Method and systems for automatically creating a data feed file for use with desktop applications

• US 7,421,444 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Owen, Eugene E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US10/689,132
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and systems for automatically creating a data feed file for use by desktop applications. The invention comprises a raw data files that is stored on electronic storage devices inaccessible to desktop software applications. To gain access to data stored in the raw data file, a data feed file is generated and electronically transmitted to a location electronically accessible to a user-preferred desktop application. To generate the data feed file, the desired data is extracted from the raw data file based on data-locating criteria. The extracted data is further analyzed for compliance with data-limiting criteria which further defines the characteristics of data needed for the data feed file. The data extracted from the raw data file is then used to populate the data feed file. The data feed file is thereafter transmitted to a location accessible to the user-preferred desktop application for data tracking, data compilation, and various other types of data manipulation.

Claims

1. A method for generating a data feed file from at least one raw data file for use by a desktop application comprising:

developing a set of data feed file criteria comprising at least one data-locating criterion, that is received by a data extraction tool of a first device;

extracting at least a portion of data from a raw data file based on at least one data-locating criterion, utilizing the data extraction tool;

generating a report having data extracted from the raw data file, utilizing the data extraction tool;

determining whether data in the report complies with data-limiting criteria, utilizing a discrimination tool;

deleting lines from the report which contain data that does not comply with the data-limiting criteria to obtain an updated report, utilizing the discrimination tool;

generating the data feed file with data from the updated report, utilizing a formatting tool; and

transmitting the data feed file from the first device to a location electronically accessible to the desktop application of a second device, utilizing a network operably coupled between the first device and the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the location accessible to the desktop application is a local area network electronically accessible to a desktop application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data-locating criterion identifies a location of data in the raw data file needed for the data feed file.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said location of data in the raw data file is defined as the location of the data field in each record of the raw data file containing data needed for the data feed file.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the data field location is identified by the category of data contained in the data field.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the data field location is identified by the position of the data field in each record of the raw data file.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the data feed file criteria further comprises at least one hard-coded data criterion, wherein the hard-coded data criterion specifies data to be included in the data feed file that is not included in the raw data file.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising populating the data feed file with data specified by the hard-coded data criteria.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the raw data file is stored on an electronic storage device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the electronic storage device is a mainframe computer.

11. The system of generating a data feed file from a raw data file for use by a desktop application comprising:

first and second data storage devices;

a data extraction tool configured to extract

at least one portion of data from the raw data file stored on the first data storage device based on at least one data-locating criterion, and to generate

a report comprising the extracted data;

a discrimination tool configured to determine whether data in the report complies with data-limiting criteria the discrimination tool further configured to delete lines of the report which contain data that does not comply with the data-limiting criteria to obtain an updated report;

a formatting tool configured to extract the data from the updated report and to populate the data feed file with data extracted from the updated report; and

a network configured to electronically transmit the data feed file from the first data storage device to the second data storage device such that the data feed file is electronically accessible by the desktop application.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said formatting tool further populates the data feed file with data specified by at least one hard-coded data criterion.