Optimization of temporal and spatial data processing

• US 8,296,343 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Katibah, Edwin, Siegenthaler, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASPINWALL, EVAN S
• Application Number:
  US12/207,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20090012994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 707/724, 707/725, 707/918, 707/919, 707/921, 707/920, 701/200, 701/208
• US Class Current: 707/918
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and program for processing temporal data. A spatial query is received specifying a mapping function that identifies a set of temporal values for one or more objects. Geographic positions are automatically extracted from each set of temporal values for each of the one or more objects. Point objects are generated from the geographic positions. One or more spatial objects are generated from the point objects.

Claims

1. A system for query processing, comprising:

a computer system having at least one program for;

receiving a spatial query, wherein the spatial query includes a first function, wherein the first function includes as an argument a second function comprising a timeSeriesToPath function, wherein the second function includes an input argument that identifies a set of temporal values for each of one or more objects, wherein the set of temporal values comprises timeseries data for an associated object and is defined with a start time and an end time, and wherein output of the second function is one or more spatial objects that each comprise a path object;

for each record to process for the spatial query, invoking a module to process the second function for the selected record, wherein the second function is processed by;

(i) retrieving the set of temporal values associated with a selected record that were identified in the second function specified in the spatial query;

(ii) extracting geographic positions from the set of temporal values for each of the one or more objects, wherein the geographic positions comprise, for each time of a series of times in the retrieved set of temporal values, a longitude value and a latitude value;

(iii) generating point objects from the geographic positions, wherein each of the point objects specifies, for each time of the series of times in the retrieved set of temporal values, the longitude value and the latitude value; and

(iv) generating the one or more spatial objects from the point objects, wherein each of the one or more spatial objects includes one or more methods; and

evaluating the spatial query by evaluating the first function against the one or more spatial objects that are returned as a result of evaluating the second function to output results.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each set of temporal values comprises all of timeseries data for the associated object.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each set of temporal values comprises a portion of timeseries data for the associated object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more spatial objects are vendor specific.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mapping function receives the portion of the set of temporal values as an argument.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each set of temporal values for the one or more objects is determined by evaluating a function.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the function may have multiple arguments.

8. An article of manufacture including a program for query processing, wherein the program causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

receiving a spatial query, wherein the spatial query includes a first function, wherein the first function includes as an argument a second function comprising a timeSeriesToPath function, wherein the second function includes an input argument that identifies a set of temporal values for each of one or more objects, wherein the set of temporal values comprises timeseries data for an associated object and is defined with a start time and an end time, and wherein output of the second function is one or more spatial objects that each comprise a path object;

for each record to process for the spatial query, invoking a module to process the second function for the selected record, wherein the second function is processed by;

(i) retrieving the set of temporal values associated with a selected record that were identified in the second function specified in the spatial query;

(ii) extracting geographic positions from the set of temporal values for each of the one or more objects, wherein the geographic positions comprise, for each time of a series of times in the retrieved set of temporal values, a longitude value and a latitude value;

(iii) generating point objects from the geographic positions, wherein each of the point objects specifies, for each time of the series of times in the retrieved set of temporal values, the longitude value and the latitude value; and

(iv) generating the one or more spatial objects from the point objects, wherein each of the one or more spatial objects includes one or more methods; and

evaluating the spatial query by evaluating the first function against the one or more spatial objects that are returned as a result of evaluating the second function to output results.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein each set of temporal values comprises all of timeseries data for the associated object.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein each set of temporal values comprises a portion of timeseries data for the associated object.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the one or more spatial objects are vendor specific.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the mapping function receives the portion of the set of temporal values as an argument.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein each set of temporal values for the one or more objects is determined by evaluating a function.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the function may have multiple arguments.

15. A method for query processing, comprising:

receiving a spatial query, wherein the spatial query includes a first function, wherein the first function includes as an argument a second function comprising a timeSeriesToPath function, wherein the second function includes an input argument that identifies a set of temporal values for each of one or more objects, wherein the set of temporal values comprises timeseries data for an associated object and is defined with a start time and an end time, and wherein output of the second function is one or more spatial objects that each comprise a path object;

for each record to process for the spatial query, invoking a module to process the second function for the selected record, wherein the second function is processed by;

(i) retrieving the set of temporal values associated with a selected record that were identified in the second function specified in the spatial query;

(ii) extracting geographic positions from the set of temporal values for each of the one or more objects, wherein the geographic positions comprise, for each time of a series of times in the retrieved set of temporal values, a longitude value and a latitude value;

(iii) generating point objects from the geographic positions, wherein each of the point objects specifies, for each time of the series of times in the retrieved set of temporal values, the longitude value and the latitude value; and

(iv) generating the one or more spatial objects from the point objects, wherein each of the one or more spatial objects includes one or more methods; and

evaluating the spatial query by evaluating the first function against the one or more spatial objects that are returned as a result of evaluating the second function to output results.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each set of temporal values comprises all of timeseries data for the associated object.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein each set of temporal values comprises a portion of timeseries data for the associated object.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more spatial objects are vendor specific.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the mapping function receives the portion of the set of temporal values as an argument.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein each set of temporal values for the one or more objects is determined by evaluating a function.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the function may have multiple arguments.