RDL search engine

• US 6,886,005 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e-Numerate Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: e-Numerate Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Russell T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US09/784,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20020073115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/10, 707/5, 707/4, 707/2, 709/201, 709/203, 715/513
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• 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 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a means for searching numerical data across networks such as the Internet, and removing the middle layer of query engines or servers used by conventional systems in retrieving data from relational databases over the Internet. The methods and systems in accordance with the present invention also provide a means for tying millions of computers together into a single database, thereby a query introduced to the system returns a table of data as a single database is capable of providing. Furthermore, the methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide the means for performing navigational, line item (or record-level), semantic, numerical, transformational, arithmetic, time-dependent, and cost based queries on numerical data. In addition, a user may also conduct select queries between unrelated databases.

Claims

1. A method for processing transformational queries on data, comprising:

accessing an index of numerical data items originating from source documents, wherein the numerical data items are tagged and the tags associated with the indexed numerical data items reflect a context of the numerical data items in the source documents;

selecting tagged numerical data items in the index to form a resultant data set responsive to a query, wherein the tagged numerical data items in the index are updated by storing a search criterion, a frequency parameter, and an expiration parameter, and using the frequency parameter to poll a document with the search criterion for a time determined by the expiration parameter to retrieve tagged numerical data items for updating the index;

formatting the resultant data set from the selected tagged numerical data items, transforming when necessary select tagged numerical data items in the resultant data set for consistent presentation of all numerical data items in the resultant data set, based on the tags associated with the located tagged numerical data items; and

making the formatted resultant data set available to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting tagged numerical data items in the index includes querying the index based on a plurality of tags and attributes associated with the tagged numerical data items.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of tags include tags that define the characteristics of a document.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the tags that define characteristics of the document are identified as specific element attribute values, which allow characteristics of a document to be interpreted as they appear in the source documents.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting tagged numerical data items from the index includes querying the index based on semantic numerical searches.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein querying the index based on the semantic numerical searches includes using a map of unit types and an attribute of a line item to test for equivalence.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting tagged numerical data items includes querying the index based on an arithmetic query on the tagged numerical data items.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein querying the index based on the arithmetic query is performed by:

identifying line items that meet a specified criterion;

evaluating a percent change for each of the identified line items; and

setting a reference for each of the identified line items that meets the specified criterion.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting is based on cost.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if the cost of selecting tagged numerical data items exceeds a predetermined amount, one or more of the tagged numerical data items are not included in when forming the resultant data set.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein if the cost of the tagged numerical data items exceeds a predetermined amount, a minimal amount of the tagged data numerical items is included in the resultant data set and a notation of the cost for additional tagged numerical data items are made available to the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting tagged numerical data items includes using a query based on an author of a document, a formatter of the document, or a collector of the document.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein using the query further includes using the author, the formatter, or collector of the document to watch the resultant data set as it is formatted.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein formatting the resultant data set includes assembling tagged numerical data items retrieved from line items found within a plurality of documents.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating the index by employing a plurality of servers to collect the tagged numerical data items, the plurality of servers being capable of passing queries between each other to combine tagged numerical data items in remote documents.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising transforming the resultant data set from a first unit standard to a second unit standard.

17. A data processing method for processing transformational queries on numerical data, comprising:

accessing an index of numerical data items originating from source documents, wherein the numerical data items are tagged and the tags associated with the indexed numerical data items reflect a context of the numerical data items in the source documents;

locating tagged numerical data items in the index to form a resultant data set responsive to a query, wherein the tagged numerical data items in the index are updated by storing a search criterion, a frequency parameter, and an expiration parameter, and using the frequency parameter to poll a document with the search criterion for a time determined by the expiration parameter to retrieve tagged numerical data items for updating the index;

formatting the resultant data set from the located tagged numerical data items, ensuring that tagged numerical data items in the resultant data set are formatted consistently based on the tags associated with the located tagged numerical data items; and

making the formatted resultant data set available to a user,

wherein when a resultant data set includes two or more numerical data items related based on corresponding tags for these numerical data items, resetting at least one of the numerical data items in the resultant data set such that presentation of the two or more numerical data items is not substantially different.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein locating tagged numerical data items in the index includes querying the index based on a plurality of tags and attributes associated with the tagged numerical data items.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of tags include tags that define the characteristics of a document.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the tags that define characteristics of a document are identified as specific element attribute values, which allow characteristics of the document to be interpreted as they appear in the source documents.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein locating tagged numerical data items from the index includes querying the index based on semantic numerical searches.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein querying the index based on semantic numerical searches includes using a map of unit types and an attribute of a line item to test for equivalence.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of locating tagged numerical data items includes querying the index based on an arithmetic query on the tagged numerical data items.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein querying the index based on an arithmetic query is performed by:

identifying line items that meet a specified criterion;

evaluating a percent change for each of the identified line items; and

setting a reference for each of the identified line items that meets the specified criterion.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the locating is based on cost.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein if the cost of selecting tagged numerical data item exceeds a predetermined amount, one or more of the tagged numerical data items are not included when forming the resultant data set.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein if the cost of the tagged numerical data items exceeds a predetermined amount, a minimal amount of the tagged data numerical items is included in the resultant data set and a notation of the cost for additional tagged numerical data items is made available to the user.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein locating tagged numerical data items includes using a query based on an author of a document, a formatter of the document, or a collector of the document.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein using the query further includes using the author, the formatter, or the collector of the document to watch the resultant data set as it is formatted.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein building the resultant data set includes assembling tagged numerical data items retrieved from line items found within a plurality of documents.

31. The method of claim 17, further comprising creating the index by employing a plurality of servers to collect the tagged numerical data items, the plurality of servers being capable of passing queries between each other to combine tagged numerical data items in remote documents.

32. The method of claim 17, further comprising transforming the resultant data set from a first unit standard to a second unit standard.

33. A data processing method for processing transformational queries on numerical data, comprising:

accessing an index of numerical data items originating from source documents, wherein the numerical data items are tagged and the tags associated with the indexed numerical data items reflect a context of the numerical data items in the source documents;

locating tagged numerical data items in the index to form a resultant data set responsive to a query, wherein the tagged numerical data items in the index are updated by storing a search criterion, a frequency parameter, and an expiration parameter, and using the frequency parameter to poll a document with the search criterion for a time determined by the expiration parameter to retrieve tagged numerical data items for updating the index;

formatting the resultant data set from the located tagged numerical data items, ensuring that tagged numerical data items in the resultant data set are formatted consistently based on the tags associated with the located tagged numerical data items; and

making the formatted resultant data set available to a user,

wherein when a resultant data set includes a first numerical data item different by a factor of ten from other numerical data items in the resultant, resetting the first numerical data item to be consistent with the presentation of the other numerical data items in the resultant data set.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein locating tagged numerical data items in the index includes querying the index based on a plurality of tags and attributes associated with the tagged numerical data items.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the plurality of tags include tags that define the characteristics of a document.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the tags that define the characteristics of the document are identified as specific element attribute values, which allow characteristics of the document to be interpreted as they appear in the source documents.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein locating tagged numerical data items from the index includes querying the index based on semantic numerical searches.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein querying the index based on semantic numerical searches includes using a map of unit types and an attribute of a line item to test for equivalence.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein locating tagged numerical data items includes querying the index based on an arithmetic query on the tagged data items.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein querying the index based on an arithmetic query is performed by:

identifying line items that meet a specified criterion;

evaluating a percent change for each of the identified line items; and

setting a reference for each of the identified line items that meets the specified criterion.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the locating is based on cost.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein if the cost of locating tagged numerical data items exceeds a predetermined amount, one or more of the tagged numerical data items are not included when forming the resultant data set.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein if the cost of the tagged numerical data items exceed a predetermined amount, a minimal amount of the tagged data numerical items is included in the resultant data set and a notation of the cost for additional tagged numerical data items is made available to the user.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of locating tagged numerical data items includes using a query based on an author of a document, a formatter of the document, or a collector of the document.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein using the query further includes using the author, the formatter, or the collector of the document to watch the resultant data set as it is formatted.

46. The method of claim 33, wherein formatting the resultant data set includes assembling tagged numerical data items retrieved from line items found within the source documents.

47. The method of claim 33, further comprising creating the index by employing a plurality of servers to collect the tagged numerical data items, the plurality of servers being capable of passing queries between each other to combine tagged numerical data items in remote documents.

48. The method of claim 33, further comprising transforming the resultant data set from a first unit standard to a second unit standard.