Database systems having single-association structures

• US 5,903,890 A
• Filed: 05/15/1998
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sofmap Future Design Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sofmap Future Design Incorporated
• Inventors: Nakajima, Ichiro, Tabuchi, Daisuke, Shoji, Wataru
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RONES, CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US09/079,686
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.47, 395/827, 395/590, 707/6, 707/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A database system can be formed by combining a plurality of single-association databases each associated with a database driver. A single-association database contains a plurality of records, and each record associates one piece of data with another piece of data. Each database driver contains a parameter file and is designed to perform searches on its associated database. Each database driver also contains means for sending a command to the parameter file of another database driver. The recipient database driver executes the command without returning result of execution to the sending database driver. The database system also contains a software module for interacting with the database drivers to achieve a desired search result.

Claims

1. A network database system including a plurality of computers coupled to a network, comprising:

a first database data base having two columns only and a plurality of rows;

a first database software driver designed to perform searches on said first database;

a second database having two columns only and a plurality of rows;

a second database software driver designed to perform searches on said second database;

said first database, said second database, said first database driver and said second database driver may reside on different computers on said network;

means for downloading said first database, said second database, said first database driver and said second database driver to a selected computer on said network, if said first database, said second database, said first database driver and said second database driver are not already residing on said selected computer; and

a software module on said selected computer for interacting with said first and said second drivers to achieve a desired search result.

2. The network database system of claim 1 wherein said network is the Internet.

3. A method for searching data in a database system, comprising:

providing at least a first and a second database;

providing a first and a second database driver associated with said first and said second databases, respectively, said first and said second database drivers being designed to perform searches on said first and said second databases, respectively, said first and said second database drivers having a first and a second parameter file, respectively;

providing a software module interacting with said first and said second drivers to achieve a desired search result;

sending a first search instruction to said first parameter file by said software module;

searching said first database by said first database driver in accordance with said first search instruction to generate a first search result;

sending a second search instruction to said second parameter file by said software module;

searching said second database by said second database driver in accordance with said second search instruction to generate a second search result; and

combining said first and said second search results by said software module to obtain a desired search result.

4. The database system of claim 3 wherein said first and said second databases each having two columns only and a plurality of rows.

5. The database system of claim 3 wherein said first database comprises pairs of ASCII characters separated by a predetermined association symbol.

6. A database system comprising:

at least a first database and a second database;

a first and a second database software driver associated with said first and said second databases, respectively;

said first database driver containing a first parameter file and being designed to perform searches on said first database;

said second database driver containing a second parameter file and being designed to perform searches on said second database;

said first database driver containing means for sending a first command to said second parameter file;

said second database driver containing means for sending a second command to said first parameter file;

said first database driver containing means for executing said second command without returning result of execution to said second database driver; and

said second database driver containing means for executing said first command without returning result of execution to said first database driver; and

a software module for interacting with said first and said second drivers to achieve a desired search result.

7. The database system of claim 6 wherein said first and said second databases each having two columns only and a plurality of rows.

8. The database system of claim 6 wherein said first database comprises pairs of ASCII characters separated by a predetermined association symbol.

9. The database system of claim 6 wherein said searches on said first and said second databases include a logic operation on data in said databases.

10. The database system of claim 6 wherein said software module causing said first and said second database drivers to perform searches on their respective databases and combining results of said searches to achieve said desired search result.

11. A network database system including a plurality of computers coupled to a network, comprising:

a first database and a second database;

a first database software driver designed to perform searches on said first database, said first database software driver containing a first parameter file;

a second database software driver designed to perform searches on said second database, said second database software driver containing a second parameter file;

said first database, said second database, said first database software driver and said second database software driver may reside on different computers on said network;

means for downloading said first database, said second database, said first database driver and said second database driver to a selected computer on said network, if said first database, said second database, said first database driver and said second database driver are not already residing on said selected computer;

said first database driver containing means for sending a first command to said second parameter file;

said second database driver containing means for sending a second command to said first parameter file;

said first database driver containing means for executing said second command without returning result of execution to said second database driver;

said second database driver containing means for executing said first command without returning result of execution to said first database driver; and

a software module on said selected computer for interacting with said first and said second drivers to achieve a desired search result.

12. The database system of claim 11 wherein said first and said second databases each having two columns only and a plurality of rows.

13. The network database system of claim 11 wherein said network is the Internet.