Data retrieving method and apparatus, data retrieving system and storage medium

• US 20040039730A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joji Saeki
• Original Assignee: Joji Saeki
• Inventors: Saeki, Joji
• Granted Patent: US 7,016,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2448 for particular applications; for extensibility, e.g. user defined types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2452 Query translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

In a data retrieving apparatus, a data dictionary is constructed so as to include definition information concerning tables, items and calculation syntax for representing an unnormalized data structure as a logically normalized data structure. A retrieval request designation control section interactively accepts a retrieval request from a user according to the data dictionary. A retrieval request translation processing section translates the retrieval request to a query statement, which a database can execute, according to the data dictionary. The query statement is executed in a database retrieval processing section so that retrieval data is obtained. A data integration processing section integrates or aggregates the retrieval data according to the data dictionary so that final result data corresponding to the retrieval request is generated. A result data output processing section presents the final result data to the user.

Claims

1. A data retrieving method comprising the steps of:

providing data definition information for representing an unnormalized data structure contained in a database as a logically normalized data structure;

analyzing a retrieval request from a user according to said data definition information so as to convert the retrieval request into a query statement which is executable by the database;

executing said query statement relative to the database so as to obtain a retrieval result; and

editing the obtained retrieval result according to said data definition information so as to generate a final retrieval result corresponding to said retrieval request.

2. The data retrieving method according to claim 1, wherein said retrieval request includes a data extracting condition for restrictively specifying data to be retrieved, and wherein said query statement, which is executable by the database, is obtained by normalizing a logical description in the data extracting condition by a first-order predicate logic according to said data definition information.

3. The data retrieving method according to claim 1, wherein said final retrieval result is obtained by eliminating data redundancy included in the retrieval result obtained by executing said query statement.

4. A data retrieving apparatus comprising:

a database built so as to include an unnormalized data structure;

a data dictionary holding definition information for representing said unnormalized data structure as a logically normalized structure;

a retrieval request input section for assisting an input of a retrieval request from a user according to said data dictionary;

a retrieval request translation section for analyzing said retrieval request according to said data dictionary upon completion of the input of said retrieval request so as to convert said retrieval request into one or more query statements which are executable by said database;

a retrieval processing section for issuing said one or more query statements to said database so as to acquire retrieval data composed of one or more results of execution of said one or more query statements; and

a retrieval data processing section for editing said retrieval data so as to generate result data corresponding to said retrieval request.

5. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said data dictionary includes the definition information to which display information selectably presented to the user when assisting said input, a query statement pattern for converting the retrieval request to the query statement which is executable by said database, and physical information in said database are related for each of logical items representing a data unit in said retrieval request.

6. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said data dictionary includes a logical sub-item for complementing said logical item, and wherein information on categories in a logical item type for representing the unnormalized data structure as the logically normalized data structure is defined in said logical sub-item.

7. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said retrieval request input section visibly presents the display information on data to be retrieved, according to said data dictionary, and interactively performs the selective input from the user of the retrieval request which includes an extraction condition for extracting the data to be retrieved.

8. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said retrieval request input section designates a display format of said result data, said display format included in said retrieval request.

9. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said retrieval request input section generates the result data from a plurality of display items, which are selected by the user from said display information, such that the plurality of display items employing a common display item as a key item are compounded into said result data.

10. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said retrieval request input section dynamically adds information on the logical item type used for a logical description in an extraction condition to said data dictionary.

11. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said retrieval request translation section performs a syntax analysis of the retrieval request according to said data dictionary to replace a retrieval request syntax pattern of said retrieval request with a corresponding query statement pattern which is executable by said database.

12. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said retrieval request translation section converts the retrieval request into said one or more query statements which are normalized according to a first order predicate logic in a data manipulation language based on predetermined SQL.

13. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said retrieval request translation section expands all the display items included in the retrieval request according to said data dictionary and converts the expanded display items into corresponding logical items, respectively, and wherein said retrieval request translation section removes data redundancy in the retrieval request by performing one of column integration for integrating different physical items, which compose the physical information, into a same logical item according to an extraction condition, column decomposition for decomposing a same physical item into different logical items, row selection for selecting a single logical item, whose content does not overlap with those of other items, from physical items whose contents overlap with those of other physical items, and key value selection for selecting different physical items according to a key value and aggregating the different physical items to a single logical item, and converts the retrieval request into said one or more query statements normalized according to a first order predicate logic in a data manipulation language based on predetermined SQL.

14. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said retrieval data processing section removes a redundant part by integrating items formed from a same logical item in the retrieval data corresponding to said one or more query statements.

15. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said retrieval data processing section performs data processing and tabulation on the retrieval data according to designation of a display format concerning the result data when the designation of the display format is included in the retrieval request.

16. The data retrieving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said database is constructed as a predetermined object-oriented database.

17. A data retrieving system comprising the data retrieving apparatus according to claim 4 and a plurality of retrieval request source devices, wherein said data retrieving apparatus is bidirectionally communicably connected to said retrieval request source devices, and wherein said data retrieving apparatus is constituted so as to acquire a retrieval request issued from each of said retrieval request source devices and transmit a corresponding retrieval result to the corresponding retrieval request source device.

18. The data retrieving system according to claim 17, wherein the retrieval request is inputted to said data retrieving apparatus through an agent function.

19. A storage medium storing a program which is executable by a computer apparatus comprising a database built so as to include an unnormalized data structure, and a data dictionary holding definition information for representing said unnormalized data structure as a logically normalized structure, said program causing the computer apparatus to execute the steps of:

assisting an input of a retrieval request from a user according to said data dictionary;

analyzing said retrieval request according to said data dictionary upon completion of the input of said retrieval request so as to convert said retrieval request into one or more query statements which are executable by said database;

issuing said one or more query statements to said database so as to acquire retrieval data composed of one or more results of execution of said one or more query statements; and

editing said retrieval data so as to generate result data corresponding to said retrieval request.