Online modifications of relations in multidimensional processing

• US 6,356,900 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Decode Genetics Ehf.
• Original Assignee: Decode Genetics Ehf.
• Inventors: Gudbjartsson, Hakon, Egilsson, Agust Sverrir
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US09/475,786
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2448 for particular applications; for extensibility, e.g. user defined types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• 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 707/99935 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 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A method/operator is disclosed that adjusts measurements during processing in a multidimensional data cube. The online “depth-of-field” operator disclosed varies the density of points in a representation of the multidimensional cube. The operator may be applied to any collection of dimensions and relations supported by the dimensions, using hierarchical structures to control the adjustments. It allows one to experiment online with the definition of relations during multidimensional possessing, thereby controlling the output of the synthesizing process. The operator may be used to equate attributes based on their hierarchical positions when processing measurements in a hypercube. Furthermore, it may be used to reveal hidden dependencies between variables when working with measurements with varying levels of granularity. As is the case when processing health related data for individuals or when processing heterogeneous relations from different sources such as a combination of measurements about individuals, their ancestors and the environment. The methods disclosed are generic and applicable to any data warehouse design and enable OLAP for a wider variety of data and structures than current implementation schemas.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting relations in multidimensional processing, comprising:

(a) determining relations for processing, each relation having a respective domain;

(b) associating the domains of said relations with dimensions in a hypercube representation,

(c) associating a hierarchical structure with at least one of the dimensions in said hypercube,

(d) designating a hierarchical structure and a level of said hierarchical structure associated with a dimension in said hypercube, and

(e) modifying said relations by generating measurements in the hypercube derived from measurements in said relations by equating values on said level of said dimension according to their corresponding hierarchical value on the succeeding level,

thereby implementing a depth-of-field operator for said hypercube representation.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

(a) repeatedly applying said dept-of-field operator and/or other operators that otherwise modify and/or add relations for processing in the hypercube and/or modify the dimension structure in the hypercube,

(b) determining join criteria and join operators for the dimensions in the modified hypercube,

(c) determining calculated relations for the modified hypercube, and

(d) composing related values from said modified relations and said generated measurements into points in said modified hypercube using said join criteria, said join operators and said calculated relations.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

(a) designating said hierarchical structure and level by associating a metadata/macro description with said dimension, and where said metadata/macro description initiates and controls a sequence of operations including, repeatedly applying said dept-of-field operator and/or other operators that otherwise modify and/or add relations for processing in the hypercube and/or modify the dimension structure in the hypercube,

(b) determining join criteria and join operators for the dimensions in the modified hypercube,

(c) determining calculated relations for the modified hypercube, and

(d) composing related values from said modified relations and said generated measurements into points in said modified hypercube using said join criteria, said join operators and said calculated relations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said relations contain, inter alia, heterogeneous information including disease/health data about individuals, genotype readings and/or readings about environmental factors and/or said hierarchical structures contain information about genealogical records or classification of attributes used in association with health related records about individuals.

5. A system for adjusting relations in multidimensional processing, the system comprising:

(a) means for determining relations for processing,

(b) means for associating the domains of said relations with dimensions in a hypercube representation,

(c) means for associating a hierarchical structure with at least one of the dimensions in said hypercube,

(d) means for designating a hierarchical structure and a level of said hierarchical structure associated with a dimension in said hypercube, and

(e) means for modifying said relations by generating measurements in the hypercube derived from measurements in said relations by equating values on said level of said dimension according to their corresponding hierarchical value on the succeeding level,

thereby implementing a dept-of-field operator in a system for processing multidimensional hypercube representations.

6. The system of claim 5, further including:

(a) means for repeatedly applying said dept-of-field operator and/or other operators that otherwise modify and/or add relations for processing in the hypercube and/or modify the dimension structure in the hypercube,

(b) means for determining join criteria and join operators for the dimensions in the modified hypercube,

(c) means for determining calculated relations for the modified hypercube, and

(d) means for composing related values from said modified relations and said generated measurements into points in said modified hypercube using said join criteria, said join operators and said calculated relations.

7. The system of claim 5, further including:

(a) means for designating said hierarchical structure and level by associating a metadata/macro description with said dimension, and where said metadata/macro description initiates and controls a sequence of operations including, repeatedly applying said dept-of-field operator and/or other operators that otherwise modify and/or add relations for processing in the hypercube and/or modify the dimension structure in the hypercube,

(b) means for determining join criteria and join operators for the dimensions in the modified hypercube,

(c) means for determining calculated relations for the modified hypercube, and

(d) means for composing related values from said modified relations and said generated measurements into points in said modified hypercube using said join criteria, said join operators and said calculated relations.

8. The system of claim 5, further including means for having said relations contain, inter alia, heterogeneous information including disease/health data about individuals, genotype readings and/or readings about environmental factors and/or said hierarchical structures contain information about genealogical records or classification of attributes used in association with health related records about individuals.