Systems and methods for custom grouping of data

• US 6,996,569 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Reporting Technologies Incorporated (Microstrategy Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Inventors: Yuan, Jun, Hurwood, William, Bedell, Jeffrey A., Li, Benjamin Z., Jhaveri, Ashutosh K., Wang, Xinyi, Feng, Xun
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/120,192
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 707 2- 4, 707/100, 707/102, 707103 R-103 Z, 715/500
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/244 Grouping and aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24556 Aggregation; Duplicate elimination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A system and method for creating a custom grouping of data in a database. A custom group object is created, a plurality of custom group elements are defined, each of the custom group elements being a subset of the custom group object and being defined by a different filter, each one of the different filters representing a logical expression of qualifications based on the data or a derived calculation of the data. Each of the different filters is resolved against the data or a subset of the data, and the plurality of custom group elements are grouped into a consolidated result set which in not naturally existing in the data structure.

Claims

1. A method of providing a custom group for generating data from a database, the data having a data structure, the method comprising:

creating a custom group object comprising one or more custom group elements;

defining each of the custom group elements being by at least one filter, each of the filters representing a logical expression of qualifications based on the data, a derived calculation of the data, or both, at least one of the filters being or having been created by a user;

resolving each of the custom group element filters against the data; and

grouping the plurality of custom group elements into a consolidated result set which is not naturally existing in the data structure, the consolidated result set comprising the custom grouping.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the custom group element returns the aggregated result of a function applied over the filtered data set.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the custom group element returns a set of unaggregated elements equal to the filtered data set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the custom group element is defined by a metric and a range.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one filter of the different filters uses an algorithm to determine what data passes the one filter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the custom group object may be used in a report whereby a user may define a custom group object for use in a report to generate groupings without altering the database.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein a report may comprise a custom grouping previously defined and stored for retrieval by users.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the custom grouping is defined as part of defining a report to be process against the database.

9. A system for grouping data that is stored in a database, the data having a data structure, the system comprising:

a data storage device that stores the data; and

a processor that enables a user to create a custom group object comprising one or more custom group elements and define each of the custom group elements being by at least one filter, each of the filters representing a logical expression of qualifications based on the data, a derived calculation of the data, or both, at least one of the filters being or having been created by the user; and

wherein the processor resolves each of the custom group element filters against the data and groups the plurality of custom group elements into a consolidated result set which is not naturally existing in the data structure, the consolidated result set comprising the custom grouping.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the custom group element returns the aggregated result of a function applied over the filtered data set.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the custom group element returns a set of unaggregated elements equal to the filtered data set.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the custom group element is defined by a metric and a range.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein one filter of the different filters uses an algorithm to determine what data passes the one filter.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the custom group object may be used in a report whereby a user may define a custom group object for use in a report to generate groupings without altering the database.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein a report may comprise a custom grouping previously defined and stored for retrieval by users.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the custom grouping is defined as part of defining a report to be process against the database.

17. A recording medium storing processor readable program instructions for causing a processor to group data that is stored in a database, the data having a data structure, the instructions enabling a processor to perform the steps of:

creating a custom group object comprising one or more custom group elements;

defining each of the custom group elements being by at least one filter, each of the filters representing a logical expression of qualifications based on the data, a derived calculation of the data, or both, at least one of the filters or being or having been created by the user;

resolving each of the custom group element filters against the data; and

grouping the plurality of custom group elements into a consolidated result set which is not naturally existing in the data structure, the consolidated result set comprising the custom grouping.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the custom group element returns the aggregated result of a function applied over the filtered data set.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the custom group element returns a set of unaggregated elements equal to the filtered data set.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the custom group element is defined by a metric and a range.

21. The medium of claim 17, wherein one filter of the different filters uses an algorithm to determine what data passes the one filter.

22. The medium of claim 17, wherein the custom group object may be used in a report whereby a user may define a custom group object for use in a report to generate groupings without altering the database.