Method and device for extracting information from a database
First Claim
1. A method for extracting information from a database, which comprises a plurality of data records, each data record comprising at least two data elements, each of the data elements being defined by a data element type and a data element value, the data element values for at least some of the data elements being different and the data element values for at least some of the data elements being the same, the method being characterized by the steps ofassigning a binary code to each data element value of each data element type, different binary codes being assigned to different data element values, the same binary codes being assigned to the same data element values, the assignment of binary codes to different data element values being made arbitrarily with respect to the data elements;
- storing the data records in a binary-coded form that uses the assigned binary codes to express the data element values of the data records;
detecting a selection of at least one of the data element values;
examining the binary-coded data records to obtain all data element values that are implied by the selection; and
keeping track, in a status set, of all data element values implied by the selection.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and a device for extracting information from a database, which comprises a plurality of data records, each data record comprising at least two data elements, each data element being defined by a data element type and a data element value. First, the data records are read into the primary memory of a computer, so that all processing of the data may be done off-line. Then, the data element values are binary-coded and stored in one or more tables. When the selection of at least one data element value is detected, all binary-coded data element values are examined to obtain all data records implied by selection. Due to the binary-coding, these data records are found very quickly. Finally the data element values implied by the selection is kept track of in a status set.
39 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for extracting information from a database, which comprises a plurality of data records, each data record comprising at least two data elements, each of the data elements being defined by a data element type and a data element value, the data element values for at least some of the data elements being different and the data element values for at least some of the data elements being the same, the method being characterized by the steps of
assigning a binary code to each data element value of each data element type, different binary codes being assigned to different data element values, the same binary codes being assigned to the same data element values, the assignment of binary codes to different data element values being made arbitrarily with respect to the data elements; -
storing the data records in a binary-coded form that uses the assigned binary codes to express the data element values of the data records;
detecting a selection of at least one of the data element values;
examining the binary-coded data records to obtain all data element values that are implied by the selection; and
keeping track, in a status set, of all data element values implied by the selection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A device for extracting information from a database, which comprises a plurality of data records, each data record comprising at least two data elements each of the data elements being defined by a data element type and a data element value, the data element values for at least some of the data elements being different and the data element values for at least some of the data elements being the same, the device being characterized by
means for assigning a binary code to each data element value of each data element type, different binary codes being assigned to different data element values, the same binary codes being assigned to the same data element values, the assignment of binary codes to different data element values being made arbitrarily with respect to the data elements; -
storing the data records in a binary-coded form that uses the assigned binary-codes to express the data element values of the data records;
means for detecting the selection of at least one of the data element values;
means for examining the binary-coded data records to obtain all data element values that are implied by the selection; and
means for keeping track, in a status set, of all data element values implied by the selection.
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Specification