Automatically retrieving queried data by extracting query dimensions and modifying the dimensions if an extract match does not occur

• US 5,297,280 A
• Filed: 08/07/1991
• Issued: 03/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Occam Research Corp.
• Original Assignee: Occam Research Corp.
• Inventors: Higgins, Terrence P., Zand, Mark, Potts, George W. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORZECH, JENNIFER
• Application Number:
  US07/741,636
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200, 395/600, 395/425, 395/700
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

An automatic data reference system and method responds to a query for a data item by determining whether a match can be found between the query dimensions and the dimensions of one of a number of data tables stored in the database for queries which constitute an exact match for an existing data table, as well as those queries which are underdefined, overdefined or require relational joining or linking of two or more data tables.

Claims

1. A data reference system comprising:

means for storing a data base including a number of data tables wherein at least one of said data tables has at least two dimensions;

means for receiving a query for a data item;

means for extracting the dimensions from the query and for determining the number of dimensions extracted from said query;

means for determining whether an exact match is found between the extracted query dimensions and the dimensions in said number of data tables, wherein an exact match data table contains the same number of dimensions as the number determined from said received query means, coupling to said exact match determining means, for determining, if it is determined there is no exact match, whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an underdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said underdefined query is derived by adding at least one dimension to the number of dimensions determined from the received query;

means, coupling to said underdefined query determining means, for determining, if it is determined the query is not underdefined, whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an overdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said overdefined query is derived by subtracting at least one dimension from the number of dimensions determined from the received query; and

means, responsive to one of said means for determining whether a match is found, for retrieving said data item from one of said data tables with the dimensions that matched the query.

2. The data reference system of claim 1 in which said means for determining whether an exact match is found includes means for finding each of said data tables whose dimension match the extracted dimensions of the query, and means for establishing in which table of the found tables the data item is contained.

3. The data reference system of claim 1 in which said means for determining whether a match is found between the dimensions of an underdefined query in one of said data tables includes means for incrementing the number of dimensions in the query, means for identifying each table having the incremented number of dimensions, means for ascertaining which table, containing the incremented number of dimensions has the dimensions, and data item of the query and means for introducing a default dimension for each missing dimension relative to the query dimensions.

4. The data reference system of claim 1 in which said means for determining whether a match is found between the dimensions of an overdefined query in one of said data tables includes means for decrementing the number of dimensions in the query, means for identifying each table having that decremented number of dimensions, and means for ascertaining which table, containing the decremented number of dimensions, has the dimensions and data item of the query.

5. The data reference system of claim 1 further including means for determining whether a relational match is found between a second data item in one of said data tables and a dimension in a different one of said data tables.

6. The data reference system of claim 5 in which said means for determining whether a relational match is found includes means for ascertaining whether said second data item is joined, means responsive to said second data item being joined for identifying the joined dimension, and means for adding the identified dimension to the received query dimensions.

7. A data reference system comprising:

means for storing a data base including a number of data tables wherein at least one of said data tables has at least two dimensions;

means for receiving a query for a data item;

means for extracting the dimensions from the query and for determining the number of dimensions extracted from said query;

means for determining whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an underdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said underdefined query is derived by adding at least one dimension to the number of dimensions determined from the received query, wherein said means for determining a match includes means for incrementing the number of dimensions in said query;

means for identifying each of said data tables having the incremented number of dimensions of the underdefined query, means for ascertaining which table containing the incremented number of dimensions has the dimensions and data item of the query and means for introducing a default dimension for each missing dimension relative to the query dimensions; and

means, responsive to said means for determining whether a match is found, for retrieving the data item from one of said data tables with the dimensions and the data item that matched the query.

8. A data reference system comprising:

means for storing a data base including a number of data tables wherein at least one of said data tables has at least two dimensions;

means for receiving a query for a data item;

means for extracting the dimensions from the query and for determining the number of dimensions extracted from said query;

means for determining whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an overdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said overdefined query is derived by subtracting at least one dimension from the number of dimensions determined from the received query wherein said means for determining a match includes means for decrementing the number of dimensions in said query;

means for identifying each of said data tables having the decremented number of dimensions of the overdefined query, and means for ascertaining which table containing the decremented number of dimensions has the dimensions and data item of the query; and

means, responsive to said means for determining whether a match is found, for retrieving the data item from one of said data tables with the dimensions and the data item that matched the query.

9. A data reference system comprising:

means for storing a data base including a number of data tables wherein at least one of said data tables has at least two dimensions;

means for receiving a query for a first data item;

means for extracting the dimensions from the query;

means for determining whether a relational match is found between a second data item in one of said data tables and a dimension in a different one of said data tables, including means for determining whether said second data item is joined, means responsive to the second data item being joined for identifying the joined dimension, means for adding the identified dimension to the received query dimensions; and

means, responsive to said means for determining whether a match is found, for retrieving the first data item from the data table with the identified dimension that was added to the received query dimensions.

10. A data reference system comprising:

means for storing a data base including a number of data tables wherein at least one of said data tables has at least two dimensions;

means for receiving a query for a first data item;

means for extracting the dimensions from the query and for determining the number of dimensions extracted from said query;

means for determining whether an exact match is found between the extracted query dimensions and the dimensions in said number of data tables, wherein an exact match data table contains the same number of dimensions as the number determined from said received query;

means, coupling to said exact match determining means, for determining, if it is determined there is no exact match, whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an underdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said underdefined query is derived by adding at least one dimension to the number of dimensions determined from the received query;

means, coupling to said underdefined query determining means, for determining, if it is determined the query is not underdefined, whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an overdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said overdefined query is derived by subtracting at least one dimension from the number of dimensions determined from the received query;

means, coupling to said overdefined query determining means, for determining, if it is determined the query is not overdefined, whether a relational match is found between a second data item in one of said data tables and a dimension in a different one of said data tables, including means for determining whether said second data item is joined to the dimension in a different one of said data tables, means responsive to the second data item being joined for identifying the joined dimension, means for adding the identified dimension to the received query dimensions; and

means, responsive to one of said means for determining whether a match is found, for retrieving the first data item from one of said data tables with the dimensions that matched the query.

11. A data reference method comprising:

storing a data base including a number of data tables in a storage device wherein at least one of said data tables has at least two dimensions;

receiving a query from an input device for a data item stored in one of said number of data tables in said data base;

extracting the dimensions from the query;

determining the number of dimensions extracted from said query;

determining whether an exact match is found between the extracted query dimensions and the dimensions in said number of data tables, wherein an exact match data table contains the same number of dimensions as the number determined from said received query;

determining, if it is determined there is no exact match, whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an underdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said underdefined query is derived by adding at least one dimension to the number of dimensions determined from the received query;

determining, if it is determined the query is not underdefined, whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an overdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said overdefined query is derived by subtracting at least one dimension from the number of dimensions determined from the received query; and

retrieving the data item from one of said data tables with the dimensions that matched the query dimensions.

12. The improved data reference method of claim 11 in which determining whether an exact match is found includes finding each of said data tables whose dimensions match the extracted dimensions of the query, and establishing which table of the found tables the data item is contained.

13. The improved data reference method of claim 11 in which determining whether a match is found between the dimensions of an underdefined query and one of said data tables includes incrementing the number of dimensions in the query, identifying each table having the incremented number of dimensions, ascertaining which table, containing the incremented number of dimensions, has the extracted dimensions and data item of the query;

and introducing a default dimension for each missing dimension relative to the query dimensions.

14. The improved data reference method of claim 11 in which determining whether a match is found between the dimensions of an overdefined query and one of said data tables includes decrementing the number of dimensions in the query, identifying each table having that decremented number of dimensions, and ascertaining which table, containing the decremented number of dimensions, has the extracted dimensions and data item of the query.

15. The improved data reference method of claim 11 further including determining whether a relational match is found between a second data item in one of said data tables and a dimension in a different one of said data tables.

16. The data reference method of claim 15 in which determining whether a relational match is found includes ascertaining whether the query data item is joined, identifying the joined dimension, and adding the identified dimension to the received query dimensions.

17. A data reference method comprising:

storing a data base in a storage device including a number of data tables wherein at least one of said data tables has at least two dimensions;

receiving a query from an input device for a data item stored in one of said number of data tables in said data base;

extracting the dimensions from the query;

determining the number of dimensions extracted from said query; and

determining whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an underdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said underdefined query is derived from incrementing by at least one dimension the number of dimensions determined from the received query; and

identifying each of said data tables having the incremented number of dimensions of the underdefined query, ascertaining which table containing the incremented number of dimensions has the dimensions and data item of the query and introducing a default dimension for each missing dimension relative to the query dimensions; and

retrieving the data item from one of said data tables with the dimensions and the data item that matched the query.

18. A data reference method comprising:

storing a data base in a storage device including a number of data tables wherein at least one of said data tables has at least two dimensions;

receiving a query from an input device for a data item stored in one of said number of data tables in said data base;

extracting the dimensions from the query;

determining the number of dimensions extracted from said query; and

determining whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an overdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said overdefined query is derived from decrementing by at least one dimension the number of dimensions determined from the received query;

identifying each of said data tables having the decremented number of dimensions of the overdefined query, and ascertaining which table containing the decremented number of dimensions has the dimensions and data item of the query; and

retrieving the data item from one of said data tables with the dimensions and the data item that matched the query.

19. A data reference method comprising:

storing a data base in a storage device including a number of data tables wherein at least one of said data tables has at least two dimensions;

receiving a query from an input device for a first data item stored in one of said number of data tables in said data base;

extracting the dimensions from the query;

determining whether a relational match is found between a second data item in one of said data tables and a dimension in a different one of said data tables, and determining whether said second data item is joined to a dimension in the different one of said data tables;

identifying the joined dimension, and adding the identified dimension to the received query dimensions; and

retrieving the first data item from the data table with the identified dimension that was added to the received query dimensions.

20. A data reference method comprising:

storing a data base in a storage device including a number of data tables wherein at least one of said data tables has at least two dimensions;

receiving a query from an input device for a first data item stored in one of said number of data tables in said data base;

extracting the dimensions from the query;

determining the number of dimensions extracted from said query;

determining whether an exact match is found between the extracted query dimensions and the dimensions in said number of data tables, wherein an exact match data table contains the same number of dimensions as the number determined from said received query;

determining, if it is determined there is no exact match, whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an underdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said underdefined query is derived by adding at least one dimension to the number of dimensions determined from the received query;

determining, if it is determined the query is not underdefined, whether a match is found between the query dimensions of an overdefined query and the dimensions in said number of data tables, the number of dimensions of said overdefined query is derived by subtracting at least one dimension from the number of dimensions determined from the received query;

determining, if it is determined the query is not overdefined, whether a relational match is found between a second data item in one of said data tables and a dimension in a different one of said data tables, and determining whether said second data item is joined to the dimension in a different one of said data tables, and identifying the joined dimension, and adding the identified dimension to the received query dimensions; and

retrieving the first data item from one of said data tables with the dimensions that matched the query.