Method and system for managing event attributes

• US 20020059183A1
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Li-Wen
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The present invention provides techniques for managing and analyzing business information. Specific embodiments provide persons with business or other non-technical fields with the capability to create, edit, and work with data models, profiles, and reports for business and other information. Specific embodiments can enable business and other non-technical users with enhanced understanding of information, and greater capabilities to manipulate relationships between various data entities in databases, for example.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an input of information indicating at least one of a plurality of events;

receiving for each event an input of at least one of a plurality of attributes;

displaying at least one node for each of said at least one of a plurality of events;

displaying at least one of a plurality of edges for at least two of said plurality of events;

wherein said at least one node for each of said at least one of a plurality of events and said at least one of a plurality of edges for at least two of said plurality of events form a graph; and

thereupon creating a query to a database based upon said graph.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input indicating a filter expression for information in said database; and

storing said filter expression in said at least one node for each of said at least one of a plurality of events.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) with which said filter expression is defined.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one of a plurality of attributes comprises at least one of a time, an event type, an event value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input indicating an event duration expression for information in said database; and

storing said event duration expression in said at least one edge for each of said at least two of said plurality of events.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

said at least one of a plurality of edges is indicated by dragging and dropping a first one of said at least one of a plurality of events to a second one of said at least one of a plurality of events.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one of a plurality of nodes corresponds to at least one of said plurality of events.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one of a plurality of edges corresponds to a temporal relationship between said at least two of said plurality of events.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

opening said at least one of a plurality of nodes; and

selecting attribute information from a menu comprising a plurality of attributes for inclusion into said node.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

opening said at least one of a plurality of edges; and

selecting attribute information from a menu comprising a plurality of attributes for inclusion into said edge.

11. A system for managing data, comprising:

a computer;

an information store, operable to contain said data;

a database interface software process that maintains said data in said information store;

a metadata repository; and

a user interface (UI) driver logic that is operative to provide a user interface.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a window snap in;

a dynamically linked library (DLL);

a ClsEventAttributeGUI;

a ClsEventAttributeGUI; and

a CIProcess logic.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

said processor is further operative to receive an input indicating a filter expression for information in said database; and

store said filter expression in said at least one node for each of said at least one of a plurality of events.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) with which said filter expression is defined.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

said at least one of a plurality of attributes comprises at least one of a time, an event type, an event value.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

said processor is further operative to receive an input indicating an event duration expression for information in said database and store said event duration expression in said at least one edge for each of said at least two of said plurality of events.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

said processor is further operative to receive an indication of said at least one of a plurality of edges, said indication comprising a dragging and dropping a first one of said at least one of a plurality of events to a second one of said at least one of a plurality of events.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

said at least one of a plurality of nodes corresponds to at least one of said plurality of events.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

said at least one of a plurality of edges corresponds to a temporal relationship between said at least two of said plurality of events.

13. An apparatus for managing information, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, at least intermittently coupled with said processor;

wherein said processor is operative to receive an input of information indicating at least one of a plurality of events; and

to receive for each event an input of at least one of a plurality of attributes; and

thereupon, said processor is operative to display at least one node for each of said at least one of a plurality of events and to display at least one of a plurality of edges for at least two of said plurality of events; and

wherein said at least one node for each of said at least one of a plurality of events and said at least one of a plurality of edges for at least two of said plurality of events form a graph; and

thereupon said processor is operative to create a query to a database based upon said graph.

21. A computer program product, comprising:

code that receives an input of information indicating at least one of a plurality of events;

code that receives for each event an input of at least one of a plurality of attributes;

code that displays at least one node for each of said at least one of a plurality of events;

code displays at least one of a plurality of edges for at least two of said plurality of events;

wherein said at least one node for each of said at least one of a plurality of events and said at least one of a plurality of edges for at least two of said plurality of events form a graph;

code that creates a query to a database based upon said graph; and

a computer readable storage medium for holding the codes.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

code that receives an input indicating a filter expression for information in said database; and

code that stores said filter expression in said at least one node for each of said at least one of a plurality of events.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) with which said filter expression is defined.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein:

said at least one of a plurality of attributes comprises at least one of a time, an event type, an event value.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

code that receives an input indicating an event duration expression for information in said database; and

code that stores said event duration expression in said at least one edge for each of said at least two of said plurality of events.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein

said at least one of a plurality of edges is indicated by dragging and dropping a first one of said at least one of a plurality of events to a second one of said at least one of a plurality of events.

27. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein:

said at least one of a plurality of nodes corresponds to at least one of said plurality of events.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein:

said at least one of a plurality of edges corresponds to a temporal relationship between said at least two of said plurality of events.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

code that opens said at least one of a plurality of nodes; and

code that selects attribute information from a menu comprising a plurality of attributes for inclusion into said node.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

code that opens said at least one of a plurality of edges; and

code that selects attribute information from a menu comprising a plurality of attributes for inclusion into said edge.