Normalizing records

• US 20050071327A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Funk, Susan Judith, Burger, Kenneth Joseph, Streit, Andrew James, DeStefano, George Francis
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment receive records from information suppliers and prepare a report, which includes a subset of the characteristics of the records. The characteristics are selected based on a model norm, and the characteristics are ordered within the report based on a relative significance specified in the model norm. Also, the records are ordered within the report based on a sort rule in the model norm, and any missing characteristics are inserted with default values. In this way, the records received from disparate information suppliers are normalized by the model norm to use a consistent format, which is more convenient for the requestor of the report.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting a subset of a plurality of characteristics from a plurality of records based on a model norm; and

preparing a report with the subset.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ordering the subset of the plurality of characteristics in the report based on a relative significance in the model norm.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ordering the plurality of records in the report based on a sort rule in the model norm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the preparing the report further comprises:

preparing extra characteristics not in the subset in a least-significant column of the report as a sequence of name-value pairs.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the preparing extra characteristics further comprises:

ordering the name-value pairs based on a relative significance in a favored norm.

6. An apparatus comprising:

means for selecting a subset of a plurality of characteristics from a plurality of records based on a model norm;

means for preparing a report with the subset; and

means for ordering the subset of the plurality of characteristics in the report based on a relative significance in the model norm.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for preparing further comprises:

means for preparing extra characteristics not in the subset in a least-significant column of the report as a sequence of name-value pairs.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for preparing further comprises:

means for preparing extra characteristics not in the subset in a series of columns ordered based on a relative significance in a favored norm.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for preparing further comprises:

means for preparing an indicator of whether extra characteristics not in the subset are available.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

means for ordering the plurality of records in the report based on a sort rule in the model norm.

11. A signal-bearing medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed comprise:

selecting a subset of a plurality of characteristics from a plurality of records received from one of a plurality of information suppliers, wherein the selecting of the subset is based on a model norm;

preparing a first report with the subset; and

creating a second report based on a favored norm associated with a selected record from the first report.

12. The signal-bearing medium of claim 11, wherein the preparing further comprises:

ordering the subset of the plurality of characteristics in the first report based on a relative significance in the model norm.

13. The signal-bearing medium of claim 11, wherein the preparing further comprises:

ordering the plurality of records in the first report based on a sort rule in the model norm.

14. The signal-bearing medium of claim 11, wherein the creating further comprises:

ordering the subset of the plurality of characteristics in the second report based on a relative significance in the favored norm.

15. The signal-bearing medium of claim 11, wherein the creating further comprises:

ordering the plurality of records in the second report based on a sort rule in the favored norm.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed on the processor comprise;

selecting a first subset of a plurality of characteristics from a plurality of records received from a plurality of information suppliers, wherein the selecting the first subset is based on a model norm,

preparing a first report with the first subset,

ordering the first subset of the plurality of characteristics in the first report based on a relative significance in the model norm, and

ordering the plurality of records in the first report based on a sort rule in the model norm.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise:

receiving a favored norm from one of the plurality of information suppliers, wherein the one of the plurality of information suppliers is associated with a selected record in the first report;

selecting a second subset of the plurality of characteristics from the plurality of records, wherein the selecting the second subset is based on the favored norm; and

creating a second report with the second subset.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the creating further comprises:

ordering the second subset in the second report based on a relative significance in the favored norm.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the creating further comprises:

ordering the plurality of records in the second report based on a sort rule in the favored norm.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise:

propagating the plurality of records with a default value specified in the model norm if the plurality of records lack a value.