Method and Apparatus for Access, Integration, and Analysis of Heterogeneous Data Sources Via the Manipulation of Metadata Objects

• US 20080270456A1
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datavine Research Services
• Original Assignee: David Epstein
• Inventors: Betz, Martin, Epstein, David, O'Halloran, Sharyn
• Granted Patent: US 8,171,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP

Abstract

A computer-based method represents a subset of a dataset table of rows and columns. The method includes selecting a set of blocking variables corresponding to blocking columns of the dataset table. For each row in the dataset table, a tuple of values for the blocking columns uniquely identifies the row within the dataset table. The method also includes selecting a set of non-blocking variables that correspond to columns of the subset. The set of non-blocking variables does not intersect the set of blocking variables. The method also includes creating a block information structure that includes both the set of non-blocking variables and, for each blocking variable in the set of blocking variables, a set of values.

Claims

1. A computer-based method of defining a set of data to be accessed, the method comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface with controls for selecting variables to be accumulated into a blockset corresponding to a set of selected blocks, and

providing, in the graphical user interface, controls for selecting values assigned to the variables for defining how data is to be selected from the collection of data;

detecting a user interaction with the controls for selecting variables; and

in response to the user interaction, adding a selected variable and an assigned value to the blockset.

2. The method of claim 1, in which adding the selected variable to the blockset comprises

generating a block information structure specifying the data to be selected according to the identifier, and

adding the block information structure to the blockset.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the block information structure includes incorporating into the block information structure a representation of:

a set of variables, and

a set of values.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the collection of data includes a plurality of rows, each identified by a corresponding tuple of values from the set of values.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

for a variable in the set of variables, presenting enumeration controls in the graphical user interface, each corresponding to set of values.

6. The method of claim 1, in which:

the user interaction comprises specifying a subset of a dataset.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving the selected variable and any additional variables that have been accumulated into the blockset to a persistent storage medium.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of data to be accessed comprises a plurality of rows.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising adding a row to the set of data to be accessed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises controls representing the set of data to be accessed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises controls representing a superset of the set of data to be accessed.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a column to the set of data to be accessed.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising combining data selected according to a plurality of identifiers in the blockset into a single set of data.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the set of data comprising the data selected according to the identifier in the blockset.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to additional user interaction with the controls, adding a second selected variable and a second assigned value to the blockset.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

selecting first data according to the first assigned value of the first selected variable,

selecting second data according to the second assigned value of the second selected variable; and

combining the first data and the second data to produce the set of data to be accessed.

17. The method of claim 1 in which the set of data to be accessed comprises a plurality of columns.

18. An computer-readable medium having encoded thereon software for defining a set of data to be accessed, the software comprising instructions for:

presenting a graphical user interface with controls for selecting variables to be accumulated into a blockset corresponding to a set of selected blocks, and

providing, in the graphical user interface, controls for selecting values assigned to the variables for defining how data is to be selected from the collection of data;

detecting a user interaction with the controls for selecting variables; and

in response to the user interaction, adding a selected variable and an assigned value to the blockset.