Methods and apparatus for interpreting user selections in the context of a relation distributed as a set of orthogonalized sub-relations

• US 6,549,908 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Loomans, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, DEBBIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/442,594
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/4, 707/5, 707/10, 707/101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for distributing a first relation amongst a set of orthogonal sub-relations are disclosed. As a method, an orthogonal sub-relation of the set of orthogonal sub-relations is identified and then removed from the first relation. The removed sub-relation is then replaced with an associated reference that points to the removed sub-relation to form a distributed relation. A reduced first relation that is substantially reduced in size as compared to the first relation, such that the distributed relation is formed of the reduced first relation and all the referenced orthogonal sub-relations.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of distributing a first relation amongst a set of orthogonal sub-relations, comprising:

(a) identifying an orthogonal sub-relation of the set of orthogonal sub-relations;

(b) removing the identified orthogonal sub-relation from the first relation;

(c) replacing the removed orthogonal sub-relation with an associated reference to form a distributed relation, wherein the associated reference points to the removed sub-relation; and

(d) repeating (a) through (c) for all orthogonal sub-relations included in the first relation so as to form a reduced first relation that is substantially reduced in size as compared to the first relation, such that the distributed relation is formed of the reduced first relation and the referenced orthogonal sub-relations.

2. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein an engine reconstructs the first relation by evaluating the distributed relation.

3. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 2, wherein the evaluating further comprises using the reference to trace the corresponding orthogonal sub-relation.

4. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 3, wherein the first relation is reconstructed when all references have been used to trace their corresponding sub-relations such that the engine is then capable of evaluating all valid combinations as represented by the plurality of orthogonal sub-relations that are included in the first relation by evaluating the reduced first relation.

5. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein the engine is an application engine.

6. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein the application engine is incorporated in a browser resident in a client computer.

7. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first relation is a set of options and associated option values, wherein the application engine interprets the set of options and associated option values based upon user supplied inputs.

8. A computer implemented method for interpreting a user selected set of options S each of which has an associated option value, wherein a main table T is used to define a relation across all options by listing all possible combinations of all option values, and wherein a plurality of associated sub-tables represent orthogonal relations between each of a plurality of subset of options as defined by the main table T, comprising:

(a) checking each value in the set S against a corresponding masked column in each row of the table T until a match is found for all such masked columns;

(b) determining if each of the values in the set S matches each of the corresponding masked columns for at least one row in the main table T;

(c) looking up each matching value in the set S in an associated option table;

(d) adding all translations for the associated option table to the set S to form a translated set S; and

(e) determining if a matched row contains a reference to any of the plurality of sub-tables;

(f) repeating (b)-(e) when the matched row contains a reference to any of the sub-tables; and

(g) displaying the translated set S.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

(h) calling an exception condition when it is determined that there are no matching values in the set S; and

(i) terminating the method.

10. A computer program product for interpreting a user selected set of options S each of which has an associated option value, wherein a main table T is used to define a relation across all options by listing all possible combinations of all option values, and wherein a plurality of associated sub-tables represent orthogonal relations between each of a plurality of subset of options as defined by the main table T, comprising:

computer code that checks each value in the set S against a corresponding masked column in each row of the table T until a match is found for all such masked columns;

computer code that determines if each of the values in the set S matches each of the corresponding masked columns for at least one row in the main table T;

computer code looks up each matching value in the set S in an associated option table;

computer code that adds all translations for the associated option table to the set S to form a translated set S;

computer code that displays the translated set S; and

a computer readable medium that stores the computer codes.

11. A computer program product according to claim 10 wherein the computer readable medium is a data signal embodied in a carrier wave.

12. A computer program product according to claim 10 further including computer code that calls an exception condition when it is determined that there are no matching values in the set S.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12 further including computer code that terminates the method when there are no matching values in the set S.

14. A computer program product for distributing a first relation amongst a set of orthogonal sub-relations, comprising:

computer code that identifies an orthogonal sub-relation of the set of orthogonal sub-relations;

computer code that removes the identified orthogonal sub-relation from the first relation;

computer code that replaces the removed orthogonal sub-relation with an associated reference to form a distributed relation, wherein the associated reference points to the removed sub-relation to form a reduced first relation that is substantially reduced in size as compared to the first relation, such that the distributed relation is formed of the reduced first relation and all pointed to orthogonal sub-relations; and

a computer readable medium that stores the computer codes.

15. An apparatus that distributes a first relation amongst a set of orthogonal sub-relations, comprising:

software means for identifying an orthogonal sub-relation of the set of orthogonal sub-relations;

software means for removing the identified orthogonal sub-relation from the first relation;

software means for writing directly into a portion of a browser memory associated with a child context, a graphic in accordance with a user input event; and

software means for replacing the removed orthogonal sub-relation with an associated reference to form a distributed relation, wherein the associated reference points to the removed sub-relation to form a reduced first relation that is substantially reduced in size as compared to the first relation, such that the distributed relation is formed of the reduced first relation and all pointed to orthogonal sub-relations.