Search-on-the-fly with merge function

• US 7,302,423 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2001
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vilox Technologies LLC (Joseph L. De Bellis)
• Original Assignee: Pedestrain Concepts LLC
• Inventors: De Bellis, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Leslie
• Application Number:
  US09/935,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/7, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104.1, 709/203, 709/219, 345/663
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Sort-on-the-Fly/Search-on-the-Fly data retrieval or analysis provides an intuitive mechanisms for accessing databases, allowing a user to access or obtain information about data in the database without having to know anything about the database structure. A user selects a desired term, and the method or apparatus delivers all instances of the desired term, even if a specific file or table does not contain the instance. The database need not have a specific file (in a flat database) or a table (in a relational database) of names. The user may specify other criteria, or constraints to narrow the search results, or for other reasons. The method or apparatus then conducts further analysis or searching using this criteria and produces a second result. Further narrowing or broadening of the process is permitted, with search-on-the-fly returning results based on any new constraints. If the returned information would be too large to be conveniently displayed at a terminal, the process executes a truncation routine so that the returned data is easily displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying data comprising:

determining a database schema for a database;

providing a list of database fields, wherein the list includes a descriptor indicating a data category;

receiving a search selection for a database field on the provided list of database fields;

determining a number of characters included in each entry in the selected database field; and

if the number of characters included in each entry exceeds a specified amount of characters, displaying a portion of each entry in the selected database field, wherein a number of characters displayed in each portion is less than or equal to the specified amount of characters; and

if the number of characters included in each entry does not exceed the specified amount, displaying each entry in its entirety.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a key word search.

3. A computer-implemented method for formatting data for display, comprising:

generating a list of data fields;

receiving a first data field selection from the list of data fields;

determining a first quantity indicative of a number of characters in each entry of the selected data field;

if the first quantity exceeds a specified limit, reducing a number of characters to be displayed for each entry from the selected data field, comprising;

performing a truncation that reduces the number of characters to be displayed from the selected data filed,

comparing the reduced number of characters to the specified limit, and

if the reduced number of characters exceeds the specified limit, repeating the truncation and comparing steps until the reduced number of characters to be displayed from the selected data field is less than or eciual to the specified limits; and

displaying the reduced number of characters for each entry from the selected data field.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified limit is fixed.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified limit is variable.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein each entry from the selected data field is displayed on a terminal, and wherein the specified limit is determined dynamically, based on a characteristic of the terminal.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified limit is a user-determined limit.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein a parameter is related to the number of characters to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises decrementing the parameter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the parameter is decremented or incremented by a value of one.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein a parameter is related to the number of characters to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises dividing the parameter by a value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the value is two.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein a parameter is related to the number of characters to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises multiplying the parameter by a value.

13. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a first constraint, wherein the first constraint is related to a data element in a data field; and

receiving one or more subsequent constraints, wherein search results are generated based on a combination of the first and the one or more subsequent constraints.

14. A computer-implemented method for searching a database, comprising:

generating a list of data fields;

receiving a first data field selection from the list of data fields;

receiving a first constraint, wherein the first constraint is related to a data element in a data field;

generating a first search result based on the first constraint;

displaying a menu, wherein the menu is populated with the first search result;

receiving one or more subsequent constraints;

conducting a second search, wherein the one or more subsequent constraints are used to search at least data associated with the first search result to generate a second search result;

determining a first ciuantity indicative of a number of entries of the selected data field;

if the first Quantity exceeds a specified limit, reducing a size of data to be displayed from the selected data field, comprising;

performing a truncation that reduces the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field,

comparing the reduced size to the specified limits, and

if the reduced size to the specified limit, repeating the truncation and comparing steps until the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field is less than or equal to the specified limit; and

displaying data from the selected data field.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the specified limit is fixed.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the specified limit is variable.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the data are displayed on a terminal, and wherein the specified limit is determined dynamically, based on a characteristic of the terminal.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the specified limit is a user-determined limit.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a parameter is related to the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises decrementing or incrementing the parameter.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the parameter is decremented or incremented by a value of one.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein a parameter is related to the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises dividing the parameter by a value.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the value is two.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein a parameter is related to the size of the data to be displayed from the selected data field, and wherein the truncation comprises multiplying the parameter by a value.