Method and apparatus for knowledge-driven data mining used for predictions

摘要

A method and apparatus is provided for constructing a predictive model for a system based on a priori qualitative modeling of the system and on historical database collected from past activity of the system or past events in the system. An expert provides grouping of parameters and qualitative dependencies between parameters and attributes, wherein some of the attributes may be conceptual or virtual attributes. The present invention extends existing methods of ‘evolutionary algorithms’ in order to build successive sets of quantitative predictive models for the system, wherein parts of each model are evolved by the evolutionary algorithm and parts of each model are derived using the historical database. According to the present invention a model constructed by this method can be incorporated as a predictive model into a diagnosis or control apparatus without the need for human inspection, as the model complies with the expert's knowledge about the system. The present invention also provides a method to update the constructed model when new data is delivered, thus adjusting the model to changes in the environment.