Defining a data dependency path through a body of related data

• US 20050278275A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metadata LLC
• Original Assignee: Metadata LLC
• Inventors: Peacock, Stephen W., Ravenelle, Rodney T., Myers, Jack E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,076,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A data dependency path calculator for a semantic search engine is provided. A body of semantically related data is modeled according to a semantic data model. A user is presented a list of data elements from which they may select desired data elements. The system automatically calculates all of the possible paths through the database that may be used to retrieve meaningful data based on the selected data elements. The available data dependency paths are returned to the user for selection. The system further provides a type of data permission that allows restricted data elements to be used as a pass-through data element for relating, connecting and retrieving non-restricted data. Thus, a user can use restricted data to create data dependency paths to retrieve meaningful data.

Claims

1. A method for automatically calculating a data dependency path comprising creating the data dependency path based on a data model representing units of meaning and their relationships.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data model comprises a propositional structure with a finite set of data relations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the finite set of data relations consists of 28 data relations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data model is a Metamodel.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the 28 data relations comprise identifiers, modifiers and descriptors related using predefined logical operators.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating step further comprises selecting a data view from the data model.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating step further comprises selecting data elements from the data model.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the creating step further comprises selecting a data perspective as a starting point for the data dependency path.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data perspective is selected from one of a plurality of data perspectives.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of data perspectives is ranked according to semantic prominence.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the semantic prominence is calculated by performing steps comprising:

selecting a potential data perspective;

determining how many selected data elements are directly related to the potential data perspective; and

ranking the potential data perspectives according to the number of directly related data elements.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the steps for calculating semantic prominence are performed for each potential data perspective.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the data view comprises data located in a plurality of databases.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data view comprises of a set of data elements.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data view further comprises data relations in which the set of data elements participate.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the data dependency path is limited to the selected data view.

17. The method of claim 7, further comprising, if two of the data elements from the data model have a similar name, displaying each similarly named data element and a description of each similarly named element prior to selecting data elements.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving a selection of one of the similarly named elements.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein the selected data elements comprise a set of data elements about which the calculated data dependency path will return data.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating step further comprises selecting one or more data relations in order to resolve a context ambiguity.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the selecting of the set of data relations limits possible calculated data dependency paths.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating step further comprises:

retrieving a data perspective indicative of the starting point of the data dependency path;

inspecting the data elements directly related to the data perspective;

if any of the data elements directly related to the data perspective is a selected data element, adding the directly related data element to the data dependency path.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to creating the data dependency path;

defining a restricted permission type wherein data is restricted from a user; and

applying the restricted permission type to a first data element;

wherein the created data dependency path uses the first data element as a pass-through.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the restricted permission type prevents the user from viewing data for the first data element.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the creating step further comprises selecting data elements from the data model to be included in the data dependency path.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

defining an unrestricted permission type wherein data is not restricted from the user;

wherein the selected data elements are assigned the unrestricted permission type.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a set of parameters within the data dependency path; and

sending an alert if data matching the set of parameters is received into the data model.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the data dependency path is selected from a plurality of data dependency paths.

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for automatically calculating a data dependency path comprising creating the data dependency path based on a data model representing units of meaning and their relationships.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the data model comprises a propositional structure with a finite set of data relations.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the finite set of data relations consists of 28 data relations.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the data model is a Metamodel.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the 28 data relations comprise identifiers, modifiers and descriptors related using predefined relationships.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the creating step further comprises selecting a data view from the data model.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the creating step further comprises selecting data elements from the data model.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the creating step further comprises selecting a data perspective as a starting point for the data dependency path.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the data perspective is selected from one of a plurality of data perspectives.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein each of the plurality of data perspectives is ranked according to semantic prominence.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, wherein the semantic prominence is calculated by performing steps comprising:

selecting a potential data perspective;

determining how many selected data elements are directly related to the potential data perspective; and

ranking the potential data perspectives according to the number of directly related data elements.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the instructions further comprise repeating the steps for calculating semantic prominence for each potential data perspective.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein the data view comprises data located in a plurality of databases.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein the data view comprises a set of data elements.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44, wherein the data view further comprises data relations in which the set of data elements participate.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein the data dependency path is limited to the selected data view.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the instructions further comprise, when two of the data elements from the data model have a similar name, displaying each similarly named data element and a description of each similarly named element prior to selecting data elements.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 47, wherein the instructions further comprise receiving a selection of one of the similarly named elements.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the selected data elements comprise a set of data elements about which the calculated data dependency path will return data.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the creating step further comprises selecting a set of data relations in order to resolve a context ambiguity.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 50, wherein the selecting of the set of data relations limits possible calculated data dependency paths.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the creating step further comprises:

retrieving a data perspective indicative of the starting point of the data dependency path;

inspecting the data elements directly related to the data perspective;

if any of the data elements directly related to the data perspective is a selected data element, adding the directly related data element to the data dependency path.

53. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise:

prior to creating the data dependency path;

defining a restricted permission type wherein data is restricted from a user; and

applying the restricted permission type to a first data element;

wherein the created data dependency path uses the first data element as a pass-through.

54. The computer readable medium of claim 53, wherein the restricted permission type prevents the user from viewing data for the first data element.

55. The computer readable medium of claim 54, wherein the creating step further comprises selecting data elements from the data model to be included in the data dependency path.

56. The computer readable medium of claim 55, wherein the instructions further comprise:

defining an unrestricted permission type wherein data is not restricted from the user;

wherein the selected data elements are assigned the unrestricted permission type.

57. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise:

defining a set of parameters within the data dependency path; and

sending an alert if data matching the set of parameters is received into the data model.

58. The computer readable medium of claim 57, wherein the data dependency path is selected from a plurality of data dependency paths.

59-68. -68. (canceled)

69. A method for traversing a data dependency path with one or more selected data elements and one or more non-selected data elements comprising:

(a) creating a first system process for traversing the data dependency path;

(b) accessing a first data element in the data dependency path;

(c) accessing a non-selected data element related with the accessed first data element;

(d) if additional non-selected data elements remain in the data path,

(1) creating a second system process for traversing the data dependency path.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein step (d) further comprises:

(2) accessing one of the additional non-selected data elements remaining in the data dependency path.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein each of first and second system processes repeats steps (a)-(d) until each of the one or more selected data element has been traversed.

72-77. -77. (canceled)