Detection and creation of appropriate row concept during automated model generation

• US 10,019,507 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rais-Ghasem, Mohsen, Watts, Graham A., Wei, Qing
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US15/055,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20160224656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 707740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/212 with details for data modelling support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification

Abstract

A system and method for assigning concepts to sets of values. Data is received, wherein the data is organized as a plurality of named fields and as two or more sets of values associated with the named fields, wherein each named field is assigned to a category. For each category, determine whether there is at least one identifier field for that category, wherein each identifier field is a named field that acts as an identifier for that category, and identify identifier fields, if any, for each category that have a unique value in the identifier field for that category for each set of values. Then select one of the categories as a concept representing the sets of values. In some embodiments, the data is organized as a table, wherein the named fields are columns and the sets of values are rows.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data, wherein the data is organized as a plurality of named fields, wherein each named field includes a set of values associated with the named field, wherein each named field is assigned to a category from a plurality of categories and wherein each set of values includes two or more entries;

determining, for at least one category, whether there is at least one identifier field for that category, wherein each identifier field is a named field that acts as an identifier for that category; and

selecting a concept, wherein selecting the concept includes;

determining whether one of the categories includes an identifier field that has a unique value for each entry in the identifier field set of values and, if so, selecting the identifier field as the concept;

if none of the categories include an identifier field that has a unique value for each entry in the identifier field set of values, determining whether one of the categories includes two or more identifier fields that, when combined, have a unique value for each entry in the combined identifier field set of values and, if so, selecting the combined identifier fields as the concept; and

if none of the categories include an identifier field that has a unique value for each entry in the identifier field set of values and if none of the categories include two or more identifier fields that, when combined, have a unique value for each entry in the combined identifier field set of values, adding a new identifier field, wherein adding the new identifier field includes providing a unique value for each entry in set of values included in the new identifier field, associating the new identifier field with one of the categories, and selecting the new identifier field as the concept.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is organized as a table, wherein the named fields are columns and the sets of values are rows.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the categories includes two or more fields that, when combined, have a unique value across the two or more fields for each set of values.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the categories includes an identifier field with a unique value in the identifier field for each entry in the set of values.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the categories includes a category that includes two or more identifier fields that, when combined, have a unique value across the two or more identifier fields for each entry in the set of values.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the concept further includes:

selecting two or more categories, wherein each selected category includes an identifier field with a unique value in the identifier field for each entry in the set of values;

grouping the selected categories; and

using the grouped selected categories as the concept representing the sets of values.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the concept further includes:

selecting an identifier field in each of two or more categories that, when combined, has a unique value across the two or more identifier fields for each entry in the set of values; and

combining the two or more categories associated with the selected identifier fields as the concept representing the sets of values.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein combining the two or more categories includes adding a new named field associated with the identified concept and inserting a unique value in that field for each set of values.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the new identifier field includes selecting a category that does not include an identifier field and creating a new identifier field associated with that category.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the new identifier field includes inserting a unique value in that field for each entry of the set of values.