Special device access to distributed data

• US 6,912,530 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2000
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: O'Hara, Carol Jean, Redding, Roger Anthony, Johnson, Thomas Winston, Poon, Koon-yui, Hanson, Charles Albin
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/495,492
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/103.R, 707/103, 707/103.Y, 707/103.Z, 707/526, 707/102, 345/501, 345/700, 709/201, 709/202
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data

Abstract

Methods are executed upon data objects distributed across a plurality of nodes of a system from a user-held “special” device (such as a cell phone, palm top, set top, car GPS system, . . . ). Heterogeneous data at a plurality of remote nodes is accessed automatically in parallel at high speed using a simple script request containing a data source object name wherein the heterogeneous data is treated as a single data source object, the script further containing code representing a user-defined program to be executed on the data source object. An agent breaks the user-generated script into new scripts appropriate for execution at the remote nodes. A messenger process transmits the new scripts to the appropriate remote nodes where respective agent processes respond to automatically access the appropriate data and to automatically execute the specified program. If the program is a user-defined script or executable, the respective agent processes access a metadata repository to obtain the specified program. A set of complex transactions may be built up and executed by simply touching or updating the special device screen, according to a visual methodology in which the results of each sub-transaction are displayed and become the basis for the next point and touch operation in the sequence of transactions.

Claims

1. A method for executing methods upon data objects distributed across a plurality nodes of a system from a special device comprising the steps of:

providing a first graphical interface display on said special device permitting user selection a data object category, selection of such category resulting in display of a list of data objects available on the system;

responding to selection of a first of the data objects present in said list to generate a second graphical interface display on said special device of at least a portion of the contents of said first of the data objects together with a display of a plurality of selectable methods, each of said methods executable on said first data object; and

responding to selection of one of said methods to execute that method upon the first data object and to display a first result of such execution on said special device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said user selection is achieved by a point and touch operation executed on the graphical interface display.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a second method is executed on said first result to produce a second result.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein each of said methods comprises a transaction whereby a set of transactions are built up and executed by interacting with said display, with the results of each transaction being sequentially displayed, and becoming the basis for the next operation in the sequence of transactions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein one said methods comprises an update of a record.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein one of said methods comprises a summation of records.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein one of said methods comprises selection of a record having a particular attribute.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said attribute is minimum value.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein said second method comprises on update of a record.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein said second method comprises a summation of records.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein said second method comprises selection of a record having a particular attribute.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said attribute is minimum value.

13. An apparatus for executing methods upon data objects distributed across a plurality of nodes of a system comprising:

a special device having a display associated therewith;

means providing a first graphical user interface on said display, said interface permitting user selection of a data object category, selection of such category resulting in display of a list of data objects available on the system;

means for responding to selection of a first of the data objects present in said list to generate a second graphical user interface on said special device of at least a portion of the contents of said first of the data objects together with a display of a plurality of selectable methods, each executable on said first data object; and

means for responding to selection of one of said methods to execute that method upon the first data object and to display a first result of such execution on said special device.