Organizing and storing hierarchical data in a database having dual structures

• US 7,340,472 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Town Compass LLC
• Original Assignee: Town Compass LLC
• Inventors: Thorne, Edwin III, Johnson, Wayne L., Makus, Eric J., Usibelli, Robert L., Usibelli, Sean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US10/839,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/102, 707/103.X, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y, 707/103.Z, 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/4, 715/853
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• 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 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A data viewer for displaying information selected from hierarchically organized data enables hierarchical searching by displaying hierarchical levels, or alternatively, by implementing an index search of selected data elements. If the index search is selected, an alphabetically ordered list of selected subjects, categories, and subcategories in the database is displayed for the hierarchically organized data. The selected subjects, categories, and subcategories are each associated with a database record and not with a lower hierarchical level that is a category or subcategory. Upon selecting an element from the index, the user is presented with a topical list. Any topic can be selected to display additional information. When an element is selected during an index search, the hierarchical relationship of the selected element to the hierarchical levels above it is also displayed, enabling the user to select a different hierarchical level that appears more relevant to the information desired.

Claims

1. A method for organizing data into a database having a dual structure that facilitates locating desired information included in the database, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a tree data structure that defines a hierarchical relationship of the data, wherein the tree data structure includes a bottom level that is a database record level that includes detailed data, such that the desired information is stored on the lowest level, and a top level that is a subject level that classifies the data stored in the lowest level by subject; and

(b) generating an ordered array structure of classifications of the data, wherein the ordered array structure comprises classifications linked to the bottom level that includes the detailed data, but not classifications linked to hierarchical levels that only further classify the data, said tree data structure and said ordered array structure enabling a user to respectively locate and display the desired information using either a hierarchical-based search or an index-based search, such that said dual structure comprises said tree data structure and said ordered array structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an intermediate level of said hierarchical relationship of the data includes at least one member of a group consisting of a category level that classifies the detailed data in the bottom level by category, and a subcategory level that classifies the detailed data in the bottom level by subcategory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the tree data structure comprises the step of providing at least one pointer from a node of the tree data structure to at least one of a first child, a next sibling, and a parent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating said ordered array structure comprises the step of organizing the classifications in a desired order.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of organizing comprises the step of alphabetizing the classifications.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of organizing comprises the step of storing said ordered array structure in a memory so as to achieve said desired order.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of organizing comprises the step of providing an attribute to each classification of said ordered array structure, said attribute defining a position of each component in said ordered array structure, to determine an order with which each component of the ordered array structure is displayed.

8. A searchable database that is organized in a dual structure for enabling a user to more efficiently locate desired information, said dual structure comprising:

(a) a first data structure that defines a hierarchical relationship of data included in the database, wherein a bottom level of said hierarchical relationship comprises a database record level where detailed data are stored, and a top level of said hierarchical relationship comprises a subject level that classifies the detailed data in the bottom level by subject; and

(b) a second data structure that comprises an ordered array, wherein the ordered array comprises each classification of the data at a defined level of the hierarchical relationship, said defined level comprising a level immediately above the bottom level, said first data structure and said second data structure in the searchable database enabling a user to more efficiently locate and display desired information by selectively conducting either a hierarchical-based search or an index-based search, such that said dual structure comprises said first data structure and said second data structure.

9. The database of claim 8, wherein an intermediate level of said hierarchical relationship comprises at least one of a category level, and a subcategory level.

10. The database of claim 8, wherein the first data structure comprises at least one pointer associated with a node in the first data structure and pointing to at least one of a first child, a next sibling, and a parent, associated with the node.

11. The database of claim 8, wherein the defined level of the hierarchical relationship is a second lowest level of each branch of the first data structure.

12. The database of claim 8, wherein the ordered array is alphabetized.

13. The database of claim 8, wherein said ordered array includes an attribute associated with each component of the data comprising said ordered array, said attribute defining a position of each component in said ordered array, to determine an order with which each component of the ordered array is displayed to a user.

14. A method for organizing data into a database having a dual structure that facilitates locating desired information included in the database, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a tree data structure that defines a hierarchical relationship of the data, wherein the tree data structure includes a top level of said hierarchical relationship of the data that is a subject level classification for the data, sat least one intermediate level of said hierarchical relationship of the data that is a category level classification for the data, at least one additional intermediate level of said hierarchical relationship of the data that is a subcategory level classification for the data, and a bottom level that is a database record level that includes detailed data; and

(b) generating an ordered array structure of classifications of the data elements included in the data by organizing selected subjects, categories, and subcategories of the data into a desired order, each selected subject to be added to the ordered array structure being associated with no lower level category, and each selected category to be added to the ordered array structure and each selected subcategory to be added to the ordered array structure being associated with no lower level subcategory, said tree data structure and said ordered array structure enabling a user to locate desired information using either a hierarchical-based search or an index-based search, such that said dual structure comprises said tree data structure and said ordered array structure.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of alphabetizing said selected subjects, categories, and subcategories to achieve the desired order.