Object oriented data access and analysis system

• US 6,418,428 B1
• Filed: 07/27/1998
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paicines Pinnacles LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sabre, Inc.
• Inventors: Bosch, Robert M., Reeder, Marshal P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US09/516,451
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/4
• US Class Current: 707/776
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• 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 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system for accessing and analyzing data through a central processing unit. The system includes a non-modal user interface to provide a user access to the system. A number of application graphics objects allow the user to visually interact with a plurality of analysis objects through the non-modal user interface. The plurality of application analysis objects allow a user to interactively create an analysis network for analyzing one or more databases. A plurality of application data access objects automatically interprets the analysis network and allows the system to access required databases and to generate structure query language required to access and analyze the databases as defined within the analysis network.

Claims

1. A system for accessing and analyzing data through a central processing unit, said system comprising:

a non-modal interface for providing user access to said system;

an analysis network comprising a plurality of data analysis objects, said data analysis objects being interconnected by the user to form an analysis path for said analysis network;

a metadata management facility for processing and managing metadata stored within said system;

a plurality of data access objects for obtaining pertinent data descriptions from the metadata management facility and comprising an object for generating structured Query Language for causing the central processing unit to access and analyze data as defined by said analysis network.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of application graphics objects for interactively manipulating the plurality of analysis objects through the non-modal user interface to create said analysis network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said data analysis objects comprises an analysis control object used to generate said analysis network.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said data analysis objects comprises a graphics object that allows a user to interactively prepare an analysis network and visually manipulate the analysis control objects.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data access object that provides a product link between the system and outside sources.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said product link is a spreadsheet.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said product link is a statistical analysis product.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein said product line is a high end graph product.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising linkage objects.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a decision model object to provide automatic connect up of certain data in an analysis path.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said analysis network can be stored for private use.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said analysis network can be placed in an exchange for group sharing.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said control processing unit is used in a computer network.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising an archives object for retrieving archived data from the location indicated by the data archived object for use by the system.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising a tabular view object that permits a user to view analyzed data in tabular form.

16. The system of claim 1 further comprising a transcription object that creates a transcription of a completed network analysis in English-like form and maintains a record of any analysis produced.

17. A method for accessing and analyzing data through a central processing unit, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing the central processing unit through a non-modal interface via an interactive graphics display comprised of graphics objects;

selecting data analysis objects to be included in an analysis network;

connecting said data analysis objects to form an analysis path for said analysis network;

processing said completed data analysis network;

accessing metadata from a metadata management facility to obtain database structural, classification and location data;

generating structured query language;

analyzing data according to said generated structured query language and metadata information.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of appending a decision model object to an existing analysis network.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of appending a graph object to an existing analysis network.