Method and apparatus for informing analysis result of database

• US 6,535,866 B1
• Filed: 12/20/1999
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Iwadate, Akihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P.
• Application Number:
  US09/468,068
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 706/61, 706/45, 706/46, 709/224, 707/3
• US Class Current: 706/61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and device for automatically informing an end user of a message resulting from regular analysis of data on a database. A storage 3 stores result transmission requirements 4 which is prepared for determining whether the message resulting from regular analysis of the data by a database system 1 should be transmitted to an end user 2 or not. A result fetch section 5 fetches analysis results from the database system 1. A mail host 6 transmits an e-mail addressed to the end user 2 when a fetched analysis result satisfies the result transmission requirements 4 in order to inform the end user 2 of the requirement satisfaction. The transmitted e-mail is stored in a mail server 7 via a network 8. The end user 2 obtains the e-mails addressed to him/her from the mail server 7 by operating a mail client 9. The end user 2 notices that the analysis result which satisfies the result transmission requirements 4 has been issued by the database system 1. The notice is helpful for solving problems regarding to business affairs to which the end user 2 relates.

Claims

1. A method of informing an end user, requesting a data analysis result, about a message resulting from analysis of data stored in a database of a database system, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying a schedule of performing data analysis received through a communication network, data items to be analyzed in the database, and requirements for informing the analysis result, upon reception of an instruction from the end user requesting the data analysis result;

fetching data resulting from the analysis of data using the specified data items to be analyzed periodically in accordance with the specified schedule;

determining an addressee of the result of the data analysis, in a case where the fetched data satisfies the specified requirements for informing the analysis result;

generating a message representing that the result of the data analysis to be sent to the determined addressee satisfies the specified requirements; and

transmitting the generated message to the end user through the communication network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message is provided in the form of an electronic mail over the Internet.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data analysis is performed repeatedly in accordance with the schedule;

and

in said step of transmitting the generated message to the requesting end user, a same message is transmitted repeatedly while, in a process of results of the data analysis being fetched in accordance with the schedule, a same result of the data analysis that satisfies the specified requirements is being fetched.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein:

the requirements for informing the analysis result specified upon reception of the instruction from the end user requesting the informing of the analysis result include requirements for informing a substitute of the end user about a same message as the generated message sent to the addressee through the communication network;

said step of determining the addressee of the result of the data analysis includes storing information representing a number of times the message is sent to the end user requesting the analysis result, thereby determining whether the stored information representing the number of times satisfies a number of transmission times included in the requirements for informing the substitute of the end user; and

said step of generating the message includes generating a message addressed to an end user, specified in the requirements for informing the analysis result, as the substitute of the end user, in a case where a result of the determining satisfies the number of transmission times included in the requirements for informing the substitute of the end user.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said fetching the data resulting from the analysis of data using the data items to be analyzed is performed repeatedly until all data corresponding to the data items to be analyzed are completely fetched; and

said generating the message includes temporarily storing the analysis result, in a case where the analysis result which is fetched every time the fetching of the analysis result is performed satisfies the requirements for Informing the analysis result, and generating a message including analysis result data, in a case where the analysis result data is stored when the fetching of the analysis result is completed.

5. An apparatus for informing an end user, requesting a data analysis result, about a message resulting from analysis of data stored in a database of a database system, said apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a specified schedule of performing data analysis received through a communication network, data items to be analyzed in the database, and requirements for informing the analysis result, upon reception of an instruction sent from the end user requesting the data analysis result;

analysis result fetching means for fetching data resulting from the analysis of data using the specified data items to be analyzed periodically in accordance with the specified effective schedule;

determination means for determining an addressee of the result of the data analysis, in a case where the fetched data satisfies the specified requirements for informing the analysis result;

means for generating a message representing that the result of the data analysis to be sent to the determined address satisfies the specified requirements; and

transmission means for transmitting the generated message to the end user through the communication network.

6. A computer readable recording medium storing a program to be executed by a computer in order to inform an end user of a message resulting from analysis of data stored in a database of a database system, said program making said computer:

store a specified effective schedule of data analysis received through a communication network, data items to be analyzed in the database, and requirements for informing the analysis result, upon reception of an instruction from the end user requesting the data analysis result;

fetch data resulting from analysis of data using the data items to be analyzed periodically ir. accordance with the specified effective schedule; and

determine an addressee of the data analysis, in a case where the fetched data satisfies the specified requirements for informing the analysis result;

generate a message representing that the data analysis to be sent to the determined addressee satisfies the specified requirements; and

transmit the generated message to the end user through the communication network.