US Patent 8086643 Translation between product classification schemas

A schema translation tool (36) includes a mapping module (37) that receives information regarding a source schema (70) and a target schema (80). The source and target schemas (70, 80) each include a taxonomy that includes a hierarchy of classes (72, 82) into which products may be categorized. At least the source schema (70) further includes a product ontology, including one or more product attributes, that is associated with one or more of the classes (72). The mapping module (37) associates one or more source classes (72) of the source schema (70) with one or more target classes (82) of the target schema (80). The schema translation tool (36) further includes an ontology generation module (38) that generates a product ontology for each of the target classes (82) based on the product ontologies of the associated source classes (72).