Method, system, and computer-readable medium for merging data from multiple data sources for use in an electronic document

• US 7,739,309 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gottweis, Juraj, Singh, Sumi N., Kraft, Tara M., Dimmick, John E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gofman; Alex
• Application Number:
  US10/955,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 707/802, 707/803, 707/805
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium are provided for merging data from multiple data sources for use in an electronic document. The method includes receiving field names and field data from an initial data source, mapping field names from a subsequently added data source to the initial data source, building a recipient list schema based on the field names from the initial data source and the mapped field names from the subsequently added data source, creating a recipient list according to the recipient list schema, and saving the recipient list to a file. The recipient list schema defines the relationships between the field names in the recipient list and the field names in the initial and subsequently added data sources.

Claims

1. A method for merging contact data from a plurality of contact data sources for use in an electronic document, comprising:

forming a schema of mapped contact field names from at least two separate data sources, wherein forming of the schema includes;

receiving previously stored contact field names from an initial contact data source;

populating a first window user interface with a list of the contact field names from the initial contact data source;

receiving previously stored contact field names from at least one subsequently added contact data source;

populating a second window user interface with a list of contact field names from the at least one subsequently added contact data source;

after population of the first and second window user interfaces, mapping contact field names to create a list of mapped contact field names in the first window user interface, wherein mapping contact field names includes mapping the contact field names of the second window user interface to the contact field names of the first window user interface; and

forming the schema from the list of mapped contact field names in the first window user interface;

after the formation of the schema, generating a temporary recipient list from the schema, wherein the temporary recipient list includes the contact field names generated in accordance with the schema and value fields for receiving values from the initial contact data source and the at least one subsequently added contact data source;

after the generation of the temporary recipient list, causing a processor to populate the value fields with values from the initial data source and the at least one subsequently added contact data source, wherein the values are associated with source identifiers indicating the source of the values;

after the generation of a populated recipient list, displaying the populated recipient list in an edit user interface;

receiving an edit to at least one of the values of the populated recipient list;

based on a source identifier association with the at least one value that received the edit, synchronizing the edit to at least one member of a group comprising;

the initial contact data source and the at least one subsequently added contact data source;

creating a hash value for each row of the populated contact recipient list, wherein each hash value facilitates the determination of duplication between any row of the populated contact recipient list;

determining whether a hash value match exists between any of the rows of the populated contact recipient list, wherein determining whether a hash value match exists between any of the rows of the populated contact recipient list includes determining whether a hash value match exists according to a predetermined duplicate rule that includes a predetermined value match threshold to cause the match;

when a hash value match exists, populating a duplication window user interface with rows of the populated contact recipient list having matching hash values and resolving duplicative rows of the populated contact recipient list via the duplication window user interface; and

saving the resolved populated contact recipient list to a file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a schema based on the mapped contact field names in the first window user interface comprises:

comparing the mapped contact field names from the at least one subsequently added contact data source to the contact field names from the initial contact data source; and

if any of the mapped contact field names from the at least one subsequently added contact data source do not correspond to the contact field names from the initial contact data source, then adding the mapped contact field names.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a hash value match exists between any of the rows of the populated contact recipient list includes creating a hash table of hash values associated with each of the rows and comparing values of each row that the hash values point to.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein resolving duplicative rows via the duplication window includes receiving an input to indicate that a row includes a match and removing the row from the populated contact recipient list to generate the resolved populated contact recipient list.

5. A system for merging data from a plurality of data sources for use in an electronic document, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured for;

forming a schema of mapped contact field names from at least two separate data sources, wherein forming of the schema includes;

receiving previously stored contact field names from an initial contact data source;

populating a first window user interface with a list of the contact field names from the initial contact data source;

receiving previously stored contact field names from at least one subsequently added contact data source;

populating a second window user interface with a list of contact field names from the at least one subsequently added contact data source;

after population of the first and second window user interfaces, mapping contact field names to create a list of mapped contact field names in the first window user interface, wherein mapping contact field names includes mapping the contact field names of the second window user interface to the contact field names of the first window user interface; and

forming the schema from the list of mapped contact field names in the first window user interface;

after the formation of the schema, generating a temporary recipient list from the schema, wherein the temporary recipient list includes the contact field names generated in accordance with the schema and value fields for receiving values from the initial contact data source and the at least one subsequently added contact data source;

after the generation of the temporary recipient list, causing a processor to populate the value fields with values from the initial data source and the at least one subsequently added contact data source, wherein the values are associated with source identifiers indicating the source of the values;

after the generation of a populated recipient list, displaying the populated recipient list in an edit user interface;

receiving an edit to at least one of the values of the populated recipient list;

based on a source identifier association with the at least one value that received the edit, synchronizing the edit to at least one member of a group comprising;

the initial contact data source and the at least one subsequently added contact data source;

creating a hash value for each row of the populated contact recipient list, wherein each hash value facilitates the determination of duplication between any row of the populated contact recipient list;

determining whether a hash value match exists between any of the rows of the populated contact recipient list, wherein determining whether a hash value match exists between any of the rows of the populated contact recipient list includes determining whether a hash value match exists according to a predetermined duplicate rule that includes a predetermined value match threshold to cause the match; and

when a hash value match exists, populating a duplication window user interface with rows of the populated contact recipient list having matching hash values and resolving duplicative rows of the populated contact recipient list via the duplication window user interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein forming a schema based on the mapped contact field names in the first window user interface comprises:

comparing the mapped field names from the at least one subsequently added data source to the field names from the initial data source; and

if any of the mapped field names from the at least one subsequently added data source do not correspond to the field names from the initial data source, then adding the mapped field names.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured for saving the recipient list to a file, wherein saving the recipient list to a file comprises saving a file which allows for the recipient list to be re-created.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein determining whether a hash value match exists between any of the rows of the populated recipient list includes creating a hash table of hash values associated with each of the rows and comparing values of the rows that the hash values point to.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein resolving duplicative rows via the duplication window includes receiving an input to indicate that a row includes a match and removing the row from the populated recipient list to generate the resolved populated recipient list.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform a method for merging data from a plurality of data sources for use in an electronic document, the method comprising:

forming a schema of mapped contact field names from at least two separate data sources, wherein forming of the schema includes;

receiving previously stored field names from an initial data source;

populating a first window user interface with a list of the field names from the initial data source;

receiving previously stored field names from at least one subsequently added data source;

populating a second window user interface with a list of field names from the at least one subsequently added data source;

after population of the first and second window user interfaces, mapping field names to create a list of mapped field names in the first window user interface, wherein mapping field names includes mapping the field names of the second window user interface to the field names of the first window user interface; and

forming the schema from the list of mapped field names in the first user interface window;

after the formation of the schema, generating a temporary recipient from the schema, wherein the temporary recipient list includes the contact field names generated in accordance with the schema and value fields for receiving values form the initial contact data source and the at least one subsequently added contact data source;

after the generation of the temporary recipient list, causing a processor to populate the value fields with values from the initial data source and the at least one subsequently added contact data source, wherein the values are associated with source identifiers indicating the source of the values;

after the generation of a populated recipient list, displaying a the populated recipient list in an edit user interface;

creating a hash value for each row of the populated recipient list, wherein each hash value facilitates the determination of duplication between any row of the populated contact recipient list;

determining whether a hash value match exists between any of the rows of the populated recipient list, wherein determining whether a hash value match exists between any of the rows of the populated contact recipient list includes determining whether a hash value match exists according to a predetermined duplicate rule that includes a predetermined value match threshold to cause the match;

when a hash value match exists, populating a duplication window user interface with rows of the populated contact recipient list having matching hash values and resolving duplicative rows of the populated contact recipient list via the duplication window user interface; and

saving the resolved populated recipient list to a file.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein forming a schema based on the mapped field names in the first window user interface comprises:

comparing the mapped field names from the at least one subsequently added data source to the field names from the initial data source; and

if any of the mapped field names from the at least one subsequently added data source do not correspond to the field names from the initial data source, then adding the mapped field names.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein determining whether a hash value match exists between any of the rows of the populated recipient list includes creating a hash table of hash values associated with each of the rows and comparing values of the rows that the hash values point to.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein resolving duplicative rows via the duplication window includes receiving an input to indicate that a row includes a match and removing the row from the populated recipient list to generate the resolved populated recipient list.