Hierarchical mapped database system for identifying searchable terms associated with data nodes

• US 6,643,642 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bitpipe, Inc. (TechTarget, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bitpipe Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Habegger, Millard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US09/457,096
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/5, 707/6, 707/104.1, 707/1, 707/2, 707/4, 345/700, 345/764, 345/853
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A system for storing and retrieving records in a database storage unit by employing a hierarchical data map. In one embodiment, a system according to the invention includes a user interface, a search engine, a data storage unit, and a hierarchical data map. In operation, a user enters search terms through the user interface. The user interface couples the search terms to the search engine. The search engine traverses the hierarchical data map to identify data nodes having associated searchable terms that include the user-input search terms. The search engine then captures unique node identifiers for the identified data nodes, and retrieves records in the database storage unit that are encoded with the captured unique node identifiers. Data records are encoded with one or more unique node identifiers, based at least in part on a relationship between the content of the data records and the searchable terms of the data node.

Claims

1. A database system comprising,

a hierarchical data map having a plurality of data nodes organized in a plurality of hierarchies, wherein each of said plurality of data nodes has an associated unique identifier and at least one associated searchable term,

a data storage system including a plurality of data records, wherein each of said data records is encoded with a plurality of said unique identifiers, and

a search engine communicatively coupled to the hierarchical data map and data storage system, the search engine identifying at least one first data record of the plurality of data records encoded with the unique identifier of a first one of the plurality of data nodes in response to receiving a user-input search term, wherein the search engine identifies at least one searchable term associated with a second one of the plurality of data nodes whose unique identifier also encodes the first data record.

2. A database system according to claim 1, wherein said unique identifier of said second data node encodes said first data record, based at least in part, on a relationship between content of said first data record and said searchable term of said second data node.

3. A database system according to claim 1, further comprising, a user interface displaying the user-input search term, at least part of the first data record, and the searchable term associated with the second data node.

4. A database system according to claim 1, wherein said unique identifier is a searchable term.

5. A database system according to claim 1, wherein said unique identifier is an alpha-numeric character.

6. A database system according to claim 1, wherein said search engine retrieves said first data record by first retrieving said unique identifier of said first data node from said hierarchical data map.

7. A database system according claim 1, wherein said search engine traverses said hierarchical data map to retrieve said first data record.

8. A database system according to claim 7, wherein said search engine retrieves said first data record from said plurality of data records in response to retrieving said unique identifier of said first data node from said hierarchical data map.

9. A database system according to claim 1, further comprising,

a user interface enabling a user to enter said user-input search term,

wherein said search engine retrieves said first data record from said data storage system by traversing said hierarchical data map, capturing said unique identifier of said first data node having a searchable term which includes said user-input search term, and employing said captured unique identifier to retrieve said first data record.

10. A database system according to claim 9, wherein said search engine matches said captured unique identifier with said unique identifier encoding said first data record to retrieve said first data record.

11. A database system according to claim 1, further comprising,

a user interface enabling a user to enter said user-input search term and presenting to said user a searchable term associated with said first, data node,

wherein said search engine captures said unique identifier of said first data node which has searchable terms including said user-input search term, and providing said searchable terms of said first data node to said user interface for presentation to said user.

12. A database system according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said data nodes of said hierarchical data map include cross-links providing pointers between selected ones of said data nodes located in different hierarchies, wherein said searchable terms of said selected data nodes are subject matter related, and said search engine retrieves selected ones of said data nodes having searchable terms that include said user-input search term.

13. A database system according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said data nodes of said hierarchical data map include cross-links providing pointers between selected ones of said data nodes located in a different logical branch of a hierarchy, wherein said searchable terms of said selected data nodes are subject matter related, and said search engine retrieves selected ones of said data nodes having searchable terms that include said user-input search term.

14. A database system according to claim 11, wherein said user interface enables said user to select said presented searchable term, and said search engine retrieves at least one data record from said data storage system in response to said user'"'"'s selection.

15. A database system according to claim 14, wherein said search engine determines that said retrieved data record is encoded with said unique identifier of said first data node.

16. A database system according to claim 1, further comprising,

a user interface presenting a subset of said searchable terms of said data nodes to a user and enabling said user to select one of said subset of said searchable terms, and

a search engine providing said user interface with a different subset of said searchable terms of said data nodes in response to said user'"'"'s selection.

17. A database system according to claim 1, wherein said second data node is hierarchically one level above said first data node in said hierarchical data map.

18. A database system according to claim 1, wherein said second data node is hierarchically one level below said first data node in said hierarchical data map.

19. A database system according to claim 1, wherein said second data node includes data nodes that are hierarchically below said first data node in said hierarchical data map.

20. A database system according to claim 1, wherein said second data node is cross-linked to said first data node.

21. A database system according to claim 1, wherein said searchable term associated with said second data node corresponds to a preferred term and a searchable term associated with the first data node corresponds to a non-preferred term.

22. A database system according to claim 21, wherein said search engine retrieves said unique identifier of said second data node in response to matching said user-input search term with said non-preferred term of said first data node.

23. A database system according to claim 22, wherein said first data node having said non-preferred term includes a pointer to said second data node having said preferred term.

24. A database system comprising:

a first data node including a first identifier and at least one first searchable term;

a second data node including a second identifier and at least one second searchable term wherein the first identifier differs from second identifier;

a hierarchical data map organizing a plurality of data nodes, including the first and second data nodes, into at least one hierarchy;

a search engine communicatively coupled to the hierarchical data map and identifying at least one first data record encoded with the first identifier of the first data node in response to receiving a user-input search term corresponding to the first searchable term, the first data record also being encoded with the second identifier of the second data node, wherein the search engine retrieves the second searchable term; and

a user interface receiving the second searchable term from the search engine and displaying the user-input search term, at least part of the first data record, and the second searchable term.

25. A database system according to claim 24, wherein the encoding of the first data record with the first and second identifiers of the associated first and second data nodes is based, at least in part, on a subject matter relationship between content of the first data record and the first and second searchable terms.

26. A database method comprising,

providing a hierarchical data map having a plurality of data nodes organized in a plurality of hierarchies, wherein each of said plurality of data nodes has an associated unique identifier and at least one associated searchable term,

providing a data storage system including a plurality of data records, wherein each of said data records is encoded with a plurality of said unique identifiers,

identifying at least one first data record of the plurality of data records encoded with the unique identifier of a first one of the plurality of data nodes, in response to receiving a user-input search term, and

identifying at least one searchable term associated with a second one of the plurality of data nodes whose unique identifier also encodes the first data record.

27. A database method according to claim 26, further comprising,

encoding said first data record with said unique identifier of said second data node, based at least in part on a relationship between content of said first data record and said searchable term of said second data node.

28. A database method according to claim 26, further comprising, retrieving said first data record by first retrieving said unique identifier of said first data node from said hierarchical data map.

29. A database method according to claim 26, further comprising, traversing said hierarchical data map to retrieve said first data record.

30. A database method according to claim 29, further comprising, retrieving said first data record from said plurality of data records in response to retrieving said unique identifier of said first data node from said hierarchical data map.

31. A database method according to claim 26, further comprising,

enabling a user to enter said user-input search term,

retrieving said first data record from said data storage system by traversing said hierarchical data map,

capturing said unique identifier of said first data node having a searchable term which includes said user-input search term, and

employing said captured unique identifier to retrieve said first data record.

32. A database method according to claim 31, further comprising, matching said captured unique identifier with said unique identifier encoding said first data record to retrieve said first data record.

33. A database method according to claim 26, further comprising, enabling a user to enter said user-input search term,

capturing said unique identifier of said first data node which has searchable terms including said user-input search term, and

presenting said searchable terms of said first data node to said user.

34. A database method according to claim 26, further comprising,

providing cross-links between at least some of said data nodes of said hierarchical data map, said cross-links providing pointers between selected ones of said data nodes located in different hierarchies, wherein said searchable terms of said selected data nodes are subject matter related, and

retrieving selected ones of said data nodes having searchable terms that include said user-input search term.

35. A database method according to claim 26, further comprising,

providing cross-links between at least some of said data nodes of said hierarchical data map, said cross-links providing pointers between selected ones of said data nodes located in a different branch of a hierarchy, wherein said searchable terms of said selected data nodes are subject matter related, and

retrieving selected ones of said data nodes having searchable terms that include said user-input search term.

36. A database method according to claim 33, further comprising,

enabling said user to select said presented searchable term, and

retrieving at least one data record from said data storage system in response to said user'"'"'s selection.

37. A database method according to claim 36, further comprising,

determining that said retrieved data record is encoded with said unique identifier of said first data node.

38. A database method according to claim 26, further comprising,

presenting a subset of said searchable terms associated with said data nodes to a user,

enabling said user to select one of said presented searchable terms, and

presenting a different subset of said searchable terms of said data nodes to said user in response to said user'"'"'s selection.

39. A database method according to claim 38, further comprising, presenting selected ones of said data records stored in said data storage system to said user in response to said user'"'"'s selection.

40. A database method according to claim 26, wherein said second data node is hierarchically one level above said first data node in said hierarchical data map.

41. A database method according to claim 26, wherein said first data node is hierarchically one level below said first data node in said hierarchical data map.

42. A database method according to claim 26, wherein said second data node includes data nodes that are hierarchically below said first data node in said hierarchical data map.

43. A database method according to claim 26 wherein said second data node is cross-linked to said first data node.

44. A database method according to claim 26, wherein said searchable term associated with said second data node corresponds to a preferred term and a searchable term associated with said first data node corresponds to a non-preferred term.

45. A database method according to claim 44, further comprising,

retrieving said unique identifier of said second data node, having said preferred term, in response to matching said user-input search term with said non-preferred term of said first data node.

46. A database method according to claim 44, wherein said first data node having said non-preferred term includes a pointer to said second data node having said preferred term.

47. A database method comprising:

providing a first data node including a first identifier and at least one first searchable term;

providing a second data node including a second identifier and at least one second searchable term wherein the first identifier differs from the second identifier;

providing a hierarchical data map organizing a plurality of data nodes, including the first and second data nodes, into at least one hierarchy;

identifying at least one first data record encoded with the first identifier of the first data node in response to receiving a user-input search term corresponding to the first searchable term, the first data record also being encoded with the second identifier of the second data node; and

displaying the user-input search term, at least part of the first data record, and the second searchable term.

48. A database method according to claim 47, further comprising,

encoding the first data record with the first and second identifiers of the associated first and second data nodes based, at least in part, on a subject matter relationship between content of the first data record and the first and second searchable terms.