Method and apparatus for displaying database search results
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for displaying a progress and results of a database search until a desired result is displayed, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. displaying a set of entries from a database and a set of operators, wherein ones of said displayed set of entries and ones of said displayed set of operators are selected to form a database search query for producing valid results;
b. selecting an initial entry of said displayed set of entries;
c. displaying a set of valid results from a query based on said selected entry;
d. updating said set of displayed operators based on said selected entry, wherein said updated set of displayed operators includes only operators from the set of operators, wherein the operators combined in a query with the selected entry and at least one of the set of entries from the database produce at least one valid result;
e. selecting an operator from the updated displayed set of operators;
f. updating said displayed set of entries in response to the selected operator, wherein said updated displayed set of entries includes only entries from the database, wherein the entries combined in a query with the selected entry and the selected operator produce at least one valid result;
g. selecting one of said updated displayed set of entries;
h. updating said displayed set of valid results according to a query based on the selected entries and the selected operator; and
i. while said updated displayed set of valid results is not the desired result, repeating steps d. through h., based on all previously selected entries and operators, to select an additional operator and an additional entry for the database search query, and to update said displayed set of valid results.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method of displaying the progress of a database search so as to accomplish a logical operation that satisfies certain conditions; for example avoiding a null value. The invention also relates to an apparatus for practicing the method. The method displays all possible and relevant data capable of fulfilling the operation (like Boolean, SQL etc.) in addition to all possible and relevant operations (like Boolean, SQL etc.) to be applied on the given data. A key feature of the invention is that the displays occur during the operation. This is done by displaying all remaining possible and relevant data and/or operations directly after choosing a datum and/or the desired operation.
31 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for displaying a progress and results of a database search until a desired result is displayed, said method comprising the steps of:
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a. displaying a set of entries from a database and a set of operators, wherein ones of said displayed set of entries and ones of said displayed set of operators are selected to form a database search query for producing valid results; b. selecting an initial entry of said displayed set of entries; c. displaying a set of valid results from a query based on said selected entry; d. updating said set of displayed operators based on said selected entry, wherein said updated set of displayed operators includes only operators from the set of operators, wherein the operators combined in a query with the selected entry and at least one of the set of entries from the database produce at least one valid result; e. selecting an operator from the updated displayed set of operators; f. updating said displayed set of entries in response to the selected operator, wherein said updated displayed set of entries includes only entries from the database, wherein the entries combined in a query with the selected entry and the selected operator produce at least one valid result; g. selecting one of said updated displayed set of entries; h. updating said displayed set of valid results according to a query based on the selected entries and the selected operator; and i. while said updated displayed set of valid results is not the desired result, repeating steps d. through h., based on all previously selected entries and operators, to select an additional operator and an additional entry for the database search query, and to update said displayed set of valid results. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20)
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17. A method for displaying a start, progress, and end-results of an operation to enhance a probability of obtaining a desired result, said method comprising the steps of:
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a. displaying a set of operands, a set of operators, and a result obtained from a selection of at least one of the displayed set of operands; b. selecting an initial operand of said displayed set of operands; c. updating said displayed result based on said selected operand; d. updating said set of displayed operators based on said selected operand, wherein said updated set of displayed operators includes only operators from the set of operators, wherein the operators combined with the selected operand and at least one of the set of operands produce at least one updated result; e. selecting an operator from the updated displayed set of operators; f. updating said displayed set of operands in response to the selected operator, wherein said updated displayed set of operands includes only operands from the database of operands, wherein the operands combined with the selected operand and the selected operator produce at least one updated result; g. selecting one of said updated displayed set of operands; h. updating said displayed result based on said selected operands and the selected operator; and i. while the updated displayed result is not the desired result, repeating steps d. through h., based on all previously selected operands and operators, to select an additional operator and an additional operand for the database search, and for updating said displayed result.
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21. A method for displaying a progress and results of a database search until a desired result is displayed, said method comprising the steps of:
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a. displaying a set of entries from a database and a set of operators, wherein ones of said displayed set of entries and ones of said set of displayed operators are selected to form a database search query for producing a result; b. selecting an initial entry of said displayed set of entries; c. displaying at least one valid result based on said selected entry; d. updating said set of displayed operators based on said selected entry, wherein said updated set of displayed operators includes only operators from the set of operators producing at least one valid result when the operators are selected with the selected entry and an additional entry from the set of entries; e. selecting an operator from the updated displayed set of operators; f. updating said displayed set of entries in response to the selected operator, wherein said updated displayed set of entries includes only entries from the database of entries, wherein the entries combined with the selected entry and the selected operator produce at least one valid result; g. selecting one of said updated displayed set of entries; and h. updating said at least one displayed valid result based on the selected entries and the selected operator, wherein said database search is completed when the at least one updated displayed result is the desired result, or steps d. through h. are repeated until the at least one updated displayed result is the desired result.
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22. A method for displaying a progress and results of a database search until a desired result is achieved, said method comprising the steps of:
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a. supplying a set of entries from a database and a set of operators, wherein ones of said supplied set of entries and ones of said supplied set of operators are selected to form a database search query for producing valid results; b. selecting an initial entry of said set of entries; c. supplying a set of valid results from a query based on said selected entry; d. updating said supplied set of operators based on said selected entry, wherein said updated supplied set of operators includes only operators from the set of operators, wherein the operators combined in a query with the selected entry and at least one of the set of entries from the database produce at least one valid result; e. selecting an operator from the updated supplied set of operators; f. updating said supplied set of entries in response to the selected operator, wherein said updated supplied set of entries includes only entries from the database, wherein the entries combined in a query with the selected entry and the selected operator produce at least one valid result; g. selecting one of said updated supplied set of entries; h. updating said supplied set of valid results according to a query based on the selected entries and the selected operator; and i. while said updated supplied set of valid results is not the desired result, repeating steps d. through h. based on all previously selected entries and operators, to select an additional operator and an additional entry for the database search query, and to update said supplied set of valid results.
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Specification