System and method to search a database for records matching user-selected search criteria and to maintain persistency of the matched records

• US 20070106638A1
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Subramaniam, Pavitra, Ying, Jian-Jung, Zoss, Jason, Caltabiano, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• 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 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method includes receiving search criteria entered by a user. The method further includes searching a database for data records matching the search criteria. The method also includes generating search results comprising of the data records matching the received search criteria. In addition, the method includes caching the search results to maintain persistency of the search results.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving search criteria from a graphical user interface generated by a computing device, wherein the search criteria includes at least one search keyword;

passing the received search criteria to a Virtual Business Component (VBC), the VBC representing a database as a business object;

invoking a search execution business service using the VBC;

searching the database for data records matching the search criteria using the search execution business service;

generating search results comprising of the data records matching the received search criteria; and

caching the search results to maintain persistency of the search results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving search criteria further comprises receiving at least one search category.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising refining the search results based on at least one result refining keyword from the graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing the received search criteria from the Virtual Business Component to the search execution business service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

the search execution business service remains in existence until a user session is terminated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein caching the search results further comprises:

caching the search results in the search execution business service to maintain persistency of the search results.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein caching the search results further comprises:

caching the search results in the search execution business service until termination of a user session to maintain persistency of the search results until termination of the user session.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the search results to a frame so that the search results can be listed on a user interface.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the VBC is configured to provide an abstraction layer, wherein the abstraction layer provides wrapping over a plurality of databases.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the search execution business service is independent of the database, and has access to a plurality of databases.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the search execution business service is independent of the database, and has access to a plurality of databases via a search adapter.

4. (canceled)

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a search category and a search keyword from a graphical user interface generated by a computing device;

passing the received search category and the search keyword to a Virtual Business Component (VBC), the VBC representing a database as a business object;

invoking a search execution business service using the VBC;

searching the database for data records matching the search category and the search keyword using the search execution business service;

generating search results comprising of the data records matching the search category and the search keyword; and

caching the search results to maintain persistency of the search results until termination of a session.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

passing the received search category and the search keyword from the Virtual Business Component to the search execution business service.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein

the search execution business service remains in existence until a user session is terminated.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein caching the search results further comprises:

caching the search results in the search execution business service to maintain persistency of the search results until termination of a session.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sending the search results to a frame so that the search results can be listed on a user interface.

35. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the VBC is configured to provide an abstraction layer, wherein the abstraction layer provides wrapping over a plurality of databases, and

the search execution business service is independent of the database, and has access to a plurality of databases via a search adapter.

11. (canceled)

16. A system, comprising:

a user interface generated by a computing device to receive search criteria entered by a user, wherein the search criteria includes at least one search keyword;

a Virtual Business Component (VBC) to receive the search criteria from the user interface and to represent a database as a business object;

a business service to receive the search criteria from the Virtual Business Component, to perform a search in the database for data records matching the search criteria, to generate search results comprising of the data records matching the received search criteria, and to cache the search results to maintain persistency of the search results, wherein the business service is invoked by the VBC.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the search criteria comprises at least one search category.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the business service refines the search results based on at least one result refining keyword entered by the user.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the business service caches the search results until termination of a user session to maintain persistency of the search results until termination of the user session.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the business service sends the search results to the user interface so that the search results can be listed on the user interface.

36. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the VBC is configured to provide an abstraction layer for communicating with a plurality of databases.

37. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the business service is independent of the database, and has access to a plurality of databases via a search adapter.

21. A system, comprising:

a user interface generated by a computing device to receive search criteria entered by a user, wherein the search criteria includes at least one search keyword;

a Virtual Business Component (VBC) to receive the search criteria from the user interface and to represent a database as a business object;

a business service to receive the search criteria from the Virtual Business Component, to perform a search in the database for data records matching the search criteria, and to cache search results to maintain persistency of the search results, wherein the business service is invoked by the VBC.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the search criteria comprises at least one search category.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the business service performs a second search based on at least one result refining keyword entered by the user.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a search adapter to adapt to a selected search engine and to generate search results comprising of the data records matching the received search criteria, wherein

the business service caches the search results generated by the search adapter to maintain persistency of the search results.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the business service caches the search results until termination of a user session to maintain persistency of the search results until termination of the user session.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the business service sends the search results to a search frame so that the search results can be listed on the user interface.

38. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the VBC is configured to provide an abstraction layer for communicating with a plurality of databases.

39. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the business service is independent of the database, and has access to a plurality of databases via a search adapter.

27. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving search criteria from a graphical user interface generated by a computing device, wherein the search criteria includes at least one search keyword;

passing the received search criteria to a Virtual Business Component (VBC), the VBC representing a database as a business object;

invoking a search execution business service using the VBC;

searching the database for data records matching the search criteria using the search execution business service;

generating search results comprising of the data records matching the received search criteria; and

caching the search results to maintain persistency of the search results.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein receiving search criteria further comprises receiving at least one search category and at least one search keyword.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein caching the search results further comprises:

caching the search results in the search execution business service until termination of a user session to maintain persistency of the search results until termination of the user session.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising:

sending the search results to a search frame so that the search results can be listed on a user interface.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising refining the search results based on at least one result refining keyword entered by the user.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein:

the VBC is configured to provide an abstraction layer for communicating with a plurality of databases.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein:

the search execution business service is independent of the database, and has access to a plurality of databases via a search adapter.