Inverse hierarchical approach to data

• US 20070118495A1
• Filed: 10/12/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Grewal, Jasjit, Smertin, Andriy, Smith, Ilana
• Application Number:
  US11/248,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118495A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2246 Trees, e.g. B+trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/28 Databases characterised by their database models, e.g. relational or object models

Abstract

Data may be stored and search starting at the child level of data and progressing toward parent data and grandparent data, if needed.

Claims

1. A method of defining data in an inverse hierarchical manner comprising:

storing data in a hierarchical manner wherein child data has parent data;

allowing a definition of the data;

applying the definition to the desired child data;

if the definition applies to the parent data, applying the definition to the parent data; and

if he definition does not apply to the parent data, not applying the definition to the parent data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising first applying the definition to the desired child data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the data definition from a plurality of pre-defined data definitions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing for the creation of new data definitions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the definition to be applied to some child data of the parent data and not applying the definition to other child data of the parent data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising searching the data by beginning the search by searching the child data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising if a search of the child data produces a match, searching the parent data of the matching child data.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising if a search of the child data does not produce a match, stopping the search.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising returning no results as the results of the search.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising if a search of the parent data does not produce a match, stopping the search.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising returning the matching child data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the data in a database.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the data in XML format.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the data in a database in XML format.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored data is customer relationship management data.

16. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for defining data in an inverse hierarchical manner comprising computer executable instructions for:

storing data in a hierarchical manner wherein child data has parent data;

allowing a definition of the data;

applying the definition to the desired child data;

if the definition applies to the parent data, applying the definition to the parent data;

if the definition does not apply to the parent data, not applying the definition to the parent data;

allowing the definition to be applied to some child data of parent data and not applying the definition to other child data of the parent data.

17. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

searching the data by beginning the search by searching the child data;

if a search of the child data produces a match, searching the parent data of the matching child data;

if a search of the child data does not produce a match, stopping the search; and

if a search of the parent data does not produce a match, stopping the search.

18. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

storing customer relationship data as the data;

storing the customer relationship data in a database; and

storing the data in XML format.

19. A computer system comprising a memory, a processor, an input device and an output device wherein the processor is adapted to execute computer instructions for defining data in an inverse hierarchical manner, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

storing data in a hierarchical manner wherein child data has parent data;

allowing a definition of the data;

applying the definition to the desired child data;

if the definition applies to the parent data, applying the definition to the parent data;

if the definition does not apply to the parent data, not applying the definition to the parent data;

allowing the definition to be applied to some child data of first parent data and not applying the definition to other child data of the first parent data;

searching the data by beginning the search by searching the child data;

if a search of the child data produces a match, searching the parent data of the matching child data;

if a search of the child data does not produce a match, stopping the search; and

if a search of the parent data does not produce a match, stopping the search.

20. The computer system of claim 19, further comprising instructions for storing customer relationship data as the data;

storing the customer relationship data in a database; and

storing the data in XML format.