System and method for retrieving entities and integrating data

• US 6,301,584 B1
• Filed: 08/21/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Relativity Display, LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Home Information Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Ranger, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): RONES, CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US09/137,937
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 706/54, 345/349, 345/329, 395/683, 707/201, 707/100, 707/103, 707/102, 707/505, 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A data integration system and method gathers information dynamically from one or more data sources, which may be located at different servers and have incompatible formats, structures the information into a configurable, object-oriented information model, and outputs the information for the user according to an associated, configurable visual representation with automatic content classification.

Claims

1. An entity retrieving system in communication with at least one data source, said system comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of classes, and a plurality of agents, wherein;

each of said classes defines a structure of said entities, said structure including a plurality of property definitions, each property definition identifying property values to be retrieved dedicated to said property definition, said property values being stored in said data sources; and

each of said agents is dedicated to at least one of said classes, has an associated reliability parameter, and is provided for cooperating with an interface for accessing at least one particular property value pertaining to a particular entity of a class;

a processor connected to the interface and in cooperation therewith configured for;

receiving a query, said query including an identifier for identifying a particular class and at least one of said property values;

selecting, among said classes, said particular class dedicated to said identifier under control of said query;

accessing said data sources utilizing said agents;

retrieving from said agents data pertaining to a particular property value that pertains to a particular entity that is comprised of at least said particular property value;

comparing said data pertaining to said particular property value to determine whether inconsistencies exist in said data; and

outputting at least an entity based upon whether there are inconsistencies in said data.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for:

displaying a single entity, based upon said particular property value, said single entity containing multiple entries for said particular property value if inconsistent data pertaining to said particular property value were retrieved by an agent, and the agent has a low reliability parameter associated with it;

displaying a plurality of entities, based upon said particular property value, each of said plurality of entities containing a single entry for said particular property value if inconsistent data pertaining to said particular property value were retrieved by an agent, and the agent has a high reliability parameter associated with it;

displaying a single entity, based upon said particular property value, said single entity containing multiple entries for said particular property value if inconsistent data pertaining to said particular property value were retrieved, and each individual data was retrieved by a different agent, and each agent has a low reliability parameter associated with it; and

displaying a plurality of entities, based upon said particular property value, each of said plurality of entities containing a single entry for said particular property value if inconsistent data pertaining to said particular property value were retrieved, and each individual data was retrieved by a different agent, and each agent has a high reliability parameter associated with it.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for:

displaying a single entity, based upon said particular property value, said single entity containing a single entry retrieved by a particular agent for said particular property value if inconsistent data pertaining to said particular property value were retrieved, and each individual data was retrieved by a different agent, and the reliability parameter associated with the said particular agent is substantially higher than the reliability parameter associated with the other agents.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the presentation is an XML presentation.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for producing a presentation of the retrieved entities based on a template.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the presentation is an XML presentation.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for determining whether each particular entity to be retrieved pertains to one of said dependent classes of said selected particular class by:

applying a mutation pattern dedicated to said dependent class, wherein said mutation pattern includes at least one condition, each condition assigning at least one predetermined property value range to one of said property definitions of said class to which said dependent class is hierarchically linked, and

verifying if the property value dedicated to said property definition of said particular entity falls within said predetermined property value ranges.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said memory is for storing further a plurality of models, wherein each of said classes are assigned to one of said models.

10. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying the retrieved entities to a user;

means for generating, upon receipt of said retrieved entities, at least one list, each list comprising a plurality of property value ranges for subdividing said retrieved entities,

wherein said interface is further provided for enabling said user to select one property value range within one of said lists.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said memory further stores agents, each agent being dedicated to at least one of said classes, each agent being provided for cooperating with said interface for accessing at least one particular property value pertaining to said particular entity of said class, each agent employing:

an address for addressing one of said data sources from which said particular property values are to be retrieved,

a series of instructions indicating which data from the addressed data source are to be retrieved by said agent,

at least one agent parameter for assigning, for each property value to be retrieved, a portion of said data to one of said property definitions.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein one of said agents employs a reliability parameter.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein one of said agents employs a speciality indicator for indicating the type of the addressed data source.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein one of said agents employs an authoritative indicator for indicating that if the property values retrieved by said agent are empty, then an indication that the entity does not exist is shown to a user of the system.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein said processor is further configured for concurrently invoking a plurality of said agents.

16. A system according to claim 3, wherein said processor is further configured for:

establishing if one of said agent comprises a mutation indicator indicating that said agent is a mutation agent, and

establishing if said particular entity pertains to said dependent class by verifying if said agent has established that said at least one particular property value pertaining to said particular entity is present, upon establishing that said agent comprises said mutation indicator.

5. An entity retrieving system connectable to at least one data source, said system comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of classes, wherein;

each of said classes defines a structure of said entities, said structure including a plurality of property definitions, each property definition identifying property values to be retrieved dedicated to said property definition, said property values being stored in said data sources, and

said classes include at least one dependent class hierarchically linked to at least one other class, said dependent class comprising additional property definitions specifying additional property values, in addition to the property values of the classes from which it depends;

a processor connected to an interface and in cooperation therewith configured for;

receiving a query, said query including an identifier for identifying a particular class and at least one of said property values;

selecting, among said classes, said particular class dedicated to said identifier under control of said query;

accessing said data sources;

retrieving property values pertaining to at least one particular entity that comprise said at least one of said property values;

determining whether each particular entity to be retrieved pertains to one of said dependent classes of said selected particular class,

retrieving, upon establishing that said particular entity pertains to one of said dependent classes of said selected particular class, said additional properties of said dependent class; and

outputting the retrieved entities.

17. A computer-implemented method for retrieving entities, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of class, wherein;

each of said classes defines a structure of said entities, said structure including a plurality of property definitions, each property definition identifying property values to be retrieved dedicated to said property definition, said property values being stored in said data sources, and

said classes include at least one dependent class hierarchically linked to at least one other class, said dependent class comprising additional property definitions specifying additional property values, in addition to the property values of the classes from which it depends;

receiving a query, said query including an identifier for identifying a particular class and at least one of said property values;

selecting among said classes, said particular class dedicated to said identifier;

accessing said data sources;

retrieving property values pertaining to at least one particular entity that comprise said at least one of said property values;

establishing, for each particular entity to be retrieved, if said particular entity pertains to one of said dependent classes of said selected particular class; and

retrieving, upon establishing that said particular entity pertains to one of said dependent classes of said selected particular class, said additional properties of said dependent class; and

outputting the retrieved entities.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of producing a presentation of the retrieved entities based on a template.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the step of establishing includes the steps of:

applying a mutation pattern dedicated to said dependent class, wherein said mutation pattern includes at least one condition, each condition assigning at least one predetermined property value range to one of said property definitions of said class to which said dependent class is hierarchically linked, and

verifying if the property value dedicated to said property definition of said particular entity falls within said predetermined property value ranges.

20. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of storing a plurality of models, wherein each of said classes is assigned to one of said models.

21. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the retrieved entities to a user; and

generating, upon receipt of said retrieved entities, at least one list, each list comprising a plurality of property value ranges for subdividing said retrieved entities;

wherein said interface is further provided for enabling said user to select one property value range within one of said lists.

22. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of storing agents, each agent being dedicated to at least one of said classes, each agent being provided for cooperating with said interface for accessing at least one particular property value pertaining to said particular entity of said class, each agent employing:

an address for addressing one of said data sources from which said particular property values are to be retrieved,

a series of instructions indicating which data from the addressed data source are to be retrieved by said agent, and

at least one agent parameter for assigning, for each property value to be retrieved, a portion of said data to one of said property definitions.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

establishing if one of said agent comprises a mutation indicator indicating that said agent is a mutation agent, and

establishing if said particular entity pertains to said dependent class by verifying if said agent has established that said at least one particular property value pertaining to said particular entity is present, upon establishing that said agent comprises said mutation indicator.

24. A method according to claim 22, wherein one of said agents employs a reliability parameter.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein one of said agents employs a speciality indicator for indicating the type of the addressed data source.

26. A method according to claim 22, wherein one of said agents employs an authoritative indicator for indicating that if the property values retrieved by said agent are empty, then an indication that the entity does not exist is shown to a user of the system.

27. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of concurrently invoking a plurality of said agents.