Method for indexing duplicate database records using a full-record fingerprint

• US 5,745,900 A
• Filed: 08/09/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Burrows, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US08/711,192
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 395/613, 395/610, 395/603, 395/615, 395/612, 395/602, 395/606, 707/102, 707/101, 707/2, 707/3, 707/6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/319 Inverted lists
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer implemented method indexes duplicate information stored in records having different unique addresses in a database. A fingerprint is generated for each record, the fingerprint is a singular value derived from all of the information of the record. The fingerprint is stored in the index as a unique fingerprint if the fingerprint is different than a previously stored fingerprint of the index. A reference to the unique address of the record is stored with the fingerprint. If the fingerprint is identical to the previously stored fingerprint, then store the reference to the address of the record with the previously stored fingerprint.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for indexing duplicate information stored in records of a database, each record having a unique address in the database, comprising:

generating a fingerprint for each record, the fingerprint being a singular value derived from all of the information of the record according to a predetermined combination of the information of the record;

storing the fingerprint in the index as a unique fingerprint if the fingerprint is different than a previously stored fingerprint of the index along with a reference to the unique address of the record;

indexing the record having the unique fingerprint as a master record; and

storing a reference to the unique address of the record with the reference to the address of a previously stored unique fingerprint if the fingerprint is identical to the previously stored unique fingerprint.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

issuing a reissue request to retrieve a duplicate record for indexing when deleting the master record.

3. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

indexing the duplicate record as the master record in response to receiving the duplicate record.