Universal drill-down system for coordinated presentation of items in different databases

• US 7,716,257 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Thomson, Neil, Petitclerc, Martin, Chow, Gordon, Gould, Dave, Paiement, Andre, Donnelly, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali; Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, THUY T
• Application Number:
  US11/511,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 707 2- 4, 707/103, 707/1, 707/100
• US Class Current: 707/809
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2465 Query processing support for facilitating data mining operations in structured databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3334 Selection or weighting of terms from queries, including natural language queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to receive context information specifying dimensional criteria defining a first value in a first data source. A context transfer to a second value in a second data source is generated based upon the dimensional criteria. The context transfer is performed in accordance with a translation model with a translation map for mapping between multiple data sources. The second value is supplied.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:

receive from a first report a selection of values establishing context information specifying dimensional criteria defining a first value in a first data source, wherein the first report includes a query specification and a layout specification, and wherein the first data source is a relational data source;

define a translation model specifying a translation context between the first value in the first data source and a second value in a second data source, wherein the translation context comprises a translation map specifying rules for mapping the context information defining the first value in the first data source to the second value in the second data source, wherein the second data source is a non-relational data source;

generate a context transfer to the second value in the second data source based upon the dimensional criteria of the context information defining the first value in the first data source, the translation model and the translation map;

generate a second report from the second data source based upon the context transfer; and

supply the second value in the second report such that a user observes the second value from the same perspective associated with the first value in the first data source.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the context information is user specified.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the context information is automatically generated.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the first value is qualified by one or more parent objects.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4 further comprising executable instructions to:

designate a selected parent object; and

generate a parent translation object from the selected parent object.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the executable instructions to generate include executable instructions to generate a context transfer to a plurality of values.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the executable instructions to generate include executable instructions to generate a context transfer to a range of values.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to specify an administrator interface to configure context transfer operations.