Computer implemented methods for data mining and the presentation of business metrics for analysis

• US 6,611,839 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US), LLC
• Original Assignee: Sagemetrics Corporation
• Inventors: Nwabueze, E. Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alaubaidi, Haythim J.
• Application Number:
  US09/810,389
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/10, 707/100, 707/101, 341/61, 341/88
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A computer implemented method for acquiring and presenting data for business analysis, and a computer readable media having program instructions for enabling the same are provided. One exemplary method identifies a set of data sources to be accessed for a user, acquires raw data from the data sources, stores the raw data from the data sources to raw data type specific locations and the verifies the integrity of the stored raw data. Next the acquired raw data is transferred to processed data type specific compartments. The transferring process further includes detecting the data type of each of the raw data type specific compartments and converting the raw data to a uniform data type. The processed data is then transferred to a temporary database where display rules are applied. A requested report is then presented to the customer.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring and presenting data for business analysis, comprising:

identifying a set of data sources to be accessed;

accessing each of the set of data sources;

acquiring raw data from each of the accessed set of data sources;

storing the acquired raw data into raw data type specific compartments, such that each raw data type specific compartment is associated with each of the set of data sources;

pre-processing the acquired raw data to ensure data integrity;

transferring the acquired raw data from each of the raw data type specific compartments to processed data type specific compartments to define processed data, the transferring being configured to detect a data type of each raw data type specific compartment and load data components of each raw data type specific compartment into the respective processed data type specific compartment based on the detected data type, the transferring further including,

converting the data types of each raw data type specific compartment into a single data type, so that each processed data type specific compartment has the same single data type;

transferring the processed data from each processed data type specific compartment to a temporary database;

applying display rules, the display rules being configured to define a format and content of a requested report;

outputting the requested report, the outputting includes,

referencing the temporary database;

acquiring data elements from the temporary database using the display rules; and

generating the requested report in one of a spreadsheet format, a world wide web interactive format, an Internet browser compatible format and an electronic mail file format.