Efficient Search Result Update Mechanism

• US 20080071769A1
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Solutions, Inc. (Sakata INX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Innovative Solutions, Inc. (Sakata INX Corporation)
• Inventors: Jagannathan, Govindarajan
• Granted Patent: US 7,979,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2453 Query optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A method/algorithm allows database queries to be saved and an efficient mechanism that matches records whenever they are added or modified to all of the saved queries and returns the list of those queries that match a given record as soon as the record is added or modified. If used in an online search portal example (e.g. a job search site), this invention would allow the searcher to submit and save his search criteria once and the application would return the listings that match the search criteria at that point in time and will also automatically match any new listings that get added after the query gets saved and if a match occurs would notify the user of the listing as soon as the listing is added. This matching on new listings to the saved search will happen continuously until the search is removed. According to an aspect of the invention, by matching a record that is added or changed to the database to all saved queries, it provides convenience to the users and it also reduces the computational cost to achieve the same result relative to other existing techniques to address the same scenario.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a query for identifying a set of data among a plurality of sets of data;

parsing the query according to a plurality of condition indices;

storing the condition indices as updated by the parsing step and associating the query with the stored condition indices; and

comparing a new or changed set of data to the stored condition indices and identifying the associated query if there is a match.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning updated search results for the identified associated query if there is a match.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of data is part of a stream of data, each set having one or more fields, and the query is a Boolean rule to be applied to certain of the fields.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing step includes:

identifying individual conditions in the query;

generating an expression in Boolean form with the identified individual conditions; and

identifying the plurality of condition indices based on the generated expression.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of data is a database record, and wherein the plurality of sets of data comprise a table, and wherein the query is an SQL query and the individual conditions are identified from a where clause in the SQL query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the individual conditions include one or more of a numerical equals value, a text equals value, a date equals value, a numerical range, a text range, a date range, and a text string comparison.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the table comprises a plurality of attributes associated with each record, the method further comprising:

maintaining a master table that maps certain of the attributes to a plurality of types of the conditions; and

updating the master table based on the identified individual conditions.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the comparing step includes:

determining whether the new or changed record contains any of the certain attributes in the updated master table; and

limiting a determination of whether there is a match based on the determination of the new or changed record contains any of the certain attributes.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

maintaining a index conditions cross reference table that associates the query with each of the identified plurality of conditions; and

updating the index conditions cross reference table based on results of the parsing step.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the comparing step includes:

querying the updated index conditions cross reference table using the identifying plurality of condition indices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sets of data include text attributes, and wherein if the query includes a text string, the parsing step includes:

updating a node table based on the text string; and

updating a node branch table based on branch paths within the text string.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

maintaining a plurality of the node table and the node branch table respectively associated with each of a plurality of text conditions, wherein the text conditions include at least Begins With, Contains and Part of.

13. A method comprising:

providing a query tool and a database of records accessible via an online portal;

receiving a query from a user via the online portal;

using the query tool to perform a search of the database, and returning search results to the user;

parsing the query to extract its conditions and saving the query and its associated extracted conditions;

receiving a new or changed record for storing in the database;

comparing the received record against the extracted conditions to determine whether the search results for the associated query are changed by the received record; and

notifying the user if it is determined that the search results are changed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the notifying step includes providing the user with the changed search results.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the notifying step includes one or more of sending an email to the user, signaling the user via an online feed, and updating a search results screen.

16. An apparatus for searching for records in a table, comprising:

a query processor that is adapted to parse a received query according to a plurality of condition indices, store the condition indices as updated by the parsing, and to associate the query with the stored condition indices; and

a query matching processor that is adapted to compare a new or changed record to the stored condition indices and to identify the associated query if there is a match.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the table comprises a relational database, and wherein query is an SQL query and the individual conditions are identified by the query processor from a where clause in the SQL query.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the individual conditions include one or more of a numerical equals value, a text equals value, a date equals value, a numerical range, a text range, a date range, and a text string comparison.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

an online portal adapted to receive the query from a user via a network and to return search results to the user via the network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the online portal is further adapted to notify the user if the query match processor determines that there is a match for the new or changed record.