Database management enhancement device

• US 4,859,187 A
• Filed: 07/11/1986
• Issued: 08/22/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quintal Research Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Richard E. Peterson
• Inventors: Peterson, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Creighton
• Application Number:
  US06/884,482
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 434/108, 434/109, 434/118, 273/148 A, 40/122, 40/124, 40/124.2
• US Class Current: 434/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

An enhancement device for database management systems utilizing a board or screen format having an array of cells with a set of mnemonic icons selctively positioned as portals to associated keys identifying records in the database, the set of icons preferably consisting of common playing cards arrangeable in a mnemonic composite.

Claims

1. A database management enhancement device comprising:

a format layout having an ordered array of discrete visual display cells,

a database having discrete records with the records having an associative interrelationship and with each record having a discrete record identifying key,

a set of mnemonic icons wherein the set of icons comprises representations of a deck of conventional, individually unique playing cards having a hierarchical order and intrinsic associative value,

wherein discrete card representations are associated with select record keys according to an intrinsic association between the card representation and the record identified by the selected record key wherein a mnemonic association is formed between the card representation and the record, and

wherein the associated card representations ar positioned and displayed the format layout according to an interrelationship of the records wherein a mnemonic composite of discrete card representations is formed that is suggestive of the associative interrelationship among selected records of the database.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the cards are common playing cards.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the cards are tarot cards.

4. The device of claim 1 including means to move discrete card representations and their associated keys from one cell to another.

5. The device of claim 1 including means to switch card representations from one key to another.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the means to switch card representations from one key to another comprise conventional operational commands of a computer applications program.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein the means to switch card representations from one key to another comprise conventional operational commands of a computer applications program.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the format layout is graphically displayed by a programmed general computer having having a computer screen.

10. The data processing system of claim 8 wherein the cell array includes a card composite guide diagram patterned after a hopscotch game pattern.

11. The data procesing system of claim 8 wherein the cell array includes a card composite guide diagram patterned after a kabala tree diagram.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the kabala tree diagram includes ten nodes and twenty-two links, each node and each link being dedicated to a separate cell.

13. The data processing system of claim 12 wherein the kabala tree diagram comprises a network arranged from one corner of a network grid to the diagonally opposite corner of the network grid in a ten cell by ten cell rank and file grid.

9. In a data processing system having a database with discrete records, the records having an associative interrelationship and each record having a discrete record identifying key, a database management enhancement device comprising:

a format layout having an ordered array discrete visual display cells with a set of mnemonic icons selectively positionable and displayable in the cells, wherein the positioned and displayed icons form mnemonic portals for access of associated record identifying keys for records of the database, wherein the set of icons comprises representations of a conventional deck of individually unique playing cards having a hierarchical order and intrinsic associative value, wherein discrete records are selected and discrete card representations are selected and associated with the record keys of the selected records in a manner that forms a mnemonic association between each selected card representation and each selected record, and the card representations are positioned and displayed in select cells in the format layout in a manner that forms a mnemonic composite suggestive of the associative interrelationship of the records for recalling both the record and the interrelationship of the records.

14. A method of organizing interrelated records of a conventional database for mnemonically recalling selected records and their association with other selected records comprising:

constructing an ordered array of visual display cells,

applying discrete record identifying keys to each of the records in the database,

selecting records from the database,

associating discrete mnemonic icons from a set, wherein the set of icons comprises representations of a conventional deck of individually unique playing cards having a hierarchical order and intrinsic associative value, with discrete record identifying keys of the selected records in accordance with a mnemonic association between the card representations and the selected records, and,

selectively positioning and displaying the card representations associated with the record keys in discrete cells of the array in accordance with an associative interrelationship of the records such that the resulting arrangement of discrete card representations forms a visual mnemonic composite suggestive of the associative interrelationship among the selected records of the database.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the playing cards are common playing cards.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the playing cards are tarot cards.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the array is an organization of cells into a grid pattern, each cell having an address designated by a row and column position in the grid pattern.