Dynamically generating multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships based on object attribute values

• US 7,231,400 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Robertson, George G., Cameron, Kim, Brown, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): RIMELL, SAMUEL G
• Application Number:
  US10/846,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/100, 707/103.R, 707/103.X, 707/103.Y, 707/103.Z, 717/108, 717/116
• US Class Current: 707/829
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/96 Object-relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented to dynamically generate multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships based on object attribute values. In one aspect, a data structure includes a first virtual object data field to represent a first object of multiple objects in a data store. A second virtual object data field represents a second object of the multiple objects. Attributes of the first object intersect with attributes of the second object to form multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-program instructions executable by a processor, the computer-program instructions comprising instructions for:

representing, with a data structure, multiple dynamic hierarchies of inter-object relationships based on object attribute values, the data structure comprising;

a first virtual object data field representing a first object of multiple objects in a data store;

a second virtual object data field representing a second object of the multiple objects; and

wherein attributes of the first object intersect attributes of the second object to form the multiple dynamic hierarchies of inter-object relationships, wherein one of said first virtual object or said second virtual object contains one or more references to a sub-object with a sub-object entity reference so as to define a jumpgate which creates one or more elastic entity relationships, and wherein said instructions are operable to display output based upon said data structure.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second virtual object data fields comprise a respective first globally unique identifier (GUID) data field to uniquely identify a corresponding object in the data store.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the data store is a directory or a database.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein a first attribute associated with the first object is represents a root of a first hierarchy, and a second attribute associated with the second object corresponds to a root of a second hierarchy that is different than the first hierarchy.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the multiple intersecting hierarchies form a data polyarchy.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the multiple intersecting hierarchies comprise a membership hierarchy providing for de-referenced dimensional navigation of a many to many object relationship between respective ones of the multiple objects.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the inter-object relationships comprise an elastic inter-object relationship.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the inter-object relationships represent mono-direction or bi-directional object relationships.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the inter-object relationships are represented in the first and second virtual object data fields independent of object naming or independent of a predetermined hierarchical data structure.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first or second virtual object data field further comprises an entity reference data field to uniquely identify a second object of the multiple objects as a sub-element of a respective one of the first or the second object, the entity reference data field uniquely identifying the respective one in the data store.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the entity reference data field comprises a GUID.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second virtual data object data fields further comprise one or more predicate data fields, each predicate data field indicating a respective operation to present a particular object with respect to one or more hierarchies of inter-object relationships.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises a third virtual object data field representing a third object of the multiple objects, the first and second objects further comprising information to facilitate de-referenced dimensional navigation of a many-to-many relationship between the first, second, and third objects.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein each virtual data object data field further comprises a domain property data field to index a corresponding object of the objects with respect to one or more hierarchies of inter-object relationships.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the domain property data field further comprises:

a physical domain comprising a data type, a data precision indication, a scale indication, or a nullability indication; and

a logical domain comprising a unique domain, a locating domain, or a classifying domain.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the first virtual object data field comprises a link to the second virtual object data field, the link representing a dimensional relationship between the first and second objects.

17. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising a data structure, the data structure comprising;

a first virtual object data field representing a first object of multiple objects in a data store;

a second virtual object data field representing a second object of the multiple objects; and

wherein attributes of the first object intersect attributes of the second object to dynamically form multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships, wherein one of said first virtual object or said second virtual object contains one or more references to a sub-object with a sub-object entity reference so as to define a jumpgate which creates one or more elastic entity relationships, and wherein said processor is operable to generate an output at least in part from said data structure.

18. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the data store is a directory or a database.

19. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein a first attribute associated with the first object represents a root of a first hierarchy, and a second attribute associated with the second object corresponds to a root of a second hierarchy that is different than the first hierarchy.

20. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the multiple intersecting hierarchies comprise a membership hierarchy providing for de-referenced dimensional navigation of a many to many object relationship between respective ones of the multiple objects.

21. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the inter-object relationships are represented in the first and second virtual object data fields independent of object naming or independent of a predetermined hierarchical data structure.

22. A computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein each of the first and second virtual data object data fields further comprise one or more predicate data fields, each predicate data field indicating a respective operation to present a particular object with respect to one or more hierarchies of inter-object relationships.

23. A computing device comprising:

first representing means to represent a first virtual object data field representing a first object of multiple objects in a data store;

second representing means to represent a second virtual object data field representing a second object of the multiple objects; and

wherein attributes of the first object intersect attributes of the second object to dynamically form multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships, wherein one of said first representing means or said second representing means contains one or more references to a sub-object with a sub-object entity reference so as to define a jumpgate which creates one or more elastic entity relationships, and wherein said computing device is operable to generate an output at least in part from said data structure.