OFF-LINE LOG SYSTEM

• US 20190310972A1
• Filed: 04/18/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dharma Platform, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dharma Platform, Inc.
• Inventors: Nagey, Stefan Anastas, Berns, Jesse Erin
• Granted Patent: US 11,507,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2372 Updates performed during offline database operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor

Abstract

Introduced are systems and methods that enable modification of logs in multiple off-line databases. Multiple off-line devices can mistakenly associate different respondents with the same identification (ID) unique to the system. When the multiple off-line devices synchronize with each other, or synchronize with a server hosting the central database, the software running on the off-line devices, or on the server detects that the modified logs come from different respondents, and the software assigns two different IDs unique to system to the logs. In another embodiment, multiple off-line devices can mistakenly associate the same respondent with two different IDs unique to the system. When the multiple off-line devices synchronize with each other or with the server, the software running on the off-line devices, or the server detects that the modified logs come from the same respondent, and the software assigns the logs to the same ID unique to system.

Claims

1. A method to prevent corruption of a central database associated with a server using a plurality of off-line databases associated with a plurality of off-line devices, the method comprising:

editing a log in an off-line database in the plurality of off-line databases, the log comprising at least one record, wherein a record comprises at least one of a name, an age, a gender, a region of origin, a barcode ID, or a radio frequency ID;

determining that the log has a dependent log varying based on the log; and

based on an edited value of the log, automatically creating a questionnaire comprising a list of likely values for the dependent log to present to a user;

receiving a user response to the questionnaire;

storing in the off-line database a timeseries of the log comprising the edited value of the log, a time said editing occurred, the dependent log, a time the user response was received, and a first identification (ID) unique to the central database;

synchronizing the log with a different database comprising at least one of the central database or a second off-line database in the plurality of off-line databases; and

preventing corruption of the different database by determining a correct ID unique to the off-line database and the different database to associate with the log by comparing the timeseries of the log and data contained in the different database.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

correcting the timeseries of the log by analyzing changes in the log over time, and removing a value of an abnormal log significantly different from values of the abnormal log'"'"'s temporal neighbors.

3. A method comprising:

modifying a log in an off-line database in a plurality of off-line databases, said modifying comprising creating a new log in the off-line database or editing an existing log in the off-line database;

storing in the off-line database a timeseries of the log comprising a modified value of the log, a time said modifying occurred, and a first identification (ID) unique to a central database;

synchronizing the log with a different database comprising at least one of the central database or a second off-line database in the plurality of off-line databases, the different database comprising a second timeseries; and

determining a correct ID unique to the off-line database and the different database to associate with the log by comparing the timeseries of the log and the second timeseries associated with the different database.

4. The method of claim 3, the log comprising at least one record, wherein a record comprises at least one of a name, an age, a gender, a region of origin, a barcode ID, or a radio frequency ID.

5. A method of claim 3, said modifying the log comprising:

editing an existing record in the off-line database;

determining that the existing record has a dependent record which varies based on the existing record; and

updating the dependent record.

6. The method of claim 5, said updating the dependent record comprising:

automatically creating a questionnaire comprising a list of likely values for the dependent record to present to a user; and

receiving a user response to the questionnaire.

7. The method of claim 6, said automatically creating the questionnaire comprising:

based on the edited existing record, retrieving from the off-line database a plurality of most popular values associated with the dependent record.

8. The method of claim 5, said updating the dependent record comprising:

providing a notification to a user that the dependent record needs to be updated.

9. A method of claim 3, said modifying the log comprising:

receiving from a user the log to add to the off-line database and a dependency between the log and a dependent log;

creating the log and the dependency in the off-line database;

automatically creating a questionnaire comprising a list of likely values for the dependent log to present to the user; and

receiving a user response to the questionnaire.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the log comprises a plurality of records;

said determining the correct ID unique to the off-line database and the different database comprising;

retrieving from the different database a second log associated with the first ID, the second log comprising a second plurality of records, wherein the different database comprises at least one of the central database or the second off-line database in the plurality of off-line databases;

based on the plurality of records, formulating a criterion indicating that the log and the second log are the same;

based on the log and the second log determining that the criterion is not satisfied; and

associating the log with a second ID unique to the off-line database and the different database, wherein the second ID is the correct ID unique to the off-line database and the different database, and wherein the second ID and the first ID are different.

11. The method of claim 10, said formulating the criterion comprising:

based on the plurality of records and a time variability associated with each record in the plurality of records, creating a prioritized list of records, wherein a record least likely to change over time is at the top of the prioritized list of records; and

formulating the criterion to state that when at least one record at the top of the prioritized list of records is different between the log and the second log, the log and the second log are different.

12. The method of claim 10, said determining the correct ID unique to the off-line database and the different database comprising:

retrieving from the different database a third log associated with the second ID, the third log comprising a third plurality of records;

based on the plurality of records, formulating the criterion indicating that the log and the third log are the same;

based on the log and the third log determining that the criterion is satisfied; and

associating the log with the second ID unique to the off-line database and the different database.

13. The method of claim 3, comprising:

generating a large random number; and

generating the first ID by a device associated with the off-line database by combining a device ID, a time when collection of the log started, and the large random number.

14. The method of claim 3, comprising:

detecting a presence of a second device in a plurality of off-line devices; and

synchronizing the off-line database with the second off-line database associated with the second device.

15. The method of claim 3, comprising:

detecting an availability of an Internet connection; and

synchronizing the off-line database with the central database.

16. The method of claim 3, comprising:

receiving from at least two off-line databases a plurality of modifications to the log, a modification to the log in the plurality of modifications to the log comprising a value and a time at which the value was entered; and

recording the timeseries of the log, wherein the timeseries orders the plurality of modifications to the log from oldest to most recent.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. A method comprising:

synchronizing a plurality of off-line databases associated with a plurality of off-line devices and a central database associated with a server without corrupting the central database by incorrectly associating a log entered by a user into an off-line database in the plurality of off-line databases with an incorrect identification (ID), said synchronizing comprising;

maintaining at least two identifications (IDs) associated with the log, wherein a first ID is unique to the central database, and a second ID is provided by the user;

recording a timeseries of the log comprising a modification to the log at a point in time, and the point in time at which the modification to the log was made; and

determining a correct ID unique to the central database to associate with the log by comparing the timeseries of the log and data contained in the central database.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the log comprises a plurality of records;

said determining the correct ID unique to the central database to associate with the log;

retrieving from a second off-line database a second log associated with the first ID, the second log comprising a second plurality of records, wherein the second off-line database comprises at least one of the central database or the second off-line database;

based on the plurality of records, formulating a criterion indicating that the log and the second log are the same;

based on the log and the second log determining that the criterion is not satisfied; and

associating the log with a third ID unique to the central database, wherein the third ID is the correct ID unique to the central database, and wherein the third ID and the first ID are different.

22. The method of claim 21, said formulating the criterion comprising:

based on the plurality of records and a time variability associated with each record in the plurality of records, creating a prioritized list of records, wherein a record least likely to change over time is at the top of the prioritized list of records; and

formulating the criterion to state that when at least one record at the top of the prioritized list of records is different between the log and the second log, the log and the second log are different.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the log comprises a plurality of records;

said determining the correct ID unique to the central database to associate with the log;

retrieving from a second off-line database a second log associated with a third ID, the second log comprising a second plurality of records;

based on the plurality of records, formulating a criterion indicating that the log and the second log are the same;

based on the log and the second log determining that the criterion is satisfied; and

associating the log and the second log with the first ID unique to the central database, wherein the first ID is the correct ID unique to the central database.

24-47. -47. (canceled)