Method to assist user in creation of highly inter-related models in complex databases

• US 7,958,137 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Vanderzweep, Jeff, Zhang, Kang, Felke, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo; Truong V
• Application Number:
  US12/365,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/723, 707/754, 707/763
• US Class Current: 707/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is provided to facilitate creation of linked inter-related models in a database. The method comprises obtaining a search text and match criteria from a user, and determining whether a prequery exists. If not, a list of all destination items is obtained. If yes, a determination is made whether the prequery is enabled. If not, a list of all destination items is obtained. If enabled, a list of all destination items limited by the prequery is obtained. A determination is then made whether all match criteria is selected. If yes, all items in the destination list are returned to the user. If not, a word list is generated by parsing all words from the search text. All valid synonyms are added for each word in the word list. The items in the destination list are reduced to items that match at least one word in the word list. A determination is made whether one or more additional filters exist. If not, a reduced list filtered by the match criteria is returned to the user. If the additional filters exist, the filters are presented to the user. The matched item list is then reduced based on criteria of the filters. The reduced matched item list is then returned to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to facilitate creation of linked inter-related models in a database, the method comprising:

obtaining a search text and match criteria from a user;

determining whether a prequery function exists;

if the prequery function does not exist, obtaining a list of all destination items;

if the prequery function does exist, determining whether the prequery function is enabled;

if the prequery function is not enabled, obtaining a list of all destination items;

if the prequery function is enabled, obtaining a list of all destination items limited by the prequery function;

determining whether all the match criteria has been selected;

if all the match criteria has been selected, returning all items in the destination list to the user;

if all the match criteria has not been selected,

generating a word list by parsing all words from the search text;

adding all valid synonyms for each word in a search string to the word list;

reducing the items in the destination list to items in a reduced list that match at least one word in the word list;

determining whether one or more additional filters exist;

if the one or more additional filters do not exist, returning the reduced list filtered by the match criteria to the user;

if the one or more additional filters exist,

presenting the one or more additional filters to the user;

reducing the matched item list based on criteria of the one or more additional filters; and

returning the reduced matched item list to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prequery function is metadata driven.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the prequery function comprises an administrator defined filter on a given relationship.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the relationship comprises a link between a source entity and a destination entity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the relationship between the source entity and the destination entity comprises a forward prequery or a reverse prequery.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the forward prequery is from the source entity to the destination entity.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the reverse prequery is from the destination entity to the source entity.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the relationship comprises one or more links between a plurality of line-replaceable units.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically updating all criteria in the database.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding prequery information to each link that requires filtering.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the prequery function comprises a structured query language (SQL) query.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional filters allow the user to reduce a search list by selecting a value.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional filters are metadata driven.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional filters are defined against one or more filter attributes on an entity type.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the filter attributes each have a filter selection box.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each filter selection box is populated with a distinct list of values associated with the filter attributes.

17. A computer program product, comprising:

A non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon for a method to facilitate creation of linked inter-related models in a database according to claim 1.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the prequery function and the additional filters are metadata driven.

19. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device in operative communication with the processor, the memory device having program instructions stored thereon, executable by the processor, for a method to facilitate creation of linked inter-related models in a database according to claim 1.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the prequery function and the additional filters are metadata driven.