System for finding data related to an example datum on two electronic devices

• US 6,829,668 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 12/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sanvitale, Dean J, Keskar, Dhananjay V
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, RAYMOND NGAN
• Application Number:
  US09/750,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 710/305-306, 710/309, 710/315, 710/316, 710/241, 710/243, 710/300, 710/105, 710/110, 710/112, 707/30, 707/201, 707/101-104, 707/1-10, 709/206, 709/222, 709/227-229, 709/248
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

A system and method for finding items related to an example item or a set of example items in a low processing power device with limited storage are provided. The system comprises relationship agents, an item relationship database, a synchronizer, and logic for finding related items. The relationship agents are embedded in a computing device separated from the low processing power device. The relationship agents automatically build relationship information between different items based on certain criteria, including temporal relevance, content relevance and people relevance. The item relationship database is formed by the relationship agents and stores the relationship information between different items. The synchronizer transfers the item relationship database, or a portion thereof, from the computing device to the low processing power device. Using queries to the transferred item relationship database, logic embedded in the low processing power device finds items related to the example item.

Claims

1. A handheld device that supports query by example, comprising:

a data relationship database that stores pre-computed relationship information about data residing in different applications on a remote electronic device;

a user interface mechanism that allows a user to query for data related to an example datum;

logic that uses the relationship information in the data relationship database to find data related to the example datum; and

a display that displays the data related to the example datum when the user interface mechanism is invoked, wherein the related data are related to the example datum by possessing a same term, the same term being one of a same word contained in the data, a same string of words contained in the data, and a same calendar date contained in the data.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the handheld device has low processing power and limited storage capacity as compared to a personal computer.

3. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the pre-computed relationship information is built based on criteria, including at least one of temporal relevance, content relevance and people relevance.

4. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the data relationship database includes a document table for storing type and location information of data and a document relation table for storing correlation among data and a description of the type of relationship for the data.

5. The handheld device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface front end to the data relationship database that allows a user to modify the pre-computed relationship information, set the user'"'"'s own relationship information, or set rules for making the relationship information.

6. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the different applications are one of a calendar application, an email application, a to-do list application, a memo application, a word processing application, and a contacts application.

7. A method of finding data related to an example datum in a first computing device, the method comprising:

building relationship information about data residing in different applications in a second computing device;

forming a data relationship database that stores the relationship information in the second computing device;

transferring the data relationship database, or a portion thereof, from the second computing device to the first computing device;

querying for data related to the example datum; and

using the relationship information in the data relationship database to find the data related to the example datum in the first computing device, wherein the related data are related to the example datum by possessing a same term, the same term being one of a same word contained in the data, a same string of words contained in the data, and a same calendar date contained in the data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first computing device is a system with low processing power and limited storage capacity as compared to a personal computer.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing a user interface mechanism on the first computing device that allows a user to query for data related to the example datum; and

displaying the data related to the example datum when the user interface mechanism is invoked.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising making a query into a supporting database coupled to the data relationship database for finding the relationship information of a particular datum.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the relationship information is built based on criteria, including at least one of temporal relevance, content relevance and people relevance.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising transferring a data relationship database, or a portion thereof, from the first computing device to the second computing device.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a user interface front end to the data relationship database that allows a user to modify the relationship information stored in the data relationship database, set the user'"'"'s own relationship information, or set rules for making the relationship information.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the different applications are one of a calendar application, an email application, a to-do list application, a memo application, a word processing application, and a contacts application.

15. A computer readable medium for use in conjunction with a first computing device and a second computing device for finding data related to an example datum in the first computing device, the computer readable medium including computer readable instructions encoded thereon for:

building relationship information about data residing in different applications in the second computing device;

forming a data relationship database that stores the relationship information in the second computing device;

transferring the data relationship database, or a portion thereof, from the second computing device to the first computing device;

accepting the input of the example datum; and

using the relationship information in the data relationship database to find data related to the example datum in the first computing device, wherein the related data are related to the example datum by possessing a same term, the same term being one of a same word contained in the data, a same string of words contained in the data, and a same calendar date contained in the data.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first computing device is a system with low processing power and limited storage capacity as compared to a personal computer.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer readable instruction encoded thereon for:

providing a user interface mechanism on the first computing device that allows a user to query for data related to the example datum; and

displaying the data related to the example datum when the user interface mechanism is invoked.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer readable instruction encoded thereon for making a query into a supporting database coupled to the data relationship database for finding the relationship information of the example datum.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the relationship information is built based on criteria, including at least one of temporal relevance, content relevance and people relevance.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer readable instruction encoded thereon for transferring a data relationship database, or a portion thereof, from the first computing device to the second computing device.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer readable instruction encoded thereon for providing a user interface front end to the data relationship database that allows a user to modify the relationship information stored in the data relationship database, set the user'"'"'s own relationship information, or set rules for making the relationship information.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the different applications are one of a calendar application, an email application, a to-do list application, a memo application, a word processing application, and a contacts application.

23. A system for finding data related to an example datum, comprising:

at least one relationship agent contained in a first electronic device that automatically builds relationship information about data residing in different applications on the first electronic device;

a data relationship database formed by the at least one relationship agent, the database including the relationship information about data residing in different applications on the first electronic device;

a synchronizer that transfers the data relationship database, or a portion thereof, from the first electronic device to a second electronic device;

a user interface on the second electronic device to accept input of the example datum; and

logic embedded in the second electronic device that uses the relationship information in the data relationship database to find data related to the example datum, wherein the related data are related to the example datum by possessing a same term, the same term being one of a same word contained in the data, a same string of words contained in the data, and a same calendar date contained in the data.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first electronic device is a personal computer, and the second electronic device is a personal digital assistant.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the second electronic device is a system with low processing power and limited storage capacity.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a user interface mechanism on the second electronic device that allows a user to query for data related to the example datum; and

a display on the second electronic device that displays the data related to the example datum when the user interface mechanism is invoked.

27. The system of claim 23, further comprising a supporting database coupled to the at least one relationship agent, wherein the at least one relationship agent queries the supporting database to find the relationship information of the example datum.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the relationship information is built based on criteria, including at least one of temporal relevance, content relevance and people relevance.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the data relationship database includes a document table for storing type and location information of data and a document relation table for storing correlation among data and a description of the type of relationship for the data.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein data related to a set of example data are found.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the synchronizer transfers of the data relationship database, or a portion thereof, from the second electronic device to the first electronic device.

32. The system of claim 23, further comprising a user interface front end to the data relationship database that allows the user to modify the relationship information stored in the data relationship database, set the user'"'"'s own relationship information, or set rules for making the relationship information for the at least one relationship agent.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the different applications are one of a calendar application, an email application, a to-do list application, a memo application, a word processing application, and a contacts application.