
self-contained systems, e.g. boom boxes, and individual
stereo components, such as microphones, amplifiers, etc.
guid: c0fd507f-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$ElectronicDevice
#$ElectronicComponent electronic components
A collection of devices; a subset of #$ElectronicDevice.
An #$ElectronicComponent
is a device which is normally considered a part to another
device (which in turn is a more meaningful entity, at least
in this context. `More meaningful' might mean that the
larger device is sold, moved, named,... as a unit.) An
electronic component needs to be connected with other parts
in order to perform its #$primaryFunction.
guid: bd58be5f-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$ElectricalComponent #$ElectronicDevice
#$ComputerHardwareItem computer
hardware (electronic device)
A collection of physical devices, namely all the
various sorts of hardware items for computers. An instance
of #$ComputerHardwareItem
is either an entire computer itself or is a device used with
computers to accomplish input and output. This collection
includes computers themselves (all the elements of #$Computer) and also
encompasses computer terminals, printers, keyboards, etc.
guid: bd5890d9-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$ElectronicDevice
#$HeatingElement heating elements
A collection of focussed heat producing devices. An
instance of #$HeatingElement
may be a heating coil, stove top burner, Bunsen burner, etc.
Heating elements are among the #$physicalParts
of many kinds of heating devices, such as #$Ovens, heaters,
toasters, #$CoffeeMakers, etc.
guid: bd58be55-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$HeatingDevice
#$SelfPoweredDevice self
powered device
A specialization of both #$MechanicalDevice
and #$PoweredDevice.
Each instance of #$SelfPoweredDevice
has, as one of its internal parts, a device which converts
some kind of potential energy into force. For example, a
cordless electric drill would be an instance of #$SelfPoweredDevice,
since it contains a battery and motor that convert
electricity stored in the battery into kinetic energy. Other
examples of #$SelfPoweredDevices
are the instances of #$Automobile,
which (typically) convert gasoline and battery power to get
the energy to move. Of course, some muscle power is involved
in operating both a cordless drill and an automobile, but in
neither case is it the main part of the power. Negative
exemplars of a #$SelfPoweredDevice
include all instances of #$Bicycle
(powered by the people who ride them), cable cars (since
they are pulled along by cables embedded in the street) and
subway trains (often powered by an electrified `third rail').
guid: bd58d4bd-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PoweredDevice #$MechanicalDevice
direct generalization of:
#$TransportationDevice-Vehicle
#$InternalCombustionPoweredDevice
#$KineticEnergyPoweredDevice kinetic
energy powered device
A collection of devices; a subcollection of #$PoweredDevice.
An instance of #$KineticEnergyPoweredDevice
does not have an `on-board' energy source incorporated into
it, at least not one supplying the bulk of the power
requirements of the device. Instead, its operating power is
supplied by the kinetic energy from something else in motion
-- such as animal muscle power (including human labor), wind
energy, or hydraulic power. Examples include instances of
the collections #$Hammer and #$Piano-Acoustic. (Contrast
with #$SelfPoweredDevice
--- e.g., an electric organ is a #$SelfPoweredDevice,
not a #$KineticEnergyPoweredDevice.)
guid: bd58942f-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PoweredDevice
direct generalization of:
#$WindPoweredDevice
#$MusclePoweredDevice
#$WindPoweredDevice wind-powered
The subcollection of #$KineticEnergyPoweredDevice
(q.v.) whose instances are powered by the wind. For example,
instances of the collection #$Windmill.
guid: bd58ff2d-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$KineticEnergyPoweredDevice
#$MusclePoweredDevice muscle
powered devices
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$MusclePoweredDevice
is a device which is powered by animal muscle power
(including human labor); e.g., hammers, horse-drawn
carriages, etc.
guid: bd5893ed-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$KineticEnergyPoweredDevice
direct generalization of:
#$Wagon #$Device-UserPowered
#$AnimalPoweredDevice animal-powered
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$AnimalPoweredDevice
is a device that is powered by animal muscle power and not
by any human user, although a human user may control the
device and/or direct the animal.
guid: c0fd5dad-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$MusclePoweredDevice
#$Connector fastener
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$Connector is a
device which connects two objects. A connector (or part of
it) may be a part incorporated into one or both of the
objects connected, or a connector may be a totally separate
device. Examples include elements of the collections
#$ButtonTheFastener, #$Staple, #$Nail, and many more.
guid: bd58b973-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$NonPoweredDevice
#$HouseholdAppliance appliances
A specialization of #$MechanicalDevice.
Each instance of #$HouseholdAppliance
is a device used in one of the tasks typically carried on in
a home, such as food preparation, food storage, laundry,
household cleaning, personal cleaning, and cooling or
heating the house for comfort. Specializations of #$HouseholdAppliance
include the collections #$Oven, #$Refrigerator,
#$ClothesDryer, #$VacuumCleaner, #$HotWaterHeater, and #$Furnace.
guid: bd588993-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$PoweredDevice #$MechanicalDevice #$HOCObject #$RepairableProduct
#$NuclearPoweredDevice nuclear
powered device
A specialization of #$PoweredDevice.
Each instance of #$NuclearPoweredDevice
is a device which uses nuclear fission or fusion reactions
as a source of its power. Specializations of #$NuclearPoweredDevice
include #$NuclearSubmarine and #$NuclearAircraftCarrier.
guid: c1009f53-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PoweredDevice
#$SolarPoweredDevice solar
powered device
A specialization of #$PoweredDevice.
Each instance of #$SolarPoweredDevice
is a device which is powered by energy from sunlight.
Instances of #$SolarPoweredDevice
include solar-powered calculators and solar heating systems.
guid: bd58b9b6-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PoweredDevice
#$FuelPoweredDevice fuel-powered devices
A collection of physical devices; a subcollection
of #$PoweredDevice.
An instance of #$FuelPoweredDevice
is directly powered by combustible fuels such as gasoline,
coal, and natural gas. Common examples of #$FuelPoweredDevice
include automobiles with gasoline-powered engines, kerosene
heaters, propane torches, and jet airplanes.
guid: bd58d2b1-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$MechanicalDevice #$PoweredDevice
direct generalization of:
#$Helicopter
#$FixedWingAircraft #$TrainEngine
#$InternalCombustionPoweredDevice
#$InternalCombustionPoweredDevice internal
combustion powered device
A specialization of #$FuelPoweredDevice.
Each instance of #$InternalCombustionPoweredDevice
is a device powered by an internal combustion engine.
Notable specializations of #$InternalCombustionPoweredDevice
include #$Motorcycle,
#$Motorboat,
and #$Bus-RoadVehicle.
guid: bd58be57-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$FuelPoweredDevice #$SelfPoweredDevice
direct generalization of:
#$RoadVehicle-InternalCombustionEngine #$Motorcycle
#$Motorboat
#$ConstructionVehicle
#$Engine engines
(mechanical devices)
A collection of #$PoweredDevices.
An instance of #$Engine is a device
that changes some form of energy into motion (usually
rotation). An engine may operate by burning some type of
fuel (as do jet engines and internal combustion engines), or
it may be powered by electricity, fluid flow, etc.
guid: bd58cec4-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PoweredDevice #$MechanicalDevice
#$Wire wires
A collection of physical devices, namely all the
slender stringlike pieces of metal, with or without
insulative casing. Various instances of #$Wire are designed for
and serve many different functions: connecting, carrying
electrical power and/or electrically coded information, heat
or light radiation, etc. Pieces of wire may be coated with
insulation (instances of #$InsulatingCover). Wires not
intended to carry electricity are still instances of this
collection; e.g., wires that are used in a piano, in a
person's dental braces, etc.
guid: bd58f5c3-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$CordlikeObject #$PhysicalDevice
#$ContainerProduct container products
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$ContainerProduct
is an object whose #$primaryFunction
(or one of whose main functions) is to be a container.
Examples are of staggering variety, including storage
containers for books, office records, food, clothing, tools,
and materials; containers for transporting the same;
passenger compartments of various kinds of vehicles;
artificial constructs for housing humans and animals; etc.,
etc. Instances of #$Crib, #$Sandbox, #$OfficeSpace, and #$Coffin.
guid: bd58cd8e-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$Artifact-NonAgentive #$Container #$PhysicalDevice
direct generalization of:
#$FluidReservoir
#$FoodVessel
#$StorageConstruct #$TransportationContainerProduct #$HumanOccupationConstruct
#$HumanOccupationConstruct human
occupation construct
A collection of places. Each #$HumanOccupationConstruct
is a place where people do things, such as: the Empire State
Building, an individual office in that building, the White
House, the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House, an elevator,
a tent, etc. An instance of #$HumanOccupationConstruct
is an artificial construction belonging to the collection #$ContainerProduct,
and its #$primaryFunction
is as a place in which humans perform activities. Some large
subcollections include (a) instances of #$HumanShelterConstruction
(e.g., houses); (b) sub-regions within a #$HumanShelterConstruction
or within any building which are intended for human use
(e.g., rooms, shower stalls), and (c) regions in any
transportation vehicle which are designed for human
occupancy (e.g., the cockpit, passenger compartment). Note:
Some buildings which are not themselves instances of #$HumanOccupationConstruct,
such as #$HooverDam, may have a sub-region which is a #$HumanOccupationConstruct
(e.g., the control room at the top of the dam). Note: The
collection #$HumanOccupationConstruct
is broad enough to include tents, boiler rooms, elevator
shafts, steam tunnels, and the space inside the
#$LincolnMemorialInWashingtonDC. Thus, an instance of #$HumanOccupationConstruct
need not be strictly #$Indoors-IsolatedFromOutside (q.v.),
since #$Indoors-IsolatedFromOutside is meant to include many
characteristics that those places do not necessarily share
(such as humanly comfortable temperature, lighting at night,
not terribly noisy or windy, clean). We therefore do not
make the default assertion that a #$HumanOccupationConstruct
is #$Indoors-IsolatedFromOutside; however, an instance of #$HumanOccupationConstruct
is certainly not a purely #$OutdoorLocation
(q.v.), so we DO assert that those two collections are
disjoint. Certain subcollections of #$HumanOccupationConstruct,
however, do have `indoor' characteristics, and so we assert
(for example) that anything found inside instances of #$RoomInAConstruction
or #$ModernShelterConstruction
is found #$Indoors-IsolatedFromOutside. Note: For places
designed to be occupied by humans but which are purely
outdoor locations (such as instances of #$Lawn,
#$ParkingLot, and #$Playground), see #$HumanlyOccupiedSpatialObject.
guid: bd58a036-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$HumanlyOccupiedSpatialObject #$HexalateralObject #$ContainerProduct #$ConstructionArtifact
direct generalization of:
#$SubwayStation
#$HumanShelterConstruction
#$SpaceInAHOC
#$HumanShelterConstruction human
shelter constructions
A collection of artifacts; a subcollection of #$HumanOccupationConstruct.
An instance of #$HumanShelterConstruction
is a place made to shelter people from the elements by
allowing them to get indoors. Subcollections include #$ModernHumanResidence,
#$SchoolBuilding, #$ShoppingMallBuilding, and many others.
An instance of #$HumanShelterConstruction
must have a roof and typically has sides, though the latter
may be flimsy (as in elements of #$TentTheShelter) or even
absent (as in some elements of #$ParkingGarage).
guid: bd58cd3f-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$HumanOccupationConstruct #$ShelterConstruction
direct generalization of:
#$HumanResidence
#$PhysicalContactLocation
#$Building
#$PhysicalContactLocation physical locations
A collection of locations; a subcollection of #$HumanShelterConstruction.
An instance of #$PhysicalContactLocation
is the principal place(s) where an #$Agent can be
physically found. For people, that would (probably) be their
home and/or office. For an organization, it would be the
location of their place of business, their headquarters,
etc. Note that a purely procedural method for getting in
touch with someone, such as their Post Office Box number in
a certain city, is not a #$PhysicalContactLocation.
guid: c10ad9b0-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ContactLocationType
direct specialization of:
#$Place #$HumanShelterConstruction #$ContactLocation
direct generalization of:
#$HumanResidence
#$Workplace
#$Building buildings
A collection of artifacts; a subcollection of #$FixedStructure
and of #$HumanShelterConstruction.
An instance of #$Building is
typically a substantial structure and must have walls and a
roof, with rooms inside or at least some area designed to be
occupied by humans (but not necessarily as a residence).
Examples include the #$EmpireStateBuilding, Michael
Jackson's house in L.A., King Arthur's castle, an
#$AircraftHangar at O'Hare, a #$Lighthouse in the
Mediterranean sea, the #$SydneyOperaHouse, the
#$WashingtonMonumentInWashingtonDC, etc.
guid: bd58fb28-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$HumanShelterConstruction #$RealEstate #$FixedStructure
direct generalization of:
#$RailroadStation-Physical
#$OneStoryBuilding
#$ModernShelterConstruction
#$ThreeStoryBuilding
#$TwoStoryBuilding
#$ModernShelterConstruction modern
shelter constructions
A collection of construction artifacts; a
subcollection of #$Building (q.v.).
An instance of #$ModernShelterConstruction
is a building that provides comfortable shelter for humans
during some of their daily activities. Instances of #$ModernShelterConstruction
have the kinds of features found in modern-day buildings in
Europe, the USA, and other technologically developed parts
of the world, namely, amenities like doors, plumbing,
electricity, and probably some kind of climate control
system for maintaining humanly comfortable conditions
indoors. Examples include the #$NewYorkHiltonAtBroadway, the
#$SydneyOperaHouse, and instances of the collection #$ModernHumanResidence
(e.g., a newly built home in a suburban development or a
renovated brownstone in NYC).
guid: bd58a081-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$Building
direct generalization of:
#$ModernHumanResidence
#$FluidReservoir fluid reservoirs
A collection of containers having an opening, which
may be small and resealable (as in a #$Bottle) or large and
open, as in a #$Tub; a subcollection of #$ContainerProduct.
An instance of #$FluidReservoir
is a container which was designed to hold fluids. These
include instances of the collections #$Spoon, #$ToiletBowl,
#$GlassBottle, etc. Note a special negative case: natural
`reservoirs', such as #$Lakes, are not #$ContainerProducts
-- though the #$Dams that create them are artifacts, the
reservoir water is contained in the natural landscape -- and
hence such reservoirs are not subcollections of #$FluidReservoir.
guid: bd58f745-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$ContainerProduct #$TopAndBottomSidedObject
#$FoodVessel food vessel
A specialization of both #$ContainerProduct
and #$FoodUtensil. Each
instance of #$FoodVessel is a
portable container designed for holding, storing, or
preparing food or drink. Specializations of #$FoodVessel
include the collections #$CookingVessel, #$EatingVessel, and #$FoodStorageContainer.
guid: bd58a35c-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$ContainerProduct #$FoodUtensil
#$FoodOrDrinkPreparationDevice kitchen appliances
A collection of objects; a subcollection of #$PhysicalDevice.
An instance of #$FoodOrDrinkPreparationDevice
is a device whose #$primaryFunction
is to prepare food or drink somehow, such as a #$Colander, a
#$SpiceMill or a #$StoveTopCookingPot.
guid: bd588d6a-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$HOCObject #$PhysicalDevice
#$LightingDevice lights (mechanisms)
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$LightingDevice
has the #$primaryFunction
of providing light. The light provided may be provided in
different ways and for different specialized purposes. For
example, it may be for general illumination of a fixed area
(as by instances of #$Candle, #$Lantern, #$ElectricLamp, and
#$Streetlight); or it may be for specially directed
illumination (as by instances of #$AutomotiveLight and
#$Flashlight); or it may be for use in a signal or sign (as
by instances of #$TrafficLight and #$IndicatorLight); or it
may be for some other special purposes (as by instances of StrobeLight).
guid: bd58a5ec-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$ProductType #$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PoweredDevice
#$ControlDevice control devices
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$ControlDevice
is a device whose #$primaryFunction
is to control the behavior/functioning/properties of another
thing (usually another instance of #$PhysicalDevice).
Obvious instances of #$ControlDevice
include: the remote control for your TV (an instance of
#$RemoteControlDevice), the brake pedal on your car (an
instance of #$Pedal-ControlDevice), the light switch on your
bedroom wall (an instance of #$ElectricalSwitch); a less
obvious instance of #$ControlDevice
is #$HooverDam (an instance of #$Dam).
guid: bd59097b-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$ControlStructure-Physical #$PhysicalDevice
#$InformationRecordingDevice information
recording devices
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$InformationRecordingDevice
is a device used for the recording of sensory information
(i.e., audio and visual, but not encoded as character
strings.) So an instance would be your answering machine at
home (an #$AnsweringMachine), your cam-corder (a
#$VideoCamera), but NOT your address book or your copy of
the Yellow Pages. Note: A borderline case is a PDA (such as
an Apple Newton) used to record handwritten script. If it
then processes that information and converts it to ASCII
characters, it has stopped being an #$InformationRecordingDevice
in the currently intended sense. Probably a better name for
this concept, therefore, would be DeviceToRecordAnalogInformation.
guid: bd58feeb-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$ProductType #$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
#$Weapon weapons
A subcollection of #$PhysicalDevice
instances of which are primarily designed as instruments for
physically harming or destroying animals (often humans),
buildings, or other #$ConstructionArtifacts.
Subcollections of #$Weapon include
#$Sword, #$Gun-Portable, and #$Bomb. Also included are
various types of military hardware used to kill, destroy, or
immobilize. Note that in the case of missile weapons, both
the launcher and the unit of ammunition are considered #$Weapons in this
sense. E.g. a bow, an arrow, a missile launcher, an ICBM
missile, a gun, and a bullet are all #$Weapons.
guid: bd58fc57-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$ProductType #$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
direct generalization of: #$ConventionalWeapon
#$DirectFireWeapon
#$MeasuringDevice measuring devices
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$MeasuringDevice
is a device used for measuring some quantity such as #$Distance, #$Volume, #$Temperature,
etc. Examples include the odometer in your car (an
#$Odometer), the graduated glass measuring cup in your
kitchen (a #$MeasuringCup), and the thermostat on your wall
(a #$TemperatureMeasuringDevice, although it is also a #$ControlDevice.)
guid: bd590901-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
#$MeasuringSomething measuring events
A specialization of #$PurposefulPhysicalAction.
Each instance of #$MeasuringSomething
is an event in which an agent uses a physical device to
measure some physical attribute of a tangible object. The
last part of such an event involves the perception (and
perhaps recording) of a result of the measurement (see the
predicate #$measurementResult)
by some instance of #$PerceptualAgent.
See also the function #$MeasurementFn.
guid: bd588524-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TemporalObjectType
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
direct specialization of: #$Evaluating #$UsingADevice
#$CarpentryTool carpentry tools
A collection of tools. An instance of #$CarpentryTool
is any tool (not limited to hand tools) that is used in
carpentry. Examples include table saws, jigsaws, hammers,
woodworking tools, etc. By default, a carpenter would be
skilled at using such tools.
guid: bd58c9e9-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$HardwareTool
#$OpticalDevice vision aids
A collection of physical devices. An instance of #$OpticalDevice
is a device that affects light by either reflecting it,
refracting it, causing its rays to converge or diverge, or
more complicated combinations of such operations. Examples
include devices whose function is to enhance human vision
(e.g., each #$Mirror, each pair of #$EyeGlasses, each set of
#$Binoculars), as well as devices that manipulate light for
other purposes (e.g., instances of
#$OpticalComputerStorageDevice and #$LaserDiscPlayer).
guid: bd58ecdd-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$HumanScaleObject #$PhysicalDevice
#$PlumbingFixture plumbing fixtures
A specialization of #$PhysicalDevice.
Each instance of #$PlumbingFixture
is a device whose primary function is to be a functional,
significant part of some plumbing system (see the constant
#$PlumbingSystem-Building). Notable specializations of #$PlumbingFixture
include #$Pipe-Plumbing, #$Toilet, and #$ShowerHead.
guid: bd58f57a-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$PartOfBuilding #$PhysicalDevice
#$GardeningTool gardening tools
A collection of tools. An instance of #$GardeningTool
is a tool (not limited to hand tools) which is used in
gardening. This includes elements of the collections #$Hoe,
#$Rake, #$PruningShears, #$PruningSaw, and #$Weedeater, and
more. Note that types of tools which are used in much more
general contexts are not specifically included here as
subsets --- e.g., #$Shovel. They are likely to have subsets
worth distinguishing which ARE also subsets of #$GardeningTool.
Note that a particular physical object might be a #$GardeningTool
even if other members of the same class generally aren't;
e.g., a soup spoon that you use for digging holes for plants
in your garden one day is a #$GardeningTool
that day.
guid: bd58e3f1-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
#$ProductType
direct specialization of:
#$Tool
#$MedicalDevice medical tools
A collection of tools. Instances of #$MedicalDevice
are physical implements or tools which are normally used in
the practice of medicine. These include hand-held tools used
by medical professionals, including scalpels, dental tools,
stethoscopes. Other examples of this collection include
devices such as a hospital beds, casts, slings, x-ray
devices, etc.
guid: bd58cd4a-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
#$ExplosiveDevice explosive devices
A collection of devices which are designed to
explode. They may be used to make holes that help construct
mines or swimming pools or flat areas for roads or house
foundations; in the demolition/destruction/removal of
buildings, tree stumps, and other sorts of property; in
weapons of war or terrorism to harm or kill or deter people;
or even as entertainment (e.g., fireworks).
guid: c10ae1f0-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$SelfPoweredDevice
#$FurniturePiece pieces
of furniture
A collection of durable artifacts which are used in
#$HumanShelterConstructions
to make human dwelling places more comfortable. An instance
of #$FurniturePiece
is a whole piece of furniture, such as a table, chair, or
chest of drawers; an arm of a sofa is not a #$FurniturePiece.
Its subsets can be classified according to the main
functions their elements serve: (1) providing support for
people's bodies while they are seated or reclining (e.g.,
#$Bed-PieceOfFurniture, #$Sofa-PieceOfFurniture,
#$FootStool, #$FixedTheaterSeat); (2) providing work/action
surfaces (e.g., #$Desk-PieceOfFurniture, #$DiningRoomTable);
(3) providing organized and/or protective storage for
people's stuff (e.g., #$Dresser-PieceOfFurniture,
#$Bookcase-PieceOfFurniture); (4) providing extra
illumination or some other function in living and work areas
(e.g., #$ElectricLamp). Most pieces of furniture belong to
the collection #$NonPoweredDevice
(q.v.) in that they don't need any energy input in order to
do their function. Note: Yes, of course lamps, fancy console
TVs, hospital beds, etc. are exceptions to that last rule --
they require power. But in a sense they are really objects
performing multiple independent functions. A fancy console
TV is a piece of furniture even when it's turned off; it
just so happens to fulfill two roles, one as a piece of
furniture and one as an appliance. When it's turned on, in
fact, its users are intended to stop noticing it as a piece
of furniture.)
guid: bd58d01d-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$ProductByGenericType #$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$SolidTangibleProduct #$HOCObject #$TopAndBottomSidedObject #$DurableGoods
#$Tool tools (devices)
A collection of devices; a subcollection of #$PhysicalDevice.
An instance of #$Tool
is a device which is used by people to manipulate and/or
alter other objects or the immediate environment in some way
(hence, it does not include #$PomPoms). #$Tools are also
typically controlled by their user during use (see
#$Device-UserControlled) and can be used more than once (and
is thus disjoint with the collection #$Device-OneTimeUse).
#$Tool includes
devices used in many different activities. A sampling of
subcollections shows some of that variety:
#$WoodworkingTool, #$CarpentryTool,
#$PlumbingTool,
some kinds of #$MedicalDevices
(but not all!), #$CleaningImplement,
#$WritingImplement.
guid: c0fce764-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of: #$Device-UserControlled
direct generalization of:
#$HardwareTool
#$HandTool
#$CuttingDevice cutting implements
A specialization of #$PoweredDevice.
Each instance of #$CuttingDevice
is a device whose #$primaryFunction
is to (enable its user to) cut another object.
Specializations of #$CuttingDevice
include the collections #$Razor, #$Scissors, and #$LawnMower.
guid: bd589153-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PoweredDevice
#$HandTool manual tools
A specialization of both #$Tool and #$PortableObject.
Each instance of #$HandTool is a
portable tool which is hand-guided throughout its operation.
Specializations of #$HandTool include
the collections #$Screwdriver, #$ManualDrill, and #$BlowDryer.
guid: bd58a0fa-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$Tool #$Device-SingleUser #$PortableObject
direct generalization of:
#$FoodUtensil
#$WritingImplement
#$GraspingImplement
#$CleaningDevice cleaning tools
A collection of devices. An instance of #$CleaningDevice
is any device, manually powered or otherwise, whose #$primaryFunction
is to be used in cleaning things. Instances include each
#$Mop, each #$RegularWindshieldWiper, each #$FacialTissue,
each #$ShoeBrush, each #$ClothesWasher, each #$Dishwasher, etc.
guid: bd58b64c-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
direct generalization of:
#$CleaningImplement
#$CleaningImplement cleaning implements
A collection of tools; a subset of #$HandTool and also
of #$CleaningDevice.
An instance of #$CleaningImplement
is any hand-held tool used for cleaning something. Cleaning
implements are used in a wide variety of activities and
settings; some subsets include the collections #$Mop,
#$DentalPick, #$ElectricToothBrush, #$WashCloth,
#$FacialTissue, #$ShoeBrush. Many cleaning implements are
intended for wiping, scrubbing, or polishing surfaces to
remove patches of #$Dirt.
guid: bd589192-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$CleaningDevice
#$WritingImplement writing implements
A collection of tools. An instance of #$WritingImplement
is a hand-held tool which is intended to be primarily used,
by a person, for writing. Subsets include the collections
#$Chalk-WritingImplement and #$WritingPen (but not
#$Typewriter). Note: A marginal example is a PDA, such as an
Apple Newton, with a stylus; both items, the PDA and the
stylus, can be held in one's hands and used to record one's
handwritten notes. Another marginal positive example is a
stylus designed to held in the mouth by a quadraplegic
person; i.e., `hand-held' is not an absolutely hard and fast
constraint here. A close NON-example is a handheld calculator.
guid: bd58ffe6-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$HandTool #$Shaft
#$WritingByHand handwriting
Writing is the formation of characters or symbols
on a suitable surface for transmitting information.
guid: bd588ca7-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
#$TemporalStuffType
direct specialization of:
#$SpreadingStuffOntoSurface #$SingleDoerAction #$MarkingOnASurface #$Writing
#$GraspingImplement grasping implements
A collection of tools. An instance of #$GraspingImplement
is a tool which is intended to be used to grasp (and often
to subsequently immobilize or control the location/movement
of) some other solid object. Examples include each #$Vise,
each pair of #$Forceps, each #$MonkeyWrench, each pair of
#$Tweezers, etc. But not a balloon, a syringe, a doorstop, a
cage, etc. A marginal positive example would be a magnetic
tool designed to pick up something without actually touching it.
guid: bd58c762-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$HandTool
#$GraspingSomethingWithATool grasping
something with a tool
A collection of the events in which a tool is used
to grasp some object.
guid: bd58de3e-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TemporalStuffType
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
direct specialization of:
#$HandlingADevice #$HoldingAnObject
#$Device-UserPowered user-powered devices
A specialization of #$MusclePoweredDevice.
Each instance of #$Device-UserPowered
is an artifact deliberately designed to perform a particular
function, and one which depends upon the physical efforts of
the user to perform that function in part or in whole. A
paradigm example would be a bicycle. However, the definition
also leaves room for some counterintuitive cases -- for
example, combs and forks also qualify as user-powered
devices. Borderline cases would be devices which require
effort on the part of the user to perform part of the
function, but not all of it. For example, many gas-powered
lawnmowers have to be pushed by hand, but use an internal
combustion engine to impart the necessary velocity to the
cutting surfaces.
guid: bd5894f7-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$MusclePoweredDevice
direct generalization of:
#$Canoe #$Bicycle #$Rowboat
#$Device-SingleUser single-user devices
A collection of devices. One can classify devices
according to how many simultaneous users they typically
have. An instance of #$Device-SingleUser
is any device that typically has/requires exactly one (i.e.,
one and only one) user. A screwdriver (an instance of
#$Screwdriver) is a #$Device-SingleUser,
but a grand piano (an instance of #$GrandPiano) is not. A
borderline non-example is a car --- although only one person
operates it, several can `use' it at once, i.e. derive the
value of its primary function which is transportation. So a
car is not a #$Device-SingleUser.
A borderline example is a telephone -- although it requires
two or more users (each on telephones) for meaningful use,
each phone generally has just one user at a time. So a
telephone is a #$Device-SingleUser
but a telephone-circuit is not.
guid: c10093ce-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalDevice
direct generalization of:
#$HandTool #$SomethingToWear
#$PortableObject portable objects
A specialization of #$PartiallyTangible.
Each instance of #$PortableObject
is something that is not `fastened down', and which is light
enough for an average human (or, more to the point, for its
average intended user) to move easily. For many instances of
#$PortableObject,
portability is important for the fulfillment of their
primary functions; for example, an article of clothing (an
instance of #$SomethingToWear),
a hand-guided tool (an instance of #$HandTool), a coin
or dollar bill (an instance of #$Currency), or a
flashlight (an instance of #$Flashlight) would be pretty
useless if they weren't portable. In other cases, making a
device portable, or making a portable version of a device,
simply provides a convenience, as with the subcollections
#$PortableTelevision and #$PortableStereoSystem. Note that
#$Tool is not a
subcollection of #$PortableObject,
since many tools are heavy and/or stationary. A borderline
example of a #$PortableObject
would be a heart/lung machine; although the beneficiary of
its primary function is in no position to move it around,
the physicians and nurses who also are `using' it can and do
exactly that. The same goes for a playpen; the kids in it
had better _not_ be able to move it around, but the adults
who set it up and put them there can and do move it. A
borderline non-example would be a car; even though its user
can make it move around, that is more a controlling action
than a transporting action --- i.e., the car is doing the
transporting in that case, not the driver. A borderline
example is a cat; even though it moves under its own power,
it is light enough for its owner to pick it up and move it
around. A borderline example is a bed or a dresser; though
too heavy to lift, its owners can generally move it around
(by sliding, disassembling and reassembling, and so on).
guid: bd588131-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ExistingObjectType
direct specialization of: #$HumanScaleObject
direct generalization of:
#$DomesticPet
#$Card #$JuvenileAnimal
#$SomethingToWear
#$PaperIBT #$Currency #$HandTool
States
#$DeviceState functioning
A subcollection of #$AttributeValue.
Each instance of #$DeviceState
is a state in which some device can be. Instances of #$DeviceState
include #$DeviceOn, #$OffHook, and #$Unlocked.
guid: bd590b25-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$UnorderedAttributeType
direct specialization of:
#$AttributeValue
#$ChangingDeviceState changes
of device state
The collection of actions in which a device goes
from one state (the #$fromState)
to another state (the #$toState). A
change of #$DeviceState
may be due to an outside #$Agent adjusting a
device, or it may happen automatically due to the behavior
of a device. The two most general state changes (for powered
devices) are from #$DeviceOn to #$DeviceOff, and vice versa.
Many other states peculiar to specific devices can be
identified; for example, the states of a #$Dishwasher:
#$DeviceState-Washing and #$DeviceState-Rinsing; or the
states that a trapping device may be in: #$TrapArmed,
#$TrapTripped, #$TrapIdle. Note that a change in the state
of a device is an intrinsic change in the device; i.e., #$ChangingDeviceState
is a subcollection of #$IntrinsicStateChangeEvent.
guid: bd58d12d-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TemporalObjectType
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
direct specialization of:
#$Action #$IntrinsicStateChangeEvent #$PhysicalEvent
direct generalization of:
#$TurningOffPoweredDevice
#$TurningOnPoweredDevice
#$toState to state
This predicate is used in connection with #$IntrinsicStateChangeEvent,
to identify the #$AttributeValue
a thing has immediately after the change. (#$toState
EVENT VALUE) means that following the
intrinsic-state-changing action, EVENT, the object
undergoing the change is characterized by the the value
VALUE of the relevant attribute. For example, after any X
which is a #$TurningOnAnElectricalSwitch, the switch
involved has (#$toState X #$DeviceOn).
guid: bd64608d-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$BinaryPredicate
#$fromState from state
This predicate is used in connection with #$IntrinsicStateChangeEvent,
to identify the #$AttributeValue
that a thing has before the change. (#$fromState
EVENT VALUE) means that immediately prior to EVENT (which is
the intrinsic-state-changing action), the thing that is
changed in EVENT has the value VALUE for the relevant
attribute (and during the EVENT the thing changes from that
to another value for that attribute). For example, prior to
any X which is a #$TurningOnAnElectricalSwitch, the switch
involved has (#$fromState
X #$DeviceOff).
guid: bd623b07-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$BinaryPredicate
#$ObtainingDeviceStateFn obtaining
device state fn
#$ObtainingDeviceStateFn
is a Cyc function and in particular a #$CollectionDenotingFunction.
It is used to represent a collection of events in which a
device of a certain type changes into a certain state of
operation (see #$DeviceState).
Thus, (#$ObtainingDeviceStateFn
DEVICE STATE) returns the collection of events in which
devices of type DEVICE change state to STATE. For example,
(#$ObtainingDeviceStateFn
#$Dishwasher #$DeviceState-Rinsing) represents all the
events in which dishwashers switch into their rinse cycles.
This function is quite useful because often one wants and
needs to state rules of the form: after a certain triggering
condition occurs, a state-change event of a certain type
will be caused and will almost immediately occur. E.g.,
after a light switch is flipped off, after an elevator
button is pushed, after #$DeviceState-Rinsing ends, etc.
guid: bd58b216-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$BinaryFunction #$CollectionDenotingFunction
#$ReifiableFunction
#$Individual
#$stateOfDevice state
of device
This predicate is used to identify the state of
operation that a particular device is in. (#$stateOfDevice
DEV STATE) means that the #$PhysicalDevice
DEV is in the #$DeviceState
STATE. Thus, (#$stateOfDevice
HAL #$DeviceOff) says that the computer HAL is switched off.
guid: bd58eb21-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TangibleObjectPredicate
#$BinaryAttributePredicate
direct specialization of:
#$hasAttributes
Action
#$ControllingSomething controlling events
A specialization of #$PurposefulAction.
An instance of #$ControllingSomething
is a purposeful action in which some #$Agent intentionally
controls some object. It is not necessary that the agent
touch the #$objectControlled,
only that s/he have an efficacious means of controlling its
action -- thus, instances of #$ControllingSomething
include all instances of #$GuidingAMovingObject
(some of which involve a #$RemoteControlDevice). Further
specializations are: #$HandlingAnObject,
#$Braking, #$SteeringADeviceByHand,
#$PlayingAMusicalInstrument, #$CuttingFabric,
#$CarryingWhileLocomoting, #$FlushingAToilet, etc. Whenever
a #$ControlDevice
(qv) is being used, for its primary function, presumably a
#$ControllingSomething
event is taking place. Borderline examples include having a
conversation by telephone, doing the dishes by hand, and
having a cat as a pet.
guid: bd588c1d-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TemporalObjectType
direct specialization of: #$PurposefulPhysicalAction
direct generalization of:
#$GuidingAMovingObject
#$HandlingAnObject
#$DirectedTranslation #$ControllingAPhysicalDevice
#$HandlingAnObject handling
A collection of events; a specialization of both #$ControllingSomething
and #$PhysicalContactEvent. An instance of #$HandlingAnObject
is an event in which an object is touched and manipulated by
some #$Agent.
Examples of #$HandlingAnObject
include instances of #$HoldingAnObject and of
#$CausingAnotherObjectsTranslationalMotion. So just holding
a rock in your hand is a #$HandlingAnObject;
so is washing your cereal bowl (an instance of
#$WashingDishes), cutting a loose thread on your shirt (an
instance of #$CuttingAThread), and carrying the rock from
one place to another (an instance of
#$CarryingWhileLocomoting.) One very important class of #$HandlingAnObject
instances involve operating some hand-held device --- i.e.,
events which are instances of the collection #$HandlingADevice.
I.e., the performer handles an object which happens to be a
device, but not just lugging it around but actually
employing it for its intended #$primaryFunction
--- not merely to look at it or rearrange or relocate it.
For example, if you move a fork from the dishwasher to the
silverware drawer, that's just #$HandlingAnObject;
if you use that fork to eat some food, though, that is an
instance of #$HandlingADevice.
guid: bd588ca1-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TemporalStuffType
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
direct specialization of:
#$ActionOnObject #$ControllingSomething
direct generalization of:
#$TakingOffAClothingItem
#$PuttingOnAClothingItem
#$MaterialHandling #$HoldingAnObject #$HandlingADevice
#$GuidingAMovingObject guiding
A specialization of both #$ControllingSomething
and #$DirectedTranslation. Each instance of #$GuidingAMovingObject
is an event in which an agent guides or steers an object
which is in translational (as opposed to rotational) motion.
Notable specializations of #$GuidingAMovingObject
include #$PuttingSomethingSomewhere, #$GuidingAnAnimal, and #$SteeringADeviceByHand.
guid: c100601b-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TemporalStuffType
direct specialization of: #$DirectedTranslation
direct generalization of: #$PuttingSomethingSomewhere
#$HarvestingAPlant
#$HandlingADevice use
of a device
A specialization of #$HandlingAnObject.
Each instance of #$HandlingADevice
is an event in which a device is manipulated (with the
operator holding and touching the device) so that it can be
used for its #$primaryFunction.
Specializations of #$HandlingADevice
include #$Pruning, #$PlayingAMusicalInstrument,
#$OperatingAHouseholdAppliance, #$PumpingGasEvent, and #$WritingByHand.
guid: bd588c5e-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TemporalStuffType
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
direct specialization of:
#$ControllingAPhysicalDevice #$HandlingAnObject #$HumanActivity
direct generalization of:
#$CuttingSomething
#$GraspingSomethingWithATool
#$CuttingSomething cuts (handling)
A specialization of both #$HandlingADevice
and #$SeparationEvent.
Each instance of #$CuttingSomething
is an event in which some piece of material stuff is cut,
whether or not a complete separation of parts occurs.
Specializations of #$CuttingSomething
include #$CuttingNails, #$Butchering, and #$CuttingFabric.
guid: bd58a3ca-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TemporalStuffType
direct specialization of:
#$HandlingADevice #$SeparationEvent
direct generalization of: #$CuttingInPieces
#$ControllingATransporter controlling
a transporter
A collection of events; a subset of #$HandlingADevice.
Every instance of #$ControllingATransporter
represents some action of an #$Agent in controlling
an object which plays the role of #$transporter
(q.v.) in some instance of #$TransportationEvent.
The transporter could be a beast of burden, an automobile,
an airplane, a bicycle, a wheelchair, etc. Instances of #$ControllingATransporter
include the individual actions which are involved in
controlling the direction and speed of a #$transporter,
e.g., such actions as pressing buttons, moving levers,
depressing pedals, and pulling reins. Elements of #$ControllingATransporter
are not the gross actual movement, trajectory etc. of the
transporter, and thus not elements of #$TransportationEvent.
Of course a successful #$ControllingATransporter
event will generally mean that there was some successful #$TransportationEvent
too! I.e., if you successfully control the direction and
speed of a car for a while, then presumably there was a
transportation event in which that car transported you
somewhere. And the various sub-events of the #$ControllingATransporter
event can also be considered sub-events of that #$TransportationEvent
--- in fact, the entire #$ControllingATransporter
event can be considered a sub-event of that #$TransportationEvent.
guid: bd588fc1-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TemporalStuffType
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
direct specialization of:
#$HandlingADevice
#$TransportWithMotorizedLandVehicle transport
with motorized land vehicle
A collection of transportation events; a subset of
#$ControllingATransporter.
An instance of #$TransportWithMotorizedLandVehicle
is a transportation event that takes place on land using a
motorized vehicle as the transporter. Examples include
instances of the collections #$OffRoadMotorcycleRiding and
some of the various #$TransportViaFns.
guid: c0fe07f5-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
#$TemporalObjectType
direct specialization of: #$ControllingAPhysicalDevice #$TransportInvolvingADriver
#$PoweringADevice powering
A collection of events; a subset of #$HandlingADevice.
An instance of #$PoweringADevice
is an event in which a human or non-human animal #$Agent (or set of them)
uses a device which is designed to transform some repetitive
muscular motion into useful work, namely into providing the
power for some device to function. E.g., a #$Rowing event is
such an event, and causes (provides the power for) the
device (the rowboat) to move. The same for
#$PedalingABicycle . The same for pulling a covered wagon
(in which case a team of horses may be providing the power.)
guid: bd58e992-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$TemporalStuffType
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
direct specialization of:
#$HandlingADevice
#$DeviceDamageAttribute device
damage attribute
A collection of attributes. An instance of #$DeviceDamageAttribute
represents a set of symptoms of device breakage --
attributes unlikely to be found in a working device. Some
elements of #$DeviceDamageAttribute
are: #$Torn, #$Bent, #$Burnt, and #$Fractured.
guid: bd589b50-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$AttributeType
direct specialization of:
#$AttributeValue
#$DeviceStartingARun starting
A collection of events. An instance of #$DeviceStartingARun
is an event in which some device begins its normal cycle of
processes, e.g., an instance of #$AirplaneTakeOff. This is
often --- but not always --- the same thing as a device
going from the #$DeviceOff state to the #$DeviceOn state ---
e.g., the airplane was `on' for many minutes before it took
off. One could also define the collection
dead-start-to-finish-airplane-flight, which would not start
with an #$AirplaneTakeOff but rather with a true turning-on
of power to the airplane, or even with the pre-ignition
check of the aircraft and boarding of the crew.
guid: bd58c7fc-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
direct specialization of:
#$DeviceRunning
#$DeviceFinishingARun device
finishing a run
A collection of events. An instance of #$DeviceFinishingARun
is an event in which some device finishes its normal cycle
of processes, e.g., an instance of #$AirplaneLanding. This
is often --- but not always --- the same thing as a device
going from the #$DeviceOn state to the #$DeviceOff state ---
e.g., the airplane stays `on' for many minutes before it
took off. One could also define the collection
dead-start-to-finish-airplane-flight, which would not end
with an #$AirplaneLanding but with a true turning-off of the
airplane, or even with the exiting of the last crewmember
and the post-flight maintenance check of the aircraft.
guid: bd58c7c0-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
#$TemporalObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$DeviceRunning
#$SingleCompleteRunOfADevice run cycles
A collection of events. An instance of #$SingleCompleteRunOfADevice
is an event in which some device goes through exactly one
complete cycle of the processes it normally executes. In
essence, the device starts up, runs for awhile (maybe
executing a more complex series of steps), then stops. The
collection #$SingleCompleteRunOfADevice
does not include random #$timeSlices of a
device running, but only events which represent a whole
cycle. For example, an instance of #$CompleteRunOfAnEngine
in which my Honda Civic runs through the action of all four
pistons of its mighty engine, is a #$SingleCompleteRunOfADevice.
So is an instance of (#$TransportViaFn
#$Airplane)
Of course the engine will carry out many full cycles in the
course of its lifetime, in fact even in the course of a
single second; and the airplane will carry out many flights
in the course of its lifetime, in fact even in the course of
a single day perhaps.
guid: bd58c780-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
#$TemporalObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$DeviceRunning
#$DeviceRunning running
(physical event)
A collection of events. An instance of #$DeviceRunning
is an event in which some device is running. This collection
includes events which are complete cycles of a device's
normal function (see #$SingleCompleteRunOfADevice)
as well as random time slices (#$timeSlices) of
them running. Examples include instances of the collections
#$AirplaneTakeOff, #$SkateBoarding,
#$OffRoadMotorcycleRiding, etc. Some stranger examples ---
which are not instances of #$SingleCompleteRunOfADevice
--- include: all the the ignition phases of the firing of my
Honda's engine during November of 1996; my TV when it was on
and showing a commercial this year; my TV when it was on and
I was watching it this week.
guid: bd589045-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$DefaultDisjointScriptType
#$TemporalStuffType
direct specialization of:
#$PhysicalEvent
#$TransportViaFn transport
via fn
(#$TransportViaFn
OBJ-TYPE) denotes a subcollection of #$TransportationEvent.
In each instance of this collection there is an instance of
OBJ-TYPE that is a #$transporter.
See also the more general #$ConveyViaFn, particularly for
conveyors which do not necessarily undergo translation while
they convey things (e.g. pipelines, chair lifts, conveyor belts).
guid: bf7b4cac-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$UnaryFunction #$CollectionDenotingFunction
#$ReifiableFunction
#$Individual
#$DeviceRunningPartFn device
running part fn
#$DeviceRunningPartFn
is a Cyc function and, more specifically, an #$IndividualDenotingFunction.
It is used to represent the particular instance of #$DeviceRunning
which is associated with a particular transportation event.
(#$DeviceRunningPartFn
TRANS) takes as its argument the #$TransportViaFn
TRANS and returns an event (a #$subEvents of TRANS)
which represents the functioning of the #$transporter
in that #$Event.
guid: c10ada7b-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ReifiableFunction
#$IndividualDenotingFunction
#$UnaryFunction #$Individual
Predicates
#$decodingDeviceType decoding
device type
This predicate is used to specify the type of
device needed for decoding information contained in a
particular kind of encoding scheme. (#$decodingDeviceType
SCHEME DEV-TYP) means that DEV-TYP is the type of device
required to decode the information encoded with encoding
scheme SCHEME. For example, a telephone is the kind of
device needed to decode audio information sent over
telephone lines. A cable TV box is the device type needed to
decode cable TV signals. And so on. See also #$EncodingSchemeType.
guid: bd58cef2-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$BinaryPredicate
#$deviceControlledBy device
controlled by
(#$deviceControlledBy
DEV CONTROL) means that CONTROL is a #$ControlDevice
that controls #$PhysicalDevice
DEV. Most of the time, the controls will be #$physicalParts
of the device. However there are some notable exceptions --
one's TV remote control, for example -- which control a
device but are not #$physicalParts
of that device.
guid: bd5cbb65-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$AsymmetricBinaryPredicate
#$instrument-Generic instrument
(actor slot)
The predicate #$instrument-Generic
is used to link a particular event to any of the objects
which play an instrumental role in it. (#$instrument-Generic
EVENT OBJECT) means that OBJECT plays an intermediate causal
role in EVENT, facilitating the occurrence of EVENT, and
serving some purpose of some #$Agent. This can happen
in at least two ways: either the `doer' of EVENT acts on
OBJECT, which in turn acts on something else (as when
someone uses a hammer to pound in a nail) or the `doer' of
EVENT acts on something, making it possible for OBJECT to
act on that thing (as when someone puts wet clothes out in
the sun to dry). Typically, an #$instrument-Generic
is not significantly altered by playing that role in an
event. #$deviceUsed
is an important specialization of #$instrument-Generic.
guid: bd5d4eb3-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$IndividualLevelPredicate #$ActorSlot
direct specialization of:
#$actors
#$instrumentalRole
#$deviceUsed device
used (actor slot)
The predicate #$deviceUsed
relates an event to a device used in that event. (#$deviceUsed
EVENT OBJECT) means that the #$PhysicalDevice
OBJECT plays an instrumental role in the #$Event EVENT (see the
more generalized predicate #$instrument-Generic),
OBJECT is intentionally used in EVENT, and standardly (for
example, in the #$HumanActivitiesMt) OBJECT's role in EVENT
is consistent with the object's #$primaryFunction.
guid: bd5d0531-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ActorSlot
direct specialization of:
#$instrument-Generic
#$hasInterfaceDevices has
interface devices
This predicate identifies a particular interface
device that is linked to a particular computer. (#$hasInterfaceDevices
COMPUTER INTERFACE) means that INTERFACE is a #$ComputerInterfaceDevice
for the #$Computer COMPUTER.
E.g., this predicate holds between my desktop PC and the
mouse that's connected to it, the monitor that's connected
to it, the keyboard that's connected to it, etc.
guid: bd58bb61-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$AntiSymmetricBinaryPredicate
#$PhysicalPartPredicate
#$energySource energy
source (binary role predicate)
This predicate is used to identify a particular
source of energy used in a particular event. (#$energySource
EVENT ENERGYSOURCE) means that ENERGYSOURCE provides (some
of) the energy used in EVENT. ENERGYSOURCE might be a
battery, the sun, a person, etc.
guid: bd58ea4e-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$IndividualLevelPredicate
#$BinaryRolePredicate #$AsymmetricBinaryPredicate
direct specialization of:
#$temporallyIntersects
#$objectControlled controlled object
This predicate is used to indicate that a
particular object is being controlled in a particular event.
(#$objectControlled
EVENT OBJ) means that the object OBJ is being controlled in
the #$Event EVENT.
Note: #$objectControlled
does not assume or require physical contact between
controller and object controlled.
guid: bd58bdb0-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ActorSlot
direct specialization of:
#$objectActedOn
#$objectActedOn affected
object (actor slot)
The predicate #$objectActedOn
is used to relate an event to an entity or entities
significantly affected in that event. The entity or entities
in question must exist before the event, but may be either
destroyed in the event (see the more specific predicate #$inputsDestroyed),
or merely affected by it (for example, see the more specific
predicates #$damages and #$objectOfStateChange).
(#$objectActedOn
EVENT OBJECT) means that OBJECT is altered or affected in
EVENT, and the change that OBJECT undergoes is central or
focal to understanding EVENT. Thus, scissors are _not_ an #$objectActedOn
in a #$HairCuttingEvent. The focal change in a haircut is
hair getting shorter; thus, hair is a legitimate #$objectActedOn
in a #$HairCuttingEvent. The almost microscopic dulling that
scissors undergo in a single haircut is a comparatively
insignificant change with respect to a single haircut,
considered as a #$HairCuttingEvent.
guid: bd58bae6-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$IndividualLevelPredicate #$ActorSlot
direct specialization of:
#$preActors
#$patient-GenericDirect
#$vehicle vehicle
(actor slot)
(#$vehicle EVENT
VEHICLE) means that VEHICLE is a #$TransportationDevice-Vehicle
which is both the #$providerOfMotiveForce
and the #$transporter
in EVENT. If an object is a #$TransportationDevice-Vehicle
and plays the role of #$transporter
in some moving event, then it generally will play the role
of #$vehicle
in that event. Examples: a car plays the role of #$vehicle in
driving. Note, however, that a bicycle does not play the
role of #$vehicle in
bike riding since it is not a provider of motive force. A
borderline non-example is someone sitting in their car while
it's being pulled by a towtruck; their car is not playing
the role of #$vehicle in
that event.
guid: bd58a883-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ActorSlot
direct specialization of:
#$deviceUsed
#$transporter
#$providerOfMotiveForce
#$stuffUsed stuff used
The predicate #$stuffUsed
relates an event to some tangible substance which
facilitates that event. (#$stuffUsed
EVENT STUFF) means that STUFF is a portion of an instance of
#$ExistingStuffType
which plays an instrumental role in EVENT. STUFF may or may
not be consumed in the course of EVENT. Examples: portions
of #$Water are #$stuffUsed in
instances of #$WashingDishes, #$WashingHair,
#$WashingClothesInAMachine, etc.; portions of #$EdibleOil
are #$stuffUsed in
some instances of #$Frying food and #$BakingBread.
guid: bd58cadc-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ActorSlot
direct specialization of:
#$instrument-Generic
#$transporter transporter
(actor slot)
(#$transporter
MOVE OBJ) means that OBJ enables or facilitates the
conveyance of the #$transportees
in the #$TransportationEvent
MOVE. OBJ is an #$objectMoving in
MOVE that moves along with the #$transportees.
OBJ will generally hold, support, contain, pull, or push the
#$transportees
throughout the MOVE #$Event. OBJ may or may
not be the #$providerOfMotiveForce
in the event MOVE. If OBJ stays with each
#$primaryObjectMoving from the #$fromLocation to
the #$toLocation,
moving along the same trajectory, then it is also a
#$primaryObjectMoving. If OBJ facilitates the motion of the
#$primaryObjectMoving but does not itself engage in
translational motion it is merely the conveyor of the
action, and the role #$conveyor-Stationary
should be asserted. If it is unclear whether the conveyor is
stationary or not, the role #$conveyor-Generic is used.
Specializations of the role #$transporter
should be used when possible: although automobiles are #$transporters
in many events, they should normally have the more specific
role designation of #$vehicle
because they are also #$SelfPoweredDevices.
When a car is being towed by a towtruck, the car is just a
#$transporter
of any of its contents while the towtruck is the #$vehicle of
that event. An additional role designation for some #$transporters
-- those which are #$PhysicalDevices
-- is #$deviceUsed;
e.g., the use of crutches in hobbling or ice skates in
skating. See the #$comment on #$TransportationEvent.
Note that an organism may be a #$transportees
in a #$Bicycle
riding or #$Skating event as well as being the #$providerOfMotiveForce
in such cases.
guid: bd58c1d8-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ActorSlot
direct specialization of: #$conveyor-Generic #$objectMoving
#$transportees transportee
(actor slot)
The predicate #$transportees
relates a translational motion event to the object(s)
transported by a separate object, i.e. a distinctly separate
other participant in the event. (#$transportees
MOVE OBJ) means that some #$conveyor-Generic facilitates the
conveyance of OBJ in MOVE. For example, in a dumptruck
driving event, the dirt in the back of the truck is a #$transportees.
Any humans in the truck cab (or truck bed) during the trip
are also #$transportees;
however, a more precise role designation for humans riding
in the truck would be either #$passengers
or (for the driver) #$driverActor.
Borderline positive example #$transportees
include the clothes worn by a person walking, or a horseshoe
worn by a horse walking. A negative exemplar of a #$transportees
is the ear of the person walking. This is because #$transporters
do not transport their parts when they move. In other words,
#$transporters
only transport separate objects. #$translatesFromTo on the
other hand, does apply to parts of #$transportees.
Note also that parts of #$transportees
are not necessarily #$transportees
themselves. See also the comments on #$TransportationEvent
and #$transporter.
guid: bd58ae94-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of:
#$ActorSlot
direct specialization of: #$primaryObjectMoving #$objectActedOn
#$driverActor driver
(actor slot)
(#$driverActor
DRIVE DRIVER) means that DRIVER controls (see #$ControllingATransporter)
the #$transporter
in DRIVE. DRIVER steers the wheel, grasps the tiller,
controls the throttle, the reins, the brakes, etc., of the
#$transporter,
e.g., a boat, train, windsurfer, mule, plane, horse and
carriage, spaceship, sled, etc. DRIVER is not a #$passengers
in DRIVE. Because #$transporter
and #$transportees
are disjoint and #$driverActor
has #$transportees
as a #$genlPreds, DRIVER is distinct from the value on #$transporter.
Thus a person walking while carrying a watermelon would not
be a #$driverActor
in their own walking. DRIVER is usually in #$SittingPosture
during DRIVE. For any given instant of DRIVE there is
exactly one DRIVER. Until we have more extensive vocabulary,
#$transportees
is the most specific we can be about events in which
multiple drivers share driving responsibility throughout the
event or if there is a pilot/co-pilot combination.
guid: bd58bf45-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$AgentiveRole
direct specialization of: #$crewMember #$performedBy #$transportees
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