Method for generating, organizing table codes either code is highest code level or code is linked to parent code in hierarchical structure

• US 6,968,336 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2000
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US09/574,090
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 705 1- 15, 705 25- 28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A business method for converting and storing classification data of existing codes having different number of levels and different number of digits in each level in their hierarchal structure. The invention comprises converting the existing codes in an integrated manner to a tabular format, containing the description of existing codes, level of codes and links to the parent codes by a converting means and storing the said tabular format in the said data storage means, such that it is accessible by a common access means.

Claims

1. A method for generating a table of codes, comprising:

providing a plurality of code sets, each code set being characterized by a code type, each code set comprising a plurality of codes organized according to a hierarchal structure in which each code is at a code level of the hierarchal structure and either the code level of the code is a highest code level or the code is linked to a parent code; and

generating said table and storing said generated table in a data storage of a computing system, said computing system comprising a processor, said generating and storing being performed by executing software by said processor, said processor being adapted to execute software code that reads data from said table stored in said data storage, said table comprising said code sets in accordance with a tabular format characterized by a plurality of fields and a plurality of rows, each row representing a code of the plurality of codes of a code set of the plurality of code sets, said plurality of fields comprising a tbl_—

code field, a tbl_—

level field, and a tbl_—

description field, said a tbl_—

code field specifying the code, said tbl_—

level field specifying the code level of the code, said tbl_—

description field including a description of a product or service represented by the code.

2. The method of claim 1, said plurality of fields further comprising a parent linkage field that specifies a link to the parent code of the code if the code is not at the highest code level.

3. The method of claim 2, said plurality of fields further comprising a tbl_—

srl_—

no field that specifies a unique serial number of the code, said unique serial number being a primary key of the table, said parent linkage field being a tbl_—

up_—

srl_—

no field such that the link to the parent code is the serial number of the parent code.

4. The method of claim 1, said plurality of fields further comprising a tbl_—

code_—

type field specifying the code type of the code set that comprises the code.

5. The method of claim 1, said plurality of fields further comprising a tbl_—

last_—

lvl field specifying whether the code is at a lowest code level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of said code types differ from each other.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a code type of said plurality of code types is selected from the group consisting of a Harmonic code type, a NACE code type, and a NAICE/NAFTA code type.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a new code to a code set of the table.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a new code set to the table.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing system is comprised by a communication network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication network includes the internet.

12. The method of claim 1, said software being coded in a computer programming language selected from the group consisting of Java, C, and C++.

13. A computer system comprising a data storage and a processor, said data storage storing a table of codes, said processor adapted to execute software code that reads data from said table stored in said data storage, said table comprising a plurality of code sets, each code set being characterized by a code type, each code set comprising a plurality of codes organized according to a hierarchal structure in which each code is at a code level of the hierarchal structure and either the code level of the code is a highest code level or the code is linked to a parent code, said table having a tabular format characterized by a plurality of fields and a plurality of rows, each row representing a code of the plurality of codes of a code set of the plurality of code sets, said plurality of fields comprising a tbl_—

code field, a tbl_—

level field, and a tbl_—

description field, said a tbl_—

code field specifying the code, said tbl_—

level field specifying the code level of the code, said tbl_—

description field including a description of a product or service represented by the code.

14. The computer system of claim 13, said plurality of fields further comprising a parent linkage field that specifies a link to the parent code of the code if the code is not at the highest code level.

15. The computer system of claim 14, said plurality of fields further comprising a tbl_—

srl_—

no field that specifies a unique serial number of the code, said unique serial number being a primary key of the table, said parent linkage field being a tbl_—

up_—

srl_—

no field such that the link to the parent code is the serial number of the parent code.

16. The computer system of claim 13, said plurality of fields further comprising a tbl_—

code_—

type field specifying the code type of the code set that comprises the code.

17. The computer system of claim 13, said plurality of fields further comprising a tbl_—

last_—

lvl field specifying whether the code is at a lowest code level.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein at least two of said code types differ from each other.

19. The computer system of claim 13, wherein a code type of said plurality of code types is selected from the group consisting of a Harmonic code type, a NACE code type, and a NAICE/NAFTA code type.

20. In a computing system consisting of a central processing unit with associated memory, input output devices and data storage means, a method for converting and storing classification data of existing codes having different numbers of levels and different number of digits in each level in their hierarchal structure, comprising converting the said existing codes in an integrated manner to a tabular format, containing the description of existing codes, level of codes and links to the parent codes by a converting means and storing the said tabular format in the said data storage means, such that it is accessible by a common access means.