Systems and methods for retrieving data

• US 20060206312A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spread Teleinformã¡Tica Ltda. (Spread Participacoes SC LTDA)
• Original Assignee: Dynatrek Incorporated
• Inventors: Saeki, Joji
• Granted Patent: US 7,165,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/10
• 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

Systems, methods, and storage mediums for retrieving data are provided. A syntax analysis is performed of a retrieval request according to data definition information in a data dictionary so as to convert the retrieval request into a query statement executable by a database. The database comprises an unnormalized data structure that violates the first, second, or third normal condition. The data definition information is for converting the unnormalized data structure to a logically normalized data structure. The data dictionary comprises display tables and logical items. A display table comprises a plurality of display items. Each display item corresponds to a logical item. The query statement is executed relative to the database so as to obtain a retrieval result. The obtained retrieval result is edited according to the data definition information so as to generate a final retrieval result.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A data retrieving method comprising:

performing a syntax analysis of a retrieval request from a user according to data definition information in a data dictionary so as to convert the retrieval request into a query statement which is executable by a database, wherein

the database comprises an unnormalized data structure that violates one or more of (i) the first normal form condition, (ii) the second normal form condition, and (iii) the third normal form condition; and

the data definition information in the data dictionary is for representing said unnormalized data structure as a logically normalized data structure, wherein the data dictionary comprises one or more display tables and a plurality of logical items, wherein a display table in said one or more display tables comprises a plurality of display items and wherein each display item in said plurality of display items corresponds to a logical item in the plurality of logical items;

executing said query statement relative to the database so as to obtain an intermediate 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.

21. The data retrieving method of claim 20, wherein each logical item in said plurality of logical items is represented by a logical item type in a plurality of logical item types.

22. The data retrieving method of claim 21, wherein said plurality of logical item types includes any combination of a numerical type, a currency type, a character string type, a code type, a hierarchical code type, a time type, a postal code type, a telephone number type, a voice type, an image type, and a dynamic image type.

23. The data retrieving method of claim 20, wherein the data dictionary further comprises a calculation table which can be applied to a specific display table in said one or more display tables.

24. The data retrieving method of claim 23, wherein the calculation table comprises a set of calculation items and wherein each calculation item in said set of calculation items corresponds to a logical item in said plurality of logical items.

25. The data retrieving method of claim 24, wherein a calculation item in the set of calculation items comprises a calculation syntax and a calculation definition expression.

26. The data retrieving method of claim 20, wherein the data dictionary further comprises a plurality of calculation tables which can each be applied to a single display table in said one or more display tables.

27. The data retrieving method of claim 20, wherein said retrieval request comprises a selection of one or more display items from among said one or more display tables.

28. The data retrieving method of claim 27, wherein each logical item in said plurality of logical items is classified as a key candidate item or an attribute candidate item, and for each respective display item in said one or more display items in said retrieval request that corresponds to a logical item that is a key candidate item, the performing step comprises obtaining a corresponding extraction condition for said respective display item.

29. The data retrieving method of claim 28, wherein the corresponding extraction condition for a display item in the one or more display items in the retrieval request is provided by said user.

30. The data retrieving method of claim 29, wherein the retrieval request comprises a selection of one or more display items from among said one or more display tables and wherein said performing step comprises:

normalizing the extraction condition for each display item in the one or more display items;

converting each display item in the retrieval request to the corresponding logical item in said one or more logical items thereby generating a plurality of logical items; and

eliminating redundant logical items in said plurality of logical items.

31. The data retrieving method of claim 20, wherein the retrieval request comprises a selection of one or more display items from among said one or more display tables and wherein said performing step comprises:

converting each display item in the retrieval request to the corresponding logical item in said one or more logical items thereby generating a plurality of logical items; and

eliminating redundant logical items in said plurality of logical items.

32. The data retrieving method of claim 20, wherein said retrieval request includes a data extracting condition for restrictively specifying data to be retrieved, and wherein said query statement is obtained by normalizing a logical description in the data extracting condition by a first-order predicate logic according to said data definition information.

33. The data retrieving method of claim 20, wherein said final retrieval result is obtained by eliminating data redundancy included in the intermediate retrieval result.

34. The data retrieving method of claim 20, wherein said retrieval request is converted into the query statement by replacing a schema and syntax of said retrieval request with a corresponding schema and syntax which is executable by said database.

35. The data retrieving method of claim 20, wherein said retrieval request is converted into the query statement by replacing a syntax pattern of said retrieval request with a corresponding query statement pattern which is executable by said database.

36. A data retrieving apparatus implemented on a computer, said data retrieving apparatus comprising:

a database built so as to include an unnormalized data structure that violates one or more of (i) the first normal form condition;

(ii) the second normal form condition, and (iii) the third normal form condition;

a data dictionary holding data definition information for representing said unnormalized data structure as a logically normalized data structure, wherein the data dictionary comprises one or more display tables and a plurality of logical items, wherein a display table in said one or more display tables comprises a plurality of display items and wherein each display item in said plurality of display items corresponds to a logical item in the plurality of logical items;

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 processing section for performing a syntax analysis of said retrieval request according to said data definition information 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 database 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 intermediate results of execution of said one or more query statements; and

a data integration processing section for integrating said one or more intermediate results so as to generate final result data corresponding to said retrieval request.

37. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said retrieval request input section dynamically adds, to said data dictionary, information specified by the user on a logical item type used for an extraction condition in the retrieval request.

38. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said data dictionary includes the data definition information having selectably presented display information when assisting said input, a query statement pattern for converting the retrieval request to one or more query statements that are executable by said database, and wherein physical information in said database is related for each of the logical items representing a data unit in said retrieval request.

39. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein a display item in the plurality of display items corresponds to a logical item in said plurality of logical items, the data definition information including a logical sub-item for complementing said logical item, and wherein information on a category in a logical item type for representing the unnormalized data structure as the logically normalized data structure is in said logical sub-item.

40. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 38, wherein said retrieval request input section visibly presents the display information on data to be retrieved, according to said data dictionary, and interactively performs a selective input from the user of the retrieval request which includes an extraction condition for extracting the data to be retrieved.

41. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said retrieval request input section designates a display format of said final result data, wherein said display format is included in said retrieval request.

42. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 38, 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 final result data.

43. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said retrieval request translation processing section converts said retrieval request into said one or more query statements by replacing a retrieval request syntax pattern of said retrieval request with a corresponding query statement pattern which is executable by said database.

44. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said retrieval request translation processing 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 Structure Query Language (SQL).

45. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said database retrieval processing section removes a redundant part found within the one or more intermediate results by integrating items formed from a same logical item in the one or more intermediate results corresponding to said one or more query statements.

46. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein

said data integration processing section integrates said one or more intermediate results into a single table, and wherein the grouping of the single table is performed according to a grouping designation in the retrieval request.

47. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein the retrieval request comprises a plurality of display items and wherein the retrieval request translation processing section comprises:

instructions for converting display items in the retrieval request into a plurality of logical items; and

instructions for generating a unique list of logical items to be included in the final result data.

48. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 47, wherein said data integration processing section integrates items in said one or more intermediate results into a single table, and wherein items in the one or more intermediate results that are generated from the same logical item in said unique list of logical items are placed in the same column in said single table.

49. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 48, wherein items in the one or more intermediate results that are generated from the same logical item in said unique list of logical items are deemed to be the same type when generating said single table.

50. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 48, wherein each respective intermediate result in said one or more intermediate results corresponds to a query in said one or more query statements.

51. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said database retrieval processing section performs data processing and tabulation on the retrieval data according to designation of a display format concerning the final result data when the designation of the display format is included in the retrieval request.

52. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said database is constructed as a predetermined object-oriented database.

53. A data retrieving system comprising the data retrieving apparatus of claim 37 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.

54. The data retrieving system of claim 53, wherein the retrieval request is inputted to said data retrieving apparatus through an agent function.

55. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said retrieval request translation processing section converts said retrieval request into said one or more query statements by replacing a schema and syntax of said retrieval request with a corresponding schema and syntax which is executable by said database.

56. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said plurality of logical items types includes any combination of a numerical type, a currency type, a character string type, a code type, a hierarchical code type, a time type, a postal code type, a telephone number type, a voice type, an image type, and a dynamic image type.

57. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein the data dictionary further comprises a calculation table which can each be applied to a single display table in said one or more display tables.

58. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 57, wherein the calculation table comprises a set of calculation items and wherein each calculation item in said set of calculation items corresponds to a logical item in said one or more logical items.

59. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 58, wherein a calculation item in the calculation table comprises a calculation syntax and a calculation definition expression.

60. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein the data dictionary further comprises a plurality of calculation tables which can be applied to a specific display table in said one or more display tables.

61. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein said retrieval request comprises a selection of one or more display items from among said one or more display tables.

62. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 61, wherein each logical item defined by said plurality of logical item types is classified as a key candidate item or an attribute candidate item, and for each respective display item in said one or more display items in said retrieval request that corresponds to a logical item that is a key candidate item, the syntax analysis comprises obtaining a corresponding extraction condition for said respective display item.

63. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 62, wherein the corresponding extraction condition for a display item in the one or more display items in the retrieval request is provided by said user.

64. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein the retrieval request comprises a selection of one or more display items from among said one or more display tables and wherein said performing step comprises:

normalizing an extraction condition for each display item in the one or more display items;

converting each display item in the retrieval request to the corresponding logical item in said one or more logical items thereby generating a plurality of logical items; and

eliminating redundant logical items in said plurality of logical items.

65. The data retrieving apparatus of claim 37, wherein the retrieval request comprises a selection of one or more display items from among said one or more display tables and wherein said syntax analysis comprises:

converting each display item in the retrieval request to the corresponding logical item in said one or more logical items thereby generating a plurality of logical items; and

eliminating redundant logical items in said plurality of logical items.

66. A storage medium comprising a program, which is executable by a computer apparatus, the storage medium further comprising:

a database built so as to include an unnormalized data structure that violates one or more of (i) the first normal form condition, (ii) the second normal form condition, and (iii) the third normal form condition; and

a data dictionary holding data definition information for converting said unnormalized data structure to a logically normalized data structure, wherein the data dictionary comprises one or more display tables and a plurality of logical items, wherein a display table in said one or more display tables comprises a plurality of display items and wherein each display item in said plurality of display items corresponds to a logical item in the plurality of logical items;

wherein said program causes the computer apparatus to execute the steps of;

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

performing a syntax analysis of said retrieval request according to said data definition information 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.