This SpringerBrief presents the data- information-and-time (DIT) model that precisely clarifies the semantics behind the terms data, information and their relations to the passage of real time. According to the DIT model a data item is a symbol that appears as a pattern (e.g., visual, sound, gesture, or any bit pattern) in physical space. It is generated by a human or a machine in the current contextual situation and is linked to a concept in the human mind or a set of operations of a machine. An information item delivers the sense or the idea that a human mind extracts out of a given natural language proposition that contains meaningful data items. Since the given tangible, intangible and temporal context are part of the explanation of a data item, a change of context can have an effect on the meaning of data and the sense of a proposition. The DIT model provides a framework to show how the flow of time can change the truth-value of a proposition. This book compares our notions of data, information, and time in differing contexts: in human communication, in the operation of a computer system and in a biological system. In the final Section a few simple examples demonstrate how the lessons learned from the DIT-model can help to improve the design of a computer system.

Autorentext

Hermann Kopetz received his PhD in physics "sub auspiciis praesidentis" from the University of Vienna, Austria in 1968. After eight years in Industry he accepted in 1978 an appointment as a Professor for Computer Process Control at the Technical University of West-Berlin, moving to the Technical University of Vienna in 1992. Kopetz is a full member of the Austrian Academy of Science, Fellow of the IEEE, and was a member of the Information Society Advisory Group (ISTAG), advising the European Commission in Brussels in the domain of information technology from 2008 to 2012. In June 2007 he received the honorary degree of Dr. honoris causa from the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France. Kopetz is the chief architect of the time-triggered technology for dependable embedded Systems and a co-founder of the company TTTech. He is the author of Real-Time Systems: Design Principles for Distributed Embedded Applications (Springer) and several other books.

Klappentext
This SpringerBrief presents the data- information-and-time (DIT) model that precisely clarifies the semantics behind the terms data, information and their relations to the passage of real time. According to the DIT model a data item is a symbol that appears as a pattern (e.g., visual, sound, gesture, or any bit pattern) in physical space. It is generated by a human or a machine in the current contextual situation and is linked to a concept in the human mind or a set of operations of a machine. An information item delivers the sense or the idea that a human mind extracts out of a given natural language proposition that contains meaningful data items. Since the given tangible, intangible and temporal context are part of the explanation of a data item, a change of context can have an effect on the meaning of data and the sense of a proposition.
The DIT model provides a framework to show how the flow of time can change the truth-value of a proposition. This book compares our notions of data, information, and time in differing contexts: in human communication, in the operation of a computer system and in a biological system. In the final Section a few simple examples demonstrate how the lessons learned from the DIT-model can help to improve the design of a computer system.

Zusammenfassung
This SpringerBrief presents the data- information-and-time (DIT) model that precisely clarifies the semantics behind the terms data, information and their relations to the passage of real time. According to the DIT model a data item is a symbol that appears as a pattern (e.g., visual, sound, gesture, or any bit pattern) in physical space. It is generated by a human or a machine in the current contextual situation and is linked to a concept in the human mind or a set of operations of a machine. An information item delivers the sense or the idea that a human mind extracts out of a given natural language proposition that contains meaningful data items. Since the given tangible, intangible and temporal context are part of the explanation of a data item, a change of context can have an effect on the meaning of data and the sense of a proposition.
The DIT model provides a framework to show how the flow of time can change the truth-value of a proposition. This book compares our notions of data, information, and time in differing contexts: in human communication, in the operation of a computer system and in a biological system. In the final Section a few simple examples demonstrate how the lessons learned from the DIT-model can help to improve the design of a computer system.

Inhalt
Preface1. Introduction2. Overview of the DIT Model3. Fundamental Terms3.1 Time and Space3.2 Entities, Properties and Categories3.3 Symbols3.4 Models4. Context4.1 Inner Context4.2 Outer Context5. Language and Information5.1 Meaning of a Word5.2 Basic Sentence5.3 Temporal Validity Function5.4 Information ItemItom6. Data in Communication6.1 Communication among Humans6.2 Stigmergic Communication6.3 Data in Cyberspace7. Data in Archival Systems7.1 Data Structures7.2 Knowledge Graphs7.3 The Semantic Web7.4 Big Data Analytics8. Data in Real-Time Control Systems8.1 Four Real-Time (RT) Applications8.2 Precision versus Timeliness of Real-time Data8.3 Semi-autonomous Control Systems8.4 Fully-autonomous Systems9. Data in Biological Systems9.1 Phases in the Life of a Plant9.2 The Control Databasethe DNA9.3 Data in Computers, Plants and Human Communication10. Generation and Explanation of Data10.1 Generation of Data10.2 Explanation of Data11. Consequences for System Design11.1 Specification Dilemma11.2 Human Machine Interface (HMI) Design11.3 Benefits of a Global Time11.4 Reduction of Context-Data (c-data) in Data Transmission11.5 Partitioning of a Safety Critical Control System12. ConclusionsAppendix: Glossary of TermsReferences