Method and apparatus for producing sequenced queries

• US 5,999,924 A
• Filed: 07/25/1997
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Bair, John, Snodgrass, Richard T
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US08/900,181
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/2
• US Class Current: 707/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• 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 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method and apparatus converts an original query into a sequenced query that takes into account a range of values of a variable defined by a start and end point in performing the query. The start or end points are calculated if necessary and a query to collect all of the start and end points may be generated, and a query is generated that produces a constant set of start and end points defining consecutive periods, such that all the data in the tables related to the original query is constant over each of these periods. These two queries are merged into the original query to produce a sequenced query capable of execution on various database software and capable of taking into account the range of values of the variable in performing the original query.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing at least one sequenced query comprising:

a query receiver having an input for receiving and storing a first query describing at least one set of a plurality of data comprising a plurality of start and end point data and comprising other data and having an output for providing the first query;

a constant set query builder module having a first input coupled to the query receiver output for building and providing at an output at least one second query capable of producing a result defining a set of a plurality of beginning and end point pairs, each said pair defining a constant range of at least a part of the other data in the at least one set of a plurality of data described in the first query received by at the constant set query builder first input; and

a query builder module having a first input coupled to the query receiver output and a second input coupled to the constant set query builder module output for building and providing at an output the at least one sequenced query responsive to the first query received by the query receiver and the second query built by the constant set query builder module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising a start and end point data query builder module having a first input coupled to the query receiver output, the start and end point data query builder for building and providing at an output at least one third query capable of producing a result comprising at least a plurality of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query received by the query receiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the constant set query builder additionally comprises a second input coupled to the start and end point data builder output and builds the second query responsive to the third query built by the start and end point data query builder.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the constant set query builder builds the second query comprising the third query built by the start and end point data query builder.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the start and end point data query builder module builds the third query comprising a command to select at least a plurality of the start and end point data; and

the constant set query builder module builds the second query comprising a command to select less than all of the at least the plurality selected from the start and end point data described by the command built by the start and end point data query builder.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the start and end point data query builder module builds the third query comprising a command to calculate from the start and end point data at least one data selected from a start point and an end point implied by the start and end point data.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the start and end point data query builder builds the third query comprising a command to add a unit to at least one of an end points comprising at least a portion of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query stored by the query receiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first, second and third queries comprise text, and the query builder module builds a query comprising:

the text of the first query;

the text of the second query; and

the text of the third query.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising a normalizer module having an input coupled to the query receiver output and an output coupled to the constant set query builder module first input, the normalizer module for modifying at least a portion of the start and end point data in at least one of the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query received by the query receiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the normalizer module modifies at least a portion of the start and end point data in at least one of the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query received by the query receiver to cause said start and end point data to conform to a measurement of a remainder of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query received by the query receiver.

11. A method of building a sequenced query, comprising:

receiving a first query describing at least one set of a plurality of data comprising start and end point data and comprising other data;

storing the query received;

building a second query capable of producing a result defining a set of a plurality of start and end point pairs, each said pair defining a constant range of at least a part of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query received; and

building the sequenced query responsive to the first query received and the second query built.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional step of building at least one third query capable of producing a result comprising at least a portion of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query received.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein building the second query comprises building the second query responsive to the third query built.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein building the second query responsive to the third query comprises building the second query comprising the third query built.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the third query comprises a command to select at least a plurality of the start and end point data; and

the second query comprises a command to select less than all of the at least the plurality of the start and end point data selected by the command comprising the third query.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the third query comprises a command to calculate from the start and end point data at least one data selected from a start point and an end point implied by at least a portion of the start and end point data.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the third query comprises a command to add a unit to at least one end points comprising at least a portion of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query stored.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the first, second and third queries comprise text, and the building the sequenced query comprises assembling together:

the text of the first query;

the text of the second query; and

the text of the third query.

19. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional step of modifying at least a portion of the start and end point data in at least one of the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query stored.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the modifying step comprises modifying at least a portion of the start and end point data in at least one of the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query stored by the query receiver to cause said start and end point data to conform to a measurement of a remainder of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query stored.

21. A computer program product having a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for building a sequenced query, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive a first query describing at least one set of a plurality of data comprising start and end point data and comprising other data;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to store the query received;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to build a second query capable of producing a result defining a set of a plurality of start and end point pairs, each said pair defining a constant range of at least a part of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query received; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to build the sequenced query responsive to the first query received and the second query built.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to build at least one third query capable of producing a result comprising at least a portion of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query received.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to build the second query comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to build the second query responsive to the third query built.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to build the second query responsive to the third query comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to build the second query comprising the third query built.

25. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein:

the third query comprises a command to select at least a plurality of the start and end point data; and

the second query comprises a command to select less than all of the at least the plurality of the start and end point data selected by the command comprising the third query.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein the third query comprises a command to calculate from the start and end point data at least one data selected from a start point and an end point implied by at least a portion of the start and end point data.

27. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein the third query comprises a command to add a unit to at least one end points comprising at least a portion of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query stored.

28. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein the first, second and third queries comprise text, and the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to build the sequenced query comprises computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to assemble together:

the text of the first query;

the text of the second query; and

the text of the third query.

29. The computer program product of claim 21 additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to modify at least a portion of the start and end point data in at least one of the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query stored.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to modify at least a portion of the start and end point data in at least one of the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query stored comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to modify at least a portion of the start and end point data in at least one of the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query stored by the query receiver to cause said start and end point data to conform to a measurement of a remainder of the start and end point data in the at least one set of the plurality of data described in the first query stored.