Database search device, database search system, database search method, program and storage medium

• US 20020174115A1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: shibuya, Tetsuo, Kashima, Hisashi
• Granted Patent: US 6,928,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 30/00 ICT specially adapted for sequence analysis involving nucleotides or amino acids
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 30/10 Sequence alignment; Homology search
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 50/00 ICT programming tools or database systems specially adapted for bioinformatics
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 50/40 Encryption of genetic data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method is provided for allowing a database search that prevents an owner of the database or someone intercepting the database search in the network from knowing the contents of the query, without requiring any particular processing on the part of the database. Client 20 accesses database server 10 which stores sequence patterns and inquires whether the sequence patterns stored in the database server 10 exist in a predetermined sequence. Client 20 comprises sequence processing section 21 for dividing a search sequence subjected to search to create multiple subsequences; and query issuing section 22 for issuing a query to database server 10 using the created multiple subsequences individually as a query sequence.

Claims

1. A database search device for accessing a database that stores sequence patterns and inquiring whether the sequence patterns stored in the database exist in a predetermined sequence, the device comprising:

a sequence processing section for dividing a search sequence subjected to search to create multiple subsequences; and

a query issuing section for issuing a query to said database using said created multiple subsequences individually as a query sequence.

2. The database search device according to claim 1, wherein said sequence processing section overlaps a predetermined length of sequence elements depending on a length of the sequence patterns stored in said database to create said multiple subsequences.

3. The database search device according to claim 1, wherein said sequence processing section creates a sequence by connecting a sequence element of an end portion of said search sequence and a sequence element of a head portion of said search sequence and adds to said subsequences.

4. The database search device according to claim 1, wherein said sequence processing section creates a dummy sequence that does not contribute to database search associated with said search sequence and adds to said subsequences.

5. A database search device for accessing a database that stores sequence patterns and inquiring whether the sequence patterns stored in the database exist in a predetermined sequence, the device comprising:

a sequence processing section for connecting any sequence to a search sequence subjected to search; and

a query issuing section for issuing a query to the database using said search sequence processed by said sequence processing section as a query sequence.

6. The database search device according to claim 5, wherein said sequence processing section creates multiple subsequences by dividing the sequence obtained by connecting any sequence to said search sequence, and wherein said query issuing section issues queries to said database using said multiple subsequences as a query sequence.

7. The database search device according to claim 5, further comprising an information extraction section for receiving search results from said database and extracting information corresponding to said search sequence from the search results.

8. A database search device for accessing a database that stores sequence patterns and inquiring whether the sequence patterns stored in the database exist in a predetermined sequence, the device comprising:

means for making an inquiry multiple times to said database about a search sequence subjected to search, each of the inquires corresponding to each of predetermined portions of the search sequence; and

means for receiving search results from said database and extracting information corresponding to said search sequence from the search results.

9. The database search device according to claim 8, wherein said inquiry means overlaps a predetermined length of sequence elements depending on a length of the sequence patterns stored in said database to create multiple subsequences of the search sequence, and makes an inquiry to the database for each of the created subsequences.

10. A database search system, comprising:

a database server provided on a network for storing predetermined sequence patterns; and

a client for making an inquiry about search to the database server via said network, wherein said client divides a search sequence subjected to search and sends a query to said database server for each of said divided sequences, and wherein said database server performs database search in response to the received query and sends back search results to said client.

11. A database search method for accessing a database that stores sequence patterns and inquiring whether the sequence patterns stored in the database exist in a predetermined sequence, the method comprising the steps of:

dividing a search sequence subjected to search to create multiple subsequences;

issuing a query to said database using each of said created multiple subsequences as an query sequence; and

receiving search results from said database and extracting information corresponding to said search sequence from the search results.

12. The database search method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of creating a dummy sequence that does not contribute to database search associated with said search sequence prior to said query issuing step, and wherein said query issuing step comprises the step of issuing a query to said database using said dummy sequence as a query sequence.

13. The database search method according to claim 11, wherein said subsequence creating step comprises the steps of:

connecting any sequence to the search sequence to create a new sequence prior to dividing said search sequence; and

dividing said created new sequence to create the multiple subsequences.

15. The program according to claim 14, wherein said sequence processing means creates a dummy sequence that does not contribute to database search associated with said search sequence, and wherein said query issuing means issues a query to said database using said dummy sequence as a query sequence.

16. The program according to claim 14, wherein said sequence processing means connects any sequence to the search sequence to create a new sequence prior to dividing said search sequence and divides said created new sequence to create the multiple subsequences.

14. A program for controlling a computer to access a database that stores sequence patterns and to inquire whether the sequence patterns stored in the database exist in a predetermined sequence, comprising:

sequence processing means for dividing a search sequence subjected to search to create multiple subsequences; and

query issuing means for issuing a query to said database using said created multiple subsequences individually as a query sequence.

17. A storage media for storing a program for controlling a computer to access a database that stores sequence patterns and to inquire whether the sequence patterns stored in the database exist in a predetermined sequence, the program comprising:

sequence processing means for dividing a search sequence subjected to search to create multiple subsequences; and

query issuing means for issuing a query to said database using said created multiple subsequences individually as a query sequence.