Fundamental operations for knowledge-based signal understanding

Knowledgebased signal processing interprets signal data us^ ing explicit knowledge sources. We suggest the signals-tosymbols paradigm as a model for KBSP, and discern two qualitatively different inference procedures necessary within this paradigm: translation and combination. Translation moves information from one propositional framework to another; combination integrates multiple correlated statements over the same propositional space. Since explicit knowledge is accessible by a knowledgebased system, it may have the capability to control the acquisition and interpretation of information. Such systems have demonstrated the ability to manage their overall workload by focusing processing attention, controlling the application of inference processes, designating the information used in the process, and limiting the range of acceptable conclusions. In this brief paper, we shall discuss essential knowledge-based signal processing operations and methods for their implementation and control using current AI methods.