Methods and apparatus for using multimedia data stored in a relational database in web applications

• US 6,591,295 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1999
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Diamond, David Lane, Rubino, Michael, Janosik, John Louis Jr., Oxbury, Simon John
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US09/434,243
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/226, 709/203, 707/102, 707/100, 707/3, 707/10, 707/10.G
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A Web agent software interface between a relational database and Web-based application programs employs stored SQL procedures to store, update and retrieve multimedia objects. Web based applications manipulate the data in the relational database table by using URLs consisting of an alphanumeric designation of the host computer and port, the Web agent program associated with the database, the database agent configuration information associated with the database, specific stored SQL procedure for performing the desired data manipulation, and additional parameter data needed to specify and manipulate a particular multimedia object. A clipboard application program provides a graphical user interface which a user may employ to select and view selected multi-media objects stored in selected relational database tables, and to transfer the Web URLs designating those selected objects to other Web applications, such as HTML authoring tools, using convenient “drag-and-drop” and “cut, copy and paste” operations. The Web agent program retrieves data from the database which are designated by such URLs, and accepts POST requests from HTML forms which are activated by the user of a Web browser to load or update data in the relational database.

Claims

1. A method of storing and updating multimedia objects in a relational database and retrieving said objects via the Internet comprising, in combination, the steps of:

connecting a host computer to the Internet,

programming said host computer to function as a relational database capable of storing, updating and retrieving data objects logically stored in one or more database tables,

executing an application program which utilizes multimedia objects,

executing a graphical user interface clipboard program for performing the steps of;

accepting from a user the designation of an agent program which provides access to said relational database, the designation of a particular table in said database, and the designation of a particular column in said particular table,

accepting from said user and storing a SQL procedure at said host computer, said SQL procedure being expressed at least in part in a structured query language for manipulating a multimedia object in said particular column in said particular table, and

transferring an alphanumeric Uniform Resource Locator which designates said SQL procedure from said clipboard program to said further application program, and

executing said agent program for performing the steps of;

accepting a data manipulation request from said application program which includes said alphanumeric Internet Uniform Resource Locator, and

invoking said SQL procedure designated by said alphanumeric Uniform Resource Locator to manipulate said multimedia object.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

placing a hypertext link in a Web page, said link including said Uniform Resource Locator, and

processing said Web page in a browser application program to activate said hypertext link by transmitting said data manipulation request for processing by said agent program.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of transferring is performed using an operating system interprocess data transfer procedure.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of transferring is performed by executing a drag-and-drop procedure in which an iconic representation of said multimedia object is visually moved between a screen display area produced by said clipboard and a screen display area produced by said application program.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein transfer procedure is an operating system copy and paste procedure.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said transfer procedure is an operating system cut and paste procedure.

7. Apparatus for storing, updating and retrieving data comprising, in combination,

a host computer including a memory for storing programs and data,

a relational database program stored in and executable by said host computer for storing, updating and retrieving data in one or more database tables, said relational database program including means for interpreting and executing stored data manipulation procedures expressed at least in part in a structured query language,

means for storing at least one of said procedures for manipulating specific data stored in one or more of said database tables, said one of said procedures being designated by a procedure name and including means for processing externally supplied parameter information to locate said specific data in said database tables,

a Web agent program stored in and executable by said host computer,

a HTTP interface program for receiving data requests via the Internet from a remotely located computer directed to a resource specified by a multi-part alphanumeric Universal Resource Locator (URL) which consists of:

(a) an identification of the domain name and port of said host computer,

(b) the identification of said Web agent program which operates as an interface to a relational database,

(c) the specification of said one of said procedures, and

(d) said parameter information,

said Web agent program including means for invoking the operation of said database program to perform said one of said procedures to perform a predetermined data manipulation operation with respect to said specific data, and

a graphical interface application program stored in and executable by said host computer for transferring data from said relational database to a second application program executing on said host computer, said clipboard application program comprising;

means for displaying representations of the content of said database tables,

means for accepting from a user an identification of at least a selected one of said displayed representations to identify said specific data stored in one or more of said database tables, and

means for transferring to said second application program a Uniform Resource Locator which specifies one of said procedures and parameter information and may be transmitted to said interface program to invoke said Web agent program for retrieving said specific data from said database tables using said one of said procedures.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for transferring includes means for performing a drag-and-drop procedure in which an iconic representation of said specific data is visually moved between a screen display area produced by said clipboard application program and a screen display area produced by said second application program.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for transferring further includes means for performing a copy and paste procedure.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for transferring further includes means for performing a cut and paste procedure.