Method and apparatus for instance based data transformation

• US 20030018660A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vitria Technology Incorporated (Innovation Technology Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Vitria Technology Incorporated (Innovation Technology Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Martin, Thomas J., Koo, Richard K. Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/183,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20030018660A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/16 Automatic learning of transformation rules, e.g. from examples

Abstract

A method of defining a desired transformation from input data to output data from plural example documents, each having at least one data element, and data storage media with computer executable instructions for defining a desired transformation. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of determining a data element definition including an element name and a structure for each data element of a first example document, determining a data element definition including an element name and a structure for each data element of a second example document, correlating the data element definitions of the first and second example documents to obtain a pattern set with data element definitions encompassing both example documents, and mapping the data element definitions of the pattern set to desired output data.

Claims

1. A method of defining a desired transformation from input data to output data from plural example documents, each having at least one data element, the method comprising:

a) determining a data element definition including an element name and a structure for each data element of a first example document;

b) determining a data element definition including an element name and a structure for each data element of a second example document;

c) correlating the data element definitions of the first and second example documents to obtain a pattern set with data element definitions encompassing both example documents; and

d) mapping the data element definitions of the pattern set to desired output data.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step (c) comprises:

c1) correlating the data element definitions into sets of data element definitions having the same element name; and

c2) generating a structure for each set of data element definitions having the same element name that encompasses all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said step (c2) comprises generating a structure that is the same as the structures in a corresponding set of data element definitions when all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions are the same.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said step (c2) comprises generating a structure that is a union of the structures in a corresponding set of data element definitions when not all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions are the same.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, further including the step of determining a data element definition including a structure and an element name for each data element of a third example document.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, further including the step of correlating the data element definitions of the third example document with the pattern set.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, further including the step of refining the pattern set to obtain a pattern set with data element definitions encompassing the third example document.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the step of refining the pattern set comprises the step of generating a sub-pattern set of a sub-element nested in a data element of the third example document.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the step of refining the pattern set comprises generating sub-elements to add structure to a data string of a data element, determining data element definitions of the sub-elements and generating a sub-pattern set based on data element definitions of the sub-elements.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the step of refining the pattern set further comprises the step of expanding the pattern set by integrating the generated sub-pattern set into the pattern set.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first example document is at least one of an input document and output document.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said second example document is at least one of an input document and output document.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first example document and said second example document are at least one of input documents and output documents.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data element definitions each include an element name and a structure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of refining the initial pattern includes the steps of correlating the data element definitions into sets of data element definitions having the same element name, and generating a structure for each set of data element definitions having the same element name that encompasses all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of generating a structure includes generating a structure that is the same as the structures in a corresponding set of data element definitions when all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions are the same.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of generating a structure includes generating a structure that is a union of the structures in a corresponding set of data element definitions when not all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions are the same.

19. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step of refining the pattern set comprises the step of generating a sub-pattern set of a sub-element nested in a data element of the subsequent example document.

20. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step of refining the pattern set comprises generating sub-elements to add structure to a data string of a data element, determining data element definitions of the sub-elements and generating a sub-pattern set based on data element definitions of the sub-elements.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of refining the pattern set further comprises the step of expanding the pattern set by integrating the generated sub-pattern set into the pattern set.

22. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said first set of example documents includes at least one of an input document and an output document.

24. The data storage media of claim 23, further including instructions for correlating the data element definitions into sets of data element definitions having the same element name, and instructions for generating a structure for each set of data element definitions having the same element name that encompasses all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions.

25. The data storage media of claim 24, further including instructions for generating a structure that is the same as the structures in a corresponding set of data element definitions when all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions are the same.

26. The data storage media of claim 24, further including instructions for generating a structure that is a union of the structures in a corresponding set of data element definitions when not all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions are the same.

27. The data storage media of claim 24, further including instructions for determining a data element definition including a structure and an element name for each data element of a third example document.

28. The data storage media of claim 27, further including instructions for correlating the data element definitions of the third example document with the pattern set.

29. The data storage media of claim 27, further including instructions for refining the pattern set to obtain a pattern set with data element definitions encompassing the third example document.

30. The data storage media of claim 29, further including instructions for generating a sub-pattern set of a sub-element nested in a data element of the third example document.

31. The data storage media of claim 29, further including instructions for generating sub-elements to add structure to a data string of a data element, for determining data element definitions of the sub-elements and for generating a sub-pattern set based on data element definitions of the sub-elements.

32. The data storage media of claim 29, further including instructions for expanding the pattern set by integrating the generated sub-pattern set into the pattern set.

33. The data storage media of claim 23, wherein said first example document and said second example document are at least one of input documents and output documents.

35. The data storage media of claim 34, wherein the data element definitions each include an element name and a structure.

36. The data storage media of claim 35, further including instructions for correlating the data element definitions into sets of data element definitions having the same element name, and generating a structure for each set of data element definitions having the same element name that encompasses all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions.

37. The data storage media of claim 36, further including instructions for generating a structure that is the same as the structures in a corresponding set of data element definitions when all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions are the same.

38. The data storage media of claim 36, further including instructions for generating a structure that is a union of the structures in a corresponding set of data element definitions when not all of the structures in the corresponding set of data element definitions are the same.

39. The data storage media of claim 36, further including instructions for generating a sub-pattern set of a sub-element nested in a data element of the subsequent example document.

40. The data storage media of claim 36, further including instructions for generating sub-elements to add structure to a data string of a data element, determining data element definitions of the sub-elements and generating a sub-pattern set based on data element definitions of the sub-elements.

41. The data storage media of claim 40, further including instructions for expanding the pattern set by integrating the generated sub-pattern set into the pattern set.

42. The data storage media of claim 34, wherein said first set of example documents includes at least one of an input document and an output document.

14. A method of deriving a pattern set from plural example documents, each having at least one data element, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a data element definition of each data element in a first set of example documents;

generating an initial pattern set including the data element definitions from the first set of example documents;

determining a data element definition of a subsequent set of example documents; and

refining the initial pattern set to include data element definitions of the subsequent set of example documents.

23. A data storage media with computer executable instructions for defining a desired transformation from input data to output data from plural example documents each having at least one data element, the data storage media comprising:

instructions for determining a data element definition including an element name and a structure for each data element of a first example document;

instructions for determining a data element definition including an element name and a structure for each data element of a second example document;

instructions for correlating the data element definitions of the first and second example documents to obtain a pattern set with data element definitions encompassing both example documents; and

instructions for allowing mapping of the data element definitions of the pattern set to desired output data.

34. A data storage media with computer executable instructions for deriving a pattern set from plural example documents having a plurality of data elements, the data storage media comprising:

instructions for determining a data element definition of each data element in a first set of example documents;

instructions for generating an initial pattern set including the data element definitions from the first set of example documents;

instructions for determining a data element definition of a subsequent set of example documents; and

instructions for refining the initial pattern set to include data element definitions of the subsequent set of example documents.