Taxonomy object modeling

• US 7,689,625 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Onalan, Bahadir Baris, Cain, Nigel Graham, Westerinen, Andrea Rose, Herscher, Adam Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali; Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Darno; Patrick A
• Application Number:
  US11/621,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20080168083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/778
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/835 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A computer-readable storage medium having a data structure for representing a plurality of objects. The data structure includes a first data field storing data associated with a taxonomy type. The data structure also includes a second data field storing data associated with a reference to a model instance of an object classified by the taxonomy type. The model instance identifies an entity represented by the classified object. A third data field stores a first data set having data stored in the second data field. The first data set identifies a set of one or more objects related to the classified object positioned higher in a hierarchical structure than the classified object. A fourth data field stores a second data set having data stored in the second data field. The second data set identifies a set of one or more objects related to the classified object positioned lower than classified object.

Claims

1. A computerized method for representing a plurality of objects, said computerized method comprising:

defining a plurality of taxonomy types within a taxonomy having a hierarchical structure, said taxonomy defining an all-inclusive structure for classifying the plurality of taxonomy types to represent the plurality of objects with corresponding associations;

classifying an object according to at least one of the taxonomy types based on the relationship of the classified object to one or more other objects related thereto;

associating a first reference with the taxonomy type of the classified object, said first reference identifying an actual entity represented by the classified object;

generating, by a processor of a computing device, a first data set integrated into the taxonomy type of the classified object in the same hierarchical level as the taxonomy type in the hierarchical structure, said first data set being a first tag of the classified object and identifying a set of the one or more related objects positioned higher in the hierarchical structure than the classified object;

generating, by the processor of the computing device, a second data set integrated into the taxonomy type of the classified object in the same hierarchical level as the taxonomy type in the hierarchical structure, said second data set being a second tag of the classified object and identifying a set of the one or more related objects positioned lower in the hierarchical structure than the classified object; and

providing the all-inclusive structure to a user for accessing the plurality of objects.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising providing information of the classified object and information of the first data set and the second data set in the taxonomy type of the classified object in response to a query from a user.

3. The computerized method of claim 2, wherein providing information comprises instantiating a single instance of the taxonomy type of the classified object including the information of the classified object and the information represented in the first data set and the second data set.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the first data set comprises one or more data fields and wherein generating the first data set comprises storing information associated with each of the set of the one or more related objects positioned higher in the hierarchical structure than the classified object in the data fields.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the second data set comprises one or more data fields and wherein generating the second data set comprises storing information associated with each of the set of the one or more related objects positioned lower in the hierarchical structure than the classified object in the data fields.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein generating the first data set comprises storing a reference in the taxonomy type of the classified object for identifying each of the set of the one or more related objects positioned higher in the hierarchical structure than the classified object.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein generating the second data set comprises storing a reference in the taxonomy type of the classified object for identifying each of the set of the one or more related objects positioned lower in the hierarchical structure than the classified object.

8. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the computerized method of claim 1.

9. A system for representing a plurality of objects, said system comprising:

a memory area for storing data associated with a plurality of taxonomy types having a hierarchical structure; and

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions for;

defining the plurality of taxonomy types;

classifying an object according to at least one of the taxonomy types based on the relationship of the classified object to one or more other objects related thereto;

storing information associated with the classified object in the memory area;

associating a first reference with the taxonomy type of the classified object, said first reference identifying an actual entity represented by the classified object;

generating a first data set integrated into the taxonomy type of the classified object in the same hierarchical level as the taxonomy type in the hierarchical structure, said first data set identifying a set of the one or more related objects positioned higher in the hierarchical structure than the classified object; and

generating a second data set integrated into the taxonomy type of the classified object in the same hierarchical level as the taxonomy type in the hierarchical structure, said second data set identifying a set of the one or more related objects positioned lower in the hierarchical structure than the classified objects; and

providing the all-inclusive structure to a user for accessing the plurality of objects.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an interface for creating a single instance of the taxonomy type of the classified object including the information of the classified object and the information represented in the first data set and the second data set.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface is configured to provide information of the classified object and information represented in the first data set and the second data set in one instance.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first data set comprises an ordered list.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the second data set comprises one or more data fields for storing information associated with each of the set of the one or more related objects positioned lower in the hierarchical structure than the classified object.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first data set comprises a reference for identifying each of the set of the one or more related objects positioned higher in the hierarchical structure than the classified object, and wherein the second data set comprises a reference for identifying each of the set of the one or more related objects positioned lower in the hierarchical structure than the classified object.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to define the plurality of taxonomy types in a hardware taxonomy structure, wherein the first data set identifies the set of the one or more related objects positioned higher in the hardware taxonomy structure than the classified object, and wherein the second data set identifies the set of the one or more related objects positioned lower in the hardware taxonomy structure than the classified object.