User-oriented method and system for database query

• US 6,775,660 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Song, Song, Lin, Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Chongshan
• Application Number:
  US09/788,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20010021929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/2, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A user-oriented database query system, comprising user management means; device management means; control means for identifying a user, receiving a database query request and appended parameters, converting the database query request into a database query command; query agent means for submitting database query command at suitable time and receiving the query results; query recording means for storing the database query request, the appended parameters, the query command, the query time and the query results; wherein the control means further determines a receiving device, converts the query results into a form acceptable by the receiving device and sends the query results thereto, and terminates the query after the acknowledgment of the success of sending.

Claims

1. A user-oriented database query method for an agent computer comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection with a querying device, in response to a connection request identifying a user and a querying device;

receiving a user-generated query request and appended parameters from the identified querying device;

converting the user-generated query request into a database query command according to the querying device type and the queried database type;

determining a query time, comprising a suspense period after the expiration of which the query can be executed, based on the appended parameters, network system status, and predetermined information;

submitting the database query command after the expiration of the query time;

receiving the query results;

determining a receiving device according to the appended parameters, the predetermined information and the query results;

converting the query results into converted query results in a form acceptable by said receiving device;

sending the converted query results to said receiving device; and

terminating the query after the acknowledgment of success of sending.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining a receiving device comprises identifying a receiving device other that said querying device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said querying device has at least input capabilities and communication capabilities.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said querying device is selected from the group consisting of palm computer, personal digital assistant, portable computer, screen phone, mobile phone and PC.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said receiving device has at least output capabilities and communication capabilities.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said receiving device is selected from the group consisting of palm computer, personal digital assistant, portable computer, screen phone, pager, mobile phone and PC.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said appended parameters comprise at least one of information regarding query attributes, query priority information, and the identity of a designated receiving device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said query attribute denote at least one of a one-time query, a periodic query and a timed query.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said query is a periodic query and wherein said steps of determining a query time, submitting the database query command, determining a receiving device, converting the query results and sending the converted query results are conducted periodically.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said query is a timed query and wherein said steps of determining a query time, submitting the database query command, determining a receiving device, converting the query results and sending the converted query results are conducted within a designated valid period of time.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined information comprises at least one of the information submitted by the user during registration and the information submitted or updated after the user registration.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined information comprises at least the user priorities, available querying devices, receiving devices, and user-specific communication fees and transmission time.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising said agent computer storing said querying device type, appended parameters, database query command, query time, query results, and acknowledgment of success.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said submitting the database query command further comprises the steps of:

if said query results indicate the failure of the query, repeatedly executing the following steps until the query results indicate the success of the query;

determining a query time according to the cause of query failure, the appended parameters, the network status and the predetermined information; and

submitting a database query command after the expiration of the query time and receiving the query results.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said sending the converted query results further comprises the steps of:

if said converted query results cannot be received successfully, repeatedly executing the following steps until the query results are received successfully;

determining another receiving device according to the appended parameters, the predetermined information and the query results;

converting the query results into again converted query results in a form acceptable by said another receiving device; and

sending the again converted query results to said another receiving device, and terminating the query after the acknowledgment of the success of sending.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining a receiving device comprises selecting a suitable receiving device according to the information quantity and characteristics of the query results.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said characteristics of said query results indicate whether said query results are numeral, text, graphic, image, audio, or video data.

18. A user-oriented database query system comprising:

user management means for managing a plurality of users registered in said database query system and predetermined information about each of said users;

device management means for managing a plurality of querying devices and a plurality of receiving devices supported by said database query system;

control means for identifying a user with said user management means, for receiving a user-generated database query request and the appended parameters sent by said user using a querying device, for converting said database query request into a database query command based on the querying device type and the queried database type, and for determining a query time, comprising a suspense period after the expiration of which the query can be executed, based on the appended parameters, the network system status and the predetermined information;

query agent means for submitting the database query command after the expiration of the query time and for receiving the query results; and

query recording means for storing the database query request and the appended parameters received by said control means, the database query command converted by said control means and the determined query time, and for storing the query results received by said query agent means;

wherein said control means further determines a receiving device based on the appended parameters, the predetermined information and the query results, converts the query results into converted query results in a form acceptable by said receiving device, then sends the converted query results to said receiving device and terminates the query after acknowledgment of success of sending.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein, said control means is adapted to, in the case when the query results received by said query agent device indicate the failure of the query, repeatedly determine a query time according to the cause of query failure, the appended parameters, the network system status and the predetermined information;

and said query agent means is adapted to submit at least one database query command after the expiration of the query time and to receive the query results until the indication of success of the query by the query results.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein said control means is adapted to, in the case when said query results cannot be received successfully, repeatedly determine another receiving device according to the appended parameters, the predetermined information and the query results, to convert the query results into converted query results in a form acceptable by said another receiving device, and to send the converted query results to said another receiving device until the query results are received successfully.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein said predetermined information comprises at least one of information submitted by the user during registration and information submitted or updated after the user registration.

22. The system according to claim 18, wherein said predetermined information reflects at least the user priorities, available querying devices, receiving devices, and user-specific communication fees and transmission time.

23. The system according to claim 18, wherein said receiving device may be different from said querying device.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein said querying device has at least input capabilities and communication capabilities.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said querying device is any one of palm computer, personal digital assistant, portable computer, screen phone, mobile phone and PC.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein said receiving device has at least of output capabilities and communication capabilities.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said receiving device is selected from the group consisting of palm computer, personal digital assistant, portable computer, screen phone, pager, mobile phone and PC.

28. The system according to claim 18, wherein said appended parameters include information of query attributes, query priority information, and the identity of at least one designated receiving device.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said query attributes denote at least an one-time query, a periodic query, or a timed query.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein said query agent means is adapted to submit database query command, receive the query results, and send the converted query results to the receiving device periodically.

31. The system according to claim 29, wherein said query agent means is adapted to automatically submit database query command, receive the query results, and send the converted query results to the receiving device in a designated valid period of time.

32. The system according to claim 18, wherein said control means comprises a component for selecting a suitable receiving device according to the information quantity and characteristics of the query results.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein said component for selecting utilizes the characteristics of said query results denoting that said query results are numerals, texts, graphics, images, audio or video data.

34. The system according to claim 18, wherein said database comprises a plurality of different types of databases.

35. A program storage device readable by machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing a user-oriented database query method, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection with a querying device, in response to a connection request identifying a user and a querying device;

receiving a user-generated query request and appended parameters from the identified querying device;

converting the user-generated query request into a database query command according to the querying device type and the queried database type;

determining a query time, comprising a suspense period after the expiration of which the query can be executed, based on the appended parameters, network system status, and predetermined information;

submitting the database query command after the expiration of the query time;

receiving the query results;

determining a receiving device according to the appended parameters, the predetermined information and the query results;

converting the query results into converted query results in a form acceptable by said receiving device;

sending the converted query results to said receiving device; and

terminating the query after the acknowledgment of success of sending.