Search-on-the-fly with merge function

US 20020046209A1
Filed: 08/24/2001
Published: 04/18/2002
Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
Status: Active Grant

First Claim

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1. A method for displaying data comprising:

determining a database schema for a database;

providing a list of database fields, wherein the list includes a descriptor indicating a data category;

receiving a search selection for a database field on the provided list of database fields;

determining a quantity of entries in the selected database field;

if the quantity exceed a specified amount, truncating data, and displaying the truncated data; and

if the quantity does not exceed the specified amount, displaying content from the database field.

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Abstract

Sort-on-the-Fly/Search-on-the-Fly data retrieval or analysis provides an intuitive means for accessing databases, allowing a user to access or obtain information about data in the database without having to know anything about the database structure. A user selects a desired term, and the method or apparatus delivers all instances of the desired term, even if a specific file or table does not contain the instance. The database need not have a specific file (in a flat database) or a table (in a relational database) of names. The user may specify other criteria, or constraints to narrow the search results, or for other reasons. The method or apparatus then conducts further analysis or searching using this criteria and produces a second result. Further narrowing or broadening of the process is permitted, with search-on-the-fly returning results based on any new constraints. If the returned information would be too large to be conveniently displayed at a terminal, the process executes a truncation routine so that the returned data is easily displayed.

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41 Claims

1. A method for displaying data comprising:
- determining a database schema for a database;
  
  providing a list of database fields, wherein the list includes a descriptor indicating a data category;
  
  receiving a search selection for a database field on the provided list of database fields;
  
  determining a quantity of entries in the selected database field;
  
  if the quantity exceed a specified amount, truncating data, and displaying the truncated data; and
  
  if the quantity does not exceed the specified amount, displaying content from the database field.
- View Dependent Claims (2)
- - 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a key word search.

3. A method for formatting data for display, comprising:
- generating a list of data fields;
  
  receiving a first data field selection from the list of data fields;
  
  determining a first quantity indicative of a number of entries of the selected data field;
  
  if the first quantity exceeds a specified limit, reducing a size of data to be displayed from the selected data field; and
  
  displaying data from the selected data field.
- View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- - 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified limit is fixed.
  - 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified limit is variable.
  - 6. The method of claim 3, wherein the data are displayed on a terminal, and wherein the specified limit is determined dynamically, based on a characteristic of the terminal.
  - 7. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified limit is a user-determined limit.
  - 8. The method of claim 3, wherein the method for reducing the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field comprises:
    - performing a truncation that reduces the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field;
      
      comparing the reduced size to the specified limit; and
      
      if the reduced size exceeds the specified limit, repeating the truncation and comparing steps until the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field is less than or equal to the specified limit.
  - 9. The method of claim 8, wherein a parameter is related to the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises decrementing the parameter.
  - 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the parameter is decremented or incremented by a value of one.
  - 11. The method of claim 8, wherein a parameter is related to the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises dividing the parameter by a value.
  - 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the value is two.
  - 13. The method of claim 8, wherein a parameter is related to the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises multiplying the parameter by a value.
  - 14. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
    - receiving a first constraint, wherein the first constraint is related to a data element in a data field; and
      
      receiving one or more subsequent constraints, wherein search results are generated based on a combination of the first and the one or more subsequent constraints.
  - 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
    - selecting and sending a third search term to the search engine;
      
      dropping a prior search term, wherein the dropped prior search term in one of the first and the second search terms; and
      
      receiving a third search result comprising a combination of the third search term and one of the first and the second search terms.
  - 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first search term is directed to a first database and wherein the second search term is directed to a second database.
  - 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first search result is displayed as a truncated result list.
  - 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising specifying a size of the truncation.

15. A method for searching a database, comprising:
- selecting a first search term;
  
  sending the first search term to a search engine;
  
  receiving a first search result;
  
  selecting and sending a second search term to the search engine; and
  
  receiving a second search result, wherein the second search results represents a combination of the first and the second search terms.

20. A method for searching a database, comprising:
- generating a list of data fields;
  
  receiving a first data field selection from the list of data fields;
  
  receiving a first constraint, wherein the first constraint is related to a data element in a data field; and
  
  receiving one or more subsequent constraints, wherein search results are generated based on a combination of the first and the one or more subsequent constraints.
- View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- - 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:
    - determining a first quantity indicative of a number of entries of the selected data field;
      
      if the first quantity exceeds a specified limit, reducing a size of data to be displayed from the selected data field; and
      
      displaying data from the selected data field.
  - 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the specified limit is fixed.
  - 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the specified limit is variable.
  - 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the data are displayed on a terminal, and wherein the specified limit is determined dynamically, based on a characteristic of the terminal.
  - 25. The method of claim 21, wherein the specified limit is a user-determined limit.
  - 26. The method of claim 21, wherein the method for reducing the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field comprises:
    - performing a truncation that reduces the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field;
      
      comparing the reduced size to the specified limit; and
      
      if the reduced size exceeds the specified limit, repeating the truncation and comparing steps until the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field is less than or equal to the specified limit.
  - 27. The method of claim 26, wherein a parameter is related to the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises decrementing or incrementing the parameter.
  - 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the parameter is decremented or incremented by a value of one.
  - 29. The method of claim 26, wherein a parameter is related to the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises dividing the parameter by a value.
  - 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the value is two.
  - 31. The method of claim 26, wherein a parameter is related to the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises multiplying the parameter by a value.

32. A method for providing search functions in one or more databases, comprising:
- receiving a first search term;
  
  searching at least a first database using the first search term;
  
  returning a first search result, wherein the first search result comprises a first list of elements in the first database;
  
  receiving a second search term;
  
  conducting a second search by applying the second search term to one of the first list of elements and a second database; and
  
  returning a second search result, wherein the second search results represents a combination of the first and the second search terms.
- View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 36, 38, 39, 40)
- - 33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:
    - receiving a third search term;
      
      receiving a signal to drop one of the first and the second search terms;
      
      dropping the selected one of the first and the second search terms, wherein dropping the selected one of the first and the second search terms provides a revised list of elements;
      
      searching one of the revised list of elements and one of the second or subsequent databases using the third search term; and
      
      returning a third list of elements comprising a combination of the third search term and the non-selected one of the first and the second search terms.
  - 34. The method of claim 32, wherein the first search result is returned as a truncated list of elements.
  - 36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:
    - truncating the merged search result based on a display size of a device receiving the merged search result.
  - 38. The method of claim 37, wherein the first and the second constraints are in the same merge group, further comprising:
    - generating a Boolean AND as the database query.
  - 39. The method of claim 37, wherein the first and the second constraint are in different merge groups, further comprising:
    - generating a Boolean OR as the database query.
  - 40. The method of claim 37, wherein the first and the second constraints are recovered using a wireless connector, and wherein the first merged search result is returned using the wireless connection.

35. A method for navigating one or more databases, comprising:
- receiving a first attribute associated with elements in one or more of the databases, wherein the first attribute comprises a first search term;
  
  retuning a first search result based on the first attribute;
  
  receiving a second attribute associated with elements in one or more of the databases, wherein the second attributes comprises a second search term;
  
  generating a second search result based on the second attribute;
  
  merging the first and the second search results to provide a merged search result; and
  
  returning the merged search result.

37. A method for retrieving data from one or more databases;
- comprising;
  
  receiving a first constraint, wherein the first constraint relates to a first data attribute;
  
  receiving a second constraint, wherein the second constraint relates to a second data attribute;
  
  determining if the first and the second constraint are in a same merge group;
  
  generating a database query based on the determining step; and
  
  returning a first merged search result.

41. A method for searching one or more databases, wherein each of the one or more databases comprises a plurality of fields, comprising:
- getting a first list of fields of a first database;
  
  applying a first filter to the final list of fields, wherein the final filter comprises a first search constraint;
  
  applying a second filter to the first list of fields, wherein the second filter comprises a second search constraint;
  
  applying a third filter to the first list of filters, wherein the third filter comprises a third search constraint;
  
  removing at least one of the first, second and third filters, whereby a search result is generated; and
  
  displaying the search result.

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Current Assignee
Vilox Technologies LLC (Joseph L. De Bellis)
Original Assignee
Joseph L. De Bellis
Inventors
De Bellis, Joseph

Granted Patent

US 7,302,423 B2
Time in Patent Office

Days
Field of Search
US Class Current

707/10
CPC Class Codes

G06F 16/2423   Interactive query statement...

G06F 16/2425   Iterative querying; Query f...

G06F 16/2428   Query predicate definition ...

Y10S 707/99933   Query processing, i.e. sear...

Y10S 707/99934   Query formulation, input pr...

Y10S 707/99937   Sorting

Y10S 707/99943   Generating database or data...

Y10S 707/99945   Object-oriented database st...

Search-on-the-fly with merge function

First Claim

4 Assignments

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Abstract

76 Citations

41 Claims

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Search-on-the-fly with merge function

First Claim

4 Assignments

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Abstract

76 Citations

41 Claims

Specification

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