Method of storing, maintaining and distributing computer intelligible electronic data

• US 6,931,408 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2001
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EC Outlook, Inc. (Lannsys, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EC Outlook, Inc. (Lannsys, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Steven R., Kiani, Fouzia S., Davee, James R., Adams, Steven E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Debbie M.
• Application Number:
  US09/938,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 6, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104.1, 707/200
• US Class Current: 707/812
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved method of storing, maintaining, and distributing computer intelligible electronic data that substantially reduces the cost and complexity of traditional database management systems. The present invention provides a unstructured database capable of efficiently accessing and storing electronic data, regardless of the data'"'"'s structure. Instead of slotting incoming data into a predefined rigid storage structure, the present invention analyzes the inherent structure of the incoming data. Based upon the results of this analysis, the unstructured database of the present invention generates a storage model using tokenized symbology representing the inherent structure of the data. The tokenized symbology of the present invention is utilized to provide immediate access to each data field in a given record. The present invention utilizes logical and positional pointers to allow entire records associated with any data field to be generated without the need for additional search queries.

Claims

1. A method of storing, maintaining and distributing computer intelligible electronic data comprising the steps of:

providing a storage device capable of storing electronic data, said storage device containing a first set of electronic data;

accessing said first set of electronic data;

analyzing said first set of data to determine a structure associated with said first set of data;

tokenizing said first set of data;

assigning a first plurality of tokenized symbolic identifiers to said first set of data based upon said structure of said first set of data;

accessing a second set of electronic data;

analyzing said second set of data to determine a structure associated with said second set of data;

tokenizing said second set of data;

assigning a second plurality of tokenized symbolic identifiers to said second set of data based upon said structure of said second set of data;

comparing said second plurality of identifiers to said first plurality of identifiers;

if said second plurality of identifiers substantially matches said first plurality of identifiers, storing said second set of data within a first data storage structure on said storage device;

if said second plurality of identifiers does not substantially match said first plurality of identifiers, creating a second data storage structure within said storage device; and

storing said second set of data within said second storage structure of said storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

upon creation of said second data storage structure, compiling a second collection of tokenized symbolic identifiers for use in searching and extracting said second set of electronic data.

3. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions for storing, maintaining and distributing computer intelligible electronic data which, when read by a computer system having a storage device capable of storing electronic data, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

accessing a first set of electronic data stored upon said storage device;

analyzing said first set of data to determine a structure associated with said first set of data;

tokenizing said first set of data;

assigning a first plurality of tokenized symbolic identifiers to said first set of data based upon said structure of said first set of data;

accessing a second set of electronic data;

analyzing said second set of data to determine a structure associated with said second set of data;

tokenizing said second set of data;

assigning a second plurality of tokenized symbolic identifiers to said second set of data based upon said structure of said second set of data;

comparing said second plurality of identifiers to said first plurality of identifiers;

if said second plurality of identifiers substantially matches said first plurality of identifiers, storing said second set of data within a first data storage structure on said storage device;

if said second plurality of identifiers does not substantially match said first plurality of identifiers, creating a second data storage structure within said storage device; and

storing said second set of data within said second storage structure.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein said plurality of instructions causes the computer to perform the additional step of:

upon creation of said second data storage structure, compiling a second collection of tokenized symbolic identifiers for use in searching and extracting said second set of electronic data.

5. A computer system for storing, maintaining and distributing computer intelligible electronic data comprising:

a storage device capable of storing electronic data, said storage device containing a first set of electronic data;

a processing unit, coupled to said storage device, for accessing said first set of electronic data, for analyzing said first set of data to determine a structure associated with said first set of data, for tokenizing said first set of data, and for assigning a first plurality of tokenized symbolic identifiers to said first set of data based upon said structure of said first set of data;

wherein said processing unit is further defined as being capable of accessing a second set of electronic data, analyzing said second set of data to determine a structure associated with said second set of data, tokenizing said second set of data, assigning a second plurality of tokenized symbolic identifiers to said second set of data based upon said structure of said second set of data, comparing said second plurality of identifiers to said first plurality of symbolic identifiers and, if said second plurality of identifiers substantially matches said first plurality of identifiers, storing said second set of data within a first data storage structure on said storage device; and

wherein said processing unit is further defined as being capable of, if said second plurality of identifiers does not substantially match said first plurality of identifiers, creating a second data storage structure within said storage device and storing said second set of data within said second storage structure of said storage device.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein said processing unit is further defined as being capable of, upon creation of said second storage structure, compiling a second collection of tokenized symbolic identifiers for use in searching and extracting said second set of electronic data.