Systems and methods for managing integrated and customizable data

• US 8,161,075 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Long, Robert M., Lin, Chi-Hwei Julie, Liu, Tsehsin Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONYERS, DAWAUNE A
• Application Number:
  US11/443,363
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/9, 707/4, 707/793, 707/805
• US Class Current: 707/793
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

In one of many possible embodiments, an exemplary system includes a data integration subsystem including at least one base hierarchical data structure representative of a first set of one or more data relationships. The system further includes a customization subsystem configured to receive one or more commands from an external source. The commands represent a second set of one or more data relationships, the second set of data relationships being externally defined. The customization subsystem is further configured to generate, based on the commands, a custom hierarchical data structure representative of the second set of data relationships, the second hierarchical data structure being generated on top of at least a subset of the base hierarchical data structure.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of databases, each database including local data; and

computer readable medium tangibly embodying computer executable instructions, the instructions including instructions to;

maintain a hierarchical data structure of subscriber records representative of relationships between subscribers, a plurality of subscription records representative of subscriptions of the subscribers, and a base hierarchical data structure in which the subscription records are mapped into the hierarchical data structure of subscriber records to indicate the subscriptions associated with the respective subscribers, the base hierarchical data structure including at least a first set of parent-child data relationships that represent a first grouping of subscriber accounts associated with a customer,

retrieve at least a portion of the local data from at least one of the databases, the local data being associated with the customer,

receive a second set of parent-child data relationships from an external source that define a new parent-child data relationship of the retrieved local data representing a second grouping of the subscriber accounts of the customer, the new parent-child data relationship including at least one new customer-defined subscriber record to which at least a portion of the subscription records and subscriber records are associated as child data,

generate a custom hierarchical data structure in response to the received second set of parent-child data relationships, wherein the custom hierarchical data structure is generated using at least a subset of the base hierarchical data structure and the second set of parent-child data relationships without impacting the first set of parent-child data relationships, and

provide the local data according to the custom hierarchical data structure to the external source.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the external source comprises a customer and an access device, and wherein the base hierarchical data structure is unchangeable by the customer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the external source comprises a customer and an access device, and wherein said custom hierarchical data structure is changeable by the customer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said instructions further include instructions to receive one or more externally-defined permission levels from the external source.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said instructions for said customization subsystem further include instructions to

provide a first-level user associated with the external source with access to both said base hierarchical data structure and said custom hierarchical data structure based on said one or more permission levels,

provide a second-level user associated with the external source with access to said custom hierarchical data structure based on said one or more permission levels, and

deny the second-level user access to said base hierarchical data structure based on said one or more permission levels.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said instructions further include instructions to provide a third-level user associated with the external source with access to only a subset of said custom hierarchical data structure based on said one or more permission levels.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said instructions further include instructions to generate said custom hierarchical data structure without impacting said first set of parent-child data relationships.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said first set of parent-child data relationships defines a first grouping of subscription records, and said second set of parent-child data relationships defines a second grouping of at least a subset of said subscription records.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said base hierarchical data structure is included in global data that is mapped from local data stored in a plurality of heterogeneous databases.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said instructions further include instructions to provide a graphical representation of at least a portion of said custom hierarchical data structure to the external source.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said instructions further include instructions to provide a graphical user interface to the external source, said graphical user interface including one or more tools for defining said second set of parent-child data relationships.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said one or more tools includes a search tool for searching for information associated with said base hierarchical data structure.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said one or more tools includes a tool configured to allow for creation of new customer-defined subscriber records and a tool configured to allow for the association of least a portion of the local data to a new customer-defined subscriber record.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said first set of parent-child data relationships is representative of one or more legal relationships between subscriber records and associations of one or more subscription records to at least a subset of said subscription records.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first grouping of subscriber accounts of the customer is defined according to an enterprise associated with the plurality of databases, and the second grouping of subscriber accounts is defined according to a view of data desired by the customer.

16. A system comprising:

a plurality of heterogeneous databases storing local data associated with an external party, said plurality of heterogeneous databases being maintained by an internal party; and

computer readable medium tangibly embodying computer executable instructions, the instructions including instructions to;

maintain a hierarchical data structure of subscriber records representative of relationships between subscribers, a plurality of subscription records representative of subscriptions of the subscribers, and a base hierarchical data structure in which the subscription records are mapped into the hierarchical data structure of subscriber records to indicate the subscriptions associated with the respective subscribers, the base hierarchical data structure including a first set of parent-child data relationships that represents relationships between the subscriber records and the subscription records associated with the external party, the first set of parent-child data relationships indicative of a first grouping of subscriber accounts of a customer, wherein the first set of parent-child data relationships is unchangeable by the external party,

retrieve at least a portion of the local data from at least one of the databases, the retrieved local data being associated with the external party,

provide a graphical user interface to the external party, said graphical user interface including one or more tools configured to allow the external party to define a second set of parent-child data relationships,

receive a second set of parent-child data relationships from the external party, the second set of parent-child data relationships defining a new parent-child data relationship of the retrieved local data representing a second grouping of subscriber accounts of the customer, the new parent-child data relationship including at least one new customer-defined subscriber record to which at least a portion of the subscription records and subscriber records are associated as child data,

generate a custom hierarchical data structure representative of said second set of parent-child data relationships in response to receiving the second set of parent-child data relationships, wherein the custom hierarchical data structure is generated using at least a subset of the base hierarchical data structure and the second set of parent-child data relationships without impacting the first set of parent-child data relationships, and

provide said local data according to said custom hierarchical data structure to said external party.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the internal party comprises an enterprise and the external party comprises a customer of the enterprise.

18. A method comprising:

receiving at least a portion of local data from at least one of a plurality of databases, the received local data being associated with a customer;

maintaining a hierarchical data structure of subscriber records representative of relationships between subscribers, a plurality of subscription records representative of subscriptions of the subscribers, and at least one base hierarchical data structure in which the subscription records are mapped into the hierarchical data structure of subscriber records to indicate the subscriptions associated with the respective subscribers, the base hierarchical data structure including at least a first set of parent-child data relationships, wherein the first set of parent-child data relationships represent a first grouping of subscriber accounts associated with the customer;

receiving a second set of parent-child data relationships from an external source that define a new parent-child data relationship of said received local data representing a second grouping of subscriber accounts of the customer, the new parent-child data relationship including at least one new customer-defined subscriber record to which at least a portion of the subscription records and subscriber records are associated as child data;

generating a custom hierarchical data structure in response to receiving the second set of parent-child data relationships, wherein the custom hierarchical data structure is generated using at least a subset of the base hierarchical data structure and the second set of parent-child data relationships without impacting the first set of parent-child data relationships; and

providing said local data according to said custom hierarchical data structure to said external source.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the external source comprises a customer and an access device, and further comprising preventing the customer from changing said base hierarchical data structure.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the external source comprises a customer and an access device, and further comprising enabling the customer to change said custom hierarchical data structure.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving one or more externally-defined permission levels from the external source.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

providing a first-level user associated with the external source with access to both said base hierarchical data structure and said custom hierarchical data structure based on said one or more permission levels;

providing a second-level user associated with the external source with access to said custom hierarchical data structure based on said one or more permission levels; and

denying the second-level user access to said base hierarchical data structure based on said one or more permission levels.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing a third-level user associated with the external source with access to only a subset of said custom hierarchical data structure based on said one or more permission levels.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said generating step is performed automatically without human intervention and without impacting said first set of parent-child data relationships.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a graphical representation of at least a portion of said custom hierarchical data structure to the external source.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a graphical user interface to the external source, said graphical user interface including one or more tools for defining said second set of parent-child data relationships.