RDL search engine

• US 20050086216A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e-Numerate Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: e-Numerate Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Russell T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,401,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a means for searching numerical data across networks such as the Internet, and removing the middle layer of query engines or servers used by conventional systems in retrieving data from relational databases over the Internet. The methods and systems in accordance with the present invention also provide a means for tying millions of computers together into a single database, thereby a query introduced to the system returns a table of data as a single database is capable of providing. Furthermore, the methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide the means for performing navigational, line item (or record-level), semantic, numerical, transformational, arithmetic, time-dependent, and cost based queries on numerical data. In addition, a user may also conduct select queries between unrelated databases.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method in a data processing system for processing transformational queries on numerical data, the method comprising:

receiving a request for numerical data having units of a unit type;

searching a database for at least one set of numerical data having tags indicating unit types associated with the requested set of numerical data;

locating at least one set of numerical data having tags indicating the unit types associated with the requested numerical data;

transforming units of the at least one located sets of numerical data so that they may be compared with the requested numerical data; and

comparing the transformed set of numerical data to the requested numerical data to determine if it matches the received request.

20. The method of claim 19, further including the step of:

returning the one or more located sets of numerical data based on a result of the comparison.

21. The method of claim 20, further including the step of:

receiving an indication of a requested format for the returned sets of numerical data; and

transforming the returned sets of numerical data in accordance with the indicated requested format.

22. A method in a data processing system for processing semantic queries for searching numerical data:

receiving a request for a set of numerical data, the request including a semantic descriptor describing a characteristic of the requested set of numerical data;

searching an index of numerical data for a set of numerical data having a tag indicating equivalence to the semantic descriptor of the requested set of numerical data;

locating the set of numerical data having a tag indicating equivalence to the semantic descriptor of the request numerical data; and

returning the located set of numerical data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the request includes plural semantic descriptors, and wherein the step of searching further comprises:

searching an index of numerical data for a set of numerical data having plural tags indicating equivalence to the plural semantic descriptors of the requested set of numerical data.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of returning comprises eliminating all but one of the located tags is eliminated.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the searching step includes:

searching the sets of numerical data for an attribute representing cost.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the searching step includes:

searching the sets of numerical data for an attribute representing a source.

25. A method in a data processing system for searching numerical data:

receiving a request for a set of numerical data, the request including at least one attribute describing a characteristic of the requested set of numerical data;

searching an index of numerical data for a set of numerical data having an equivalent attribute describing an equivalent characteristic of the requested set of numerical data;

locating a set of numerical data having an equivalent characteristic; and

returning the set of numerical data having an equivalent characteristic.

28. A method in a data processing system for processing arithmetical queries for searching numerical data, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a set of numerical data, the request including an arithmetical query;

locating sets of numerical data having tags indicating attributes upon which the arithmetical query may operate;

performing one or more arithmetical operations on the located sets of numerical data based upon the arithmetical query;

determining whether sets of data resulting from the arithmetical operations satisfy the arithmetical query; and

returning resultant sets of data based on the determination.

29. A method in a data processing system having a search engine for accessing line item information, comprising:

creating an index of data of records of a database to facilitate browsing;

receiving a request from an internet browser for a set of numerical data having an indication of a desired characteristic of the numerical data;

searching the index of records for one or more records having the indicated characteristic;

locating a record of data based on the received indication; and

returning the located record.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises monitoring the index of records to determine at least one record has reached a predetermined value and then returning the one or more records.

31. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system for performing a method for processing transformational queries comprising:

receiving a request for numerical data having units of a unit type;

searching a database for one or more sets of numerical data having tags indicating unit types associated with the requested set of numerical data;

locating one or more sets of numerical data having tags indicating the unit types associated with the requested numerical data;

transforming units of the one or more located sets of numerical data so that they may be compared with the requested numerical data; and

comparing the transformed set of numerical data to the requested numerical data to determine if it matches the received request.

32. The computer-readable media of claim 31, further including an instruction for:

returning the one or more located sets of numerical data based on a result of the comparison.

33. The computer readable media of claim 32, further comprising an instructions for:

receiving an indication of a requested format for the returned sets of numerical data; and

transforming the returned sets of numerical data in accordance with the indicated requested format.

34. A computer-readable media containing instructions for a data processing to a method comprising:

receiving a request for a set of numerical data, the request including a semantic descriptor describing a characteristic of the requested set of numerical data;

searching an index of numerical data for a set of numerical data having a tag indicating equivalence to the semantic descriptor of the requested set of numerical data;

locating the set of numerical data having a tag indicating equivalence to the semantic descriptor of the request numerical data; and

returning the located set of numerical data.

35. The computer-readable media of claim 34, wherein the request includes ore than one semantic descriptor, and wherein the instruction to search further comprises:

searching an index of numerical data for a set of numerical data having more than one tag indicating equivalence to the more than one semantic descriptors of the requested set of numerical data.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the returning instruction comprises eliminating all but one of the located tags.

37. A computer-readable media containing instructions for a data processing system to search numerical data using a method comprising:

receiving a request for a set of numerical data, the request including at least one attribute describing a characteristic of the requested set of numerical data;

searching an index of numerical data for a set of numerical data having an equivalent attribute describing an equivalent characteristic of the requested set of numerical data;

locating a set of numerical data having an equivalent characteristic; and

returning the set of numerical data having an equivalent characteristic.

38. The computer-readable media of claim 37, wherein the searching instruction includes:

searching the sets of numerical data for an attribute representing cost.

39. The computer-readable media of claim 37, wherein the searching instruction includes:

searching the sets of numerical data for an attribute representing a source.

40. A computer-readable media containing instructions for controlling a data processing system that performs a method comprising:

receiving a request for a set of numerical data, the request including an arithmetical query;

locating sets of numerical data having tags indicating attributes upon which the arithmetical query may operate;

performing one or more arithmetical operations on the located sets of numerical data based upon the arithmetic query;

determining whether sets of data resulting from the arithmetical operations satisfy the arithmetical query; and

returning the resultant sets of data based on the determination.

41. A computer-readable media containing instructions for a data processing system, having a search engine for accessing line item level information, to perform a method comprising:

creating an index of data of records of a database to facilitate browsing;

receiving a request from an user interface for a set of numerical data having an indication of a desired characteristic of the numerical data;

searching the index of records for at least one record having the indicated characteristic;

locating a record of data based on the received indication; and

returning the located record.

42. The computer-readable media of claim 41, wherein the method further comprises monitoring the index of records to determine whether at least one record has reached a predetermined value and then returning the at least one record.

43. A data management system that indexes and searches for tagged numerical and data comprising:

an index that is searched for one or more documents of tagged numerical data that meet a criterion;

a processor that, in response to locating one or more documents that meet the search criterion, locates the associated documents and collects the tagged numerical data within the plurality of documents and provides a resultset to a user.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the index is created by searching a list of a plurality of documents of tagged numerical data with a criterion and indexing the elements of the plurality of documents that meet the criterion.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the index is maintained on a client and the processor that collects the tagged numerical data is maintained in a server.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the index is maintained on a server and the processor that collects the tagged numerical data is maintained in a client.

47. The system of claim 43, wherein the index and the processor are maintained on a server.

48. The system of claim 43, wherein searching the list is performed in real time.

49. The system of claim 43, wherein the processor divides the collection of the tagged numerical data between a plurality of sub-processors and aggregates results into the resultset provided to the user.

50. A data management system for conducting searches for tagged numerical and data comprising:

a query request in a first unit set for searching an index;

a processor that receives the request in the first units and transforms the query request and one or more elements in the index to second units for comparison, and if a match is confirmed, a document associated with the match to the query request is located and the tagged numerical data is retrieved and converted to the first unit set.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the document associated with the match to the query request is located in real time.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the query request is transmitted from a client to the processor located within a server, which conducts the comparison, locates the document, and retrieves the tagged numerical data.

53. The system of claim 50, wherein the query request is received and processed in a client and the client contains the processor that conducts the comparison, locates the document, and retrieves the tagged numerical data.

54-78. -78. (canceled)

79. A data processing system for processing transformational queries on numerical data, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request for numerical data having units of a unit type;

means for searching a database for at least one set of numerical data having tags indicating unit types associated with the requested set of numerical data;

means for locating at least one set of numerical data having tags indicating the unit types associated with the requested numerical data;

means for transforming units of the at least one located sets of numerical data so that they may be compared with the requested numerical data; and

means for comparing the transformed set of numerical data to the requested numerical data to determine if it matches the received request.

80. A data processing system for processing semantic queries for searching numerical data comprising:

means for receiving a request for a set of numerical data, the request including a semantic descriptor describing a characteristic of the requested set of numerical data;

means for searching an index of numerical data for a set of numerical data having a tag indicating equivalence to the semantic descriptor of the requested set of numerical data;

means for locating the set of numerical data having a tag indicating equivalence to the semantic descriptor of the request numerical data; and

returning the located set of numerical data.

81. A data processing system having a search engine for accessing line item information, comprising:

means for creating an index of data of records of a database to facilitate browsing;

means for receiving a request from an internet browser for a set of numerical data having an indication of a desired characteristic of the numerical data;

means for searching the index of records for one or more records having the indicated characteristic;

means for locating a record of data based on the received indication; and

means for returning the located record.