Methods and systems for automatically creating a data feed file for use with desktop applications

• US 6,636,864 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2000
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Owen, Eugene Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US09/753,306
• Time in Patent Office: 1,025 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/100, 707/6, 707/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and systems for automatically creating a data feed file for use by desktop applications. The invention comprises a raw data files that is stored on electronic storage devices inaccessible to desktop software applications. To gain access to data stored in the raw data file, a data feed file is generated and electronically transmitted to a location electronically accessible to a user-preferred desktop application. To generate the data feed file, the desired data is extracted from the raw data file based on data-locating criteria. The extracted data is further analyzed for compliance with data-limiting criteria which further defines the characteristics of data needed for the data feed file. The data extracted from the raw data file is then used to populate the data feed file. The data feed file is thereafter transmitted to a location accessible to the user-preferred desktop application for data tracking, data compilation, and various other types of data manipulation.

Claims

1. A method for generating a data feed file from at least one raw data file for use by a desktop application comprising:

developing a set of data feed file criteria comprising data-locating criterion and data-limiting criterion,

extracting at least a portion of data from a raw data file based on the data-locating criterion;

creating a report comprising data extracted from the raw data file, predetermined data being deleted from the report based on the data-limiting criterion; and

populating the data feed file with data from the report.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data feed file further comprises transmitting the data feed file to a location electronically accessible to a desktop application.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the location accessible to the desktop application is a local area network electronically accessible to a desktop application.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the raw data file comprises at least one record and each record comprises at least one data field.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said data-locating criterion identifies the location of data in the raw data file needed for the data feed file.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said location of data in the raw data file is defined as the location of the data field in each record of the raw data file containing data needed for the data feed file.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the data filed location is identified by the category of data contained in the data field.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the data field location is identified by the position of the data field in each record of the raw data file.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the data-limiting criterion defines the characteristics of data that will be included in the data feed file.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

analyzing said report to determine whether data in the report complies with data-limiting criteria, and

deleting lines from the report which contain data that does not comply with data-limiting criteria.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the data feed file criteria further comprises at least one hard-coded data criterion, wherein the hard-corded criterion specifies data to be included in the data feed file that is not included in the raw data file.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising populating the data feed file with data specified by the hard-coded data criteria.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the raw data file is stored on an electronic storage device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the electronic storage device is a mainframe computer.

15. A system of generating a data feed file from a raw data file for use by a desktop application comprising;

at least two data storage devices;

a data extraction tool

for extracting at least a portion of data from the raw data file based on at least one data-locating criterion, and

for creating a report comprising the extracted data;

a formatting tool

for extractsing data from the report created by the data extraction tool, and

for populating the data feed file with data extracted from the report, based on at least one hard-coded data criterion, the hard-coded data criterion specifying data to be included in the data feed file that is not included in the raw data file.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a discrimination tool

for analyzing said report to determine whether data in the report complies with data-limiting criteria, and

for deleting lines from the report which contain data that does not comply with data-limiting criteria.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one data storage device stores the raw data file.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one data storage device stores the data feed file and is accessible to the desktop application.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising a means to electronically transmit data between at least two data storage devices.

20. A system of generating a data feed file from a raw data file for use by a desktop application, the system generating the data feed file by using a method comprising:

developing a set of data feed file criteria comprising data-locating criterion and data-limiting criterion;

extracting at least a portion of data from a raw data file based on the data-locating criterion;

creating a report comprising data extracted from the raw data file, predetermined data being deleted from the report based on the data-limiting criterion; and

populating the data feed file with data from the report.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein creating a report comprises verifying that data in said report complies with said data-limiting criteria and deleting lines in the report that contain data that does not comply with said data-limiting criteria.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein said data feed file criteria further comprises at least one hard-coded data criterion.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the method further comprises populating the data feed file with data specified by the hard-corded criterion.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises transmitting said data feed file to a location electronically accessible to said desktop application.