Method and system for network information access
First Claim
1. A method to retrieve information from one or more information sources in order to satisfy a user information query, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. generating an ordered sequence of one or more operators, (i) wherein each said operator represents a type of query for retrieving information from one of said information sources, (ii) wherein each said operator has a representation comprising a head with zero or more bound arguments and with one or more free arguments, said bound and free arguments representing, respectively, input information required by, and output information returned from, said represented query type, (iii) and further wherein said user information query has a representation comprising a head with zero or more bound arguments and with one of more free arguments;
b. Instantiating each said ordered sequence of operators to form one or more ordered sequences of operator instances by replacing said bound and free arguments in each said operator and in said user information query with variables such that the binding pattern of said ordered sequence of operators is satisfied;
c. testing whether each said ordered sequence of operator instances satisfies said user information query, wherein said ordered sequence of operator instances satisfies said user information query if it returns information in its variables satisfying the free arguments of said head of said user information query; and
d. repeating steps (a), (b), and (c) either until no additional said ordered sequences of operators can be generated or until a resource bound is exceeded.
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Abstract
This invention provides methods to locate and plan the retrieval of data from networked information sources in response to a user query. The methods utilize descriptions of the information sources, the information domain of the sources, and of the query. The methods of this invention integrate both legacy systems and full relational databases with an efficient, domain-independent, query-planning algorithm, reason about the capabilities of different information sources, handle partial goal satisfaction i.e., gather as much data as possible when all that the user requested cannot be gathered, are both sound and complete, and are efficient.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method to retrieve information from one or more information sources in order to satisfy a user information query, said method comprising the steps of:
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a. generating an ordered sequence of one or more operators, (i) wherein each said operator represents a type of query for retrieving information from one of said information sources, (ii) wherein each said operator has a representation comprising a head with zero or more bound arguments and with one or more free arguments, said bound and free arguments representing, respectively, input information required by, and output information returned from, said represented query type, (iii) and further wherein said user information query has a representation comprising a head with zero or more bound arguments and with one of more free arguments; b. Instantiating each said ordered sequence of operators to form one or more ordered sequences of operator instances by replacing said bound and free arguments in each said operator and in said user information query with variables such that the binding pattern of said ordered sequence of operators is satisfied; c. testing whether each said ordered sequence of operator instances satisfies said user information query, wherein said ordered sequence of operator instances satisfies said user information query if it returns information in its variables satisfying the free arguments of said head of said user information query; and d. repeating steps (a), (b), and (c) either until no additional said ordered sequences of operators can be generated or until a resource bound is exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification