Apparatus and method for utilizing sentence component metadata to create database queries

• US 20060230027A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kellet, Nicholas Guy, Webster, Richard David
• Application Number:
  US11/102,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20060230027A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93

Abstract

A computer readable medium includes executable instructions to associate text sentence components with metadata. The executable instructions specify a subject that has a definition corresponding to a metadata source. The executable instructions identify a behavior that has a definition corresponding to a metadata source. The behavior is associated with at least one subject. The behavior and at least one subject allow a user to create a text question convertible to a query to a data source associated with the metadata source.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium including executable instructions to associate text sentence components with metadata, comprising executable instructions to:

specify a subject that has a definition corresponding to a metadata source;

identify a behavior that has a definition corresponding to a metadata source; and

associating said behavior with at least one subject, said behavior and at least one subject allowing a user to create a text question convertible to a query to a data source associated with a metadata source.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said executable instructions to identify a behavior include executable instructions to identify a measure corresponding to a metadata source.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said executable instructions to identify a behavior include executable instructions to identify a date corresponding to a metadata source.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said executable instructions to identify a behavior include executable instructions to operate a filter associated with said behavior.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said executable instructions to identify a behavior include executable instructions to process a context referenced by said behavior.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to process the relationship between said subject and said behavior as specified by a term in a graphical user interface.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to process a subject key and a subject label corresponding to a metadata source.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to process a subject attribute corresponding to a metadata source.

9. A computer readable medium including executable instructions to associate text question sentence components with metadata, comprising executable instructions to:

identify metadata characterizing information in a database; and

link text question sentence components to said metadata.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising executable instructions to link a subject of a text question to said metadata.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising executable instructions to link a behavior associated with a subject of said text question to said metadata.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising executable instructions to allow said subject and said behavior to be subsequently selected to form a text question that is convertible to a database query.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising executable instructions to associate a plurality of subjects with said behavior.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein said executable instructions to link include executable instructions to associate a behavior with data in said data source.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said executable instructions to associate include executable instructions to associate a measure, date, and context with data in said data source.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein said executable instructions to link include executable instructions to associate a subject with data in said data source.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein said executable instructions to associate include executable instructions to associate a key, label and attribute with data in said data source.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising executable instructions to identify metadata characterizing information in a plurality of data sources.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising executable instructions to allow a first user to select primary metadata domains from a question domain editor.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 further comprising executable instructions to allow said first user to select text question subject components within said question domain editor.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19 further comprising executable instructions to allow said first user to select text question behavior components within said question domain editor.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21 further comprising executable instructions to allow a second user to select said text question subject components and said text question behavior components to produce a text question for translation to a structured query to said data source.