System and method for collecting data from an electronic document and storing the data in a dynamically organized data structure

• US 9,189,478 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eLumindata, Inc.
• Original Assignee: eLumindata, Inc.
• Inventors: Baris, Russell, Kruk, Arthur, Gueye, Jibril
• Primary Examiner(s): MOSER, BRUCE M
• Application Number:
  US12/062,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,784 Days
• Field of Search: 707/204, 707/999.204, 707/755, 707/802, 707/811, 707/100, 707/102, 707/999.1, 707/999.102, 707/999.101, 707/999.107, 707/803, 707/804, 707/999.103, 707/756, 715/234, 715/255
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/212 with details for data modelling support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

A method for automatically and dynamically collecting new data entered into an electronic document includes the step of providing a database having initial data and an initial data structure. The new data is retrieved as the new data is entered into the electronic document. The new data includes a data value and one or more data descriptors corresponding to the data value. One of the one or more data descriptors is assigned as a data item. The data item defines a variable the value of which varies based on the data value. One or more dimensions of the data value are determined based on at least one of the one or more data descriptors. The initial data structure is reorganized into a modified data structure based on the at least one or more dimensions and the data item, so that the new data may be stored in the modified data structure in a manner that allows the initial data and the new data to be later retrieved from the modified data structure. The new data is stored in the modified data structure.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing on one or more computer readable media a database comprising initial data and an initial data structure;

receiving at one or more processors operatively connected to one or more computer readable media new data as the new data is entered into an electronic document, the new data comprising at least one data value and one or more data descriptors corresponding to the at least one data value;

automatically assigning using the one or more processors one of the one or more data descriptors as a data item, the data item defining a variable the value of which varies based on the data value;

automatically determining, using the one or more processors and information from one or more repositories external to the initial data structure, one or more dimensions of the data value based on at least one of the one or more data descriptors;

automatically determining, using the one or more processors, whether the initial data structure requires modification in order to accommodate storage and retrieval of the new data;

upon a condition that a determination is made that the initial data structure requires modification, dynamically reorganizing without user input using the one or more processors the initial data structure into a modified data structure based on the at least one or more dimensions and the data item, so that the new data is stored in the modified data structure in a manner that allows the initial data and the new data to be later retrieved from the modified data structure;

upon a condition that a determination is made that the initial data structure does not require modification, foregoing the step of dynamically reorganizing; and

storing the initial data structure on the one or more computer readable media to include the new data in the modified data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more dimensions of the data value are further determined based on information regarding the at least one of the one or more data descriptors as predefined in the initial data structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial data structure comprises a virtual database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial data structure comprises a conventional database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dynamically reorganizing comprises determining whether the initial data structure contains the one or more determined dimensions of the data value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, if it is determined that the initial data structure contains the one or more determined dimensions, the step of dynamically reorganizing further comprises determining whether the initial data structure contains the determined data item corresponding to the data value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, if it is determined that the initial data structure contains the determined one or more dimensions and the determined data item, the step of dynamically reorganizing further comprises selecting the initial data structure as the modified data structure.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein, if it is determined that the initial data structure does not contain the determined data item, the step of dynamically reorganizing further comprises modifying the initial data structure to form the modified data structure which contains the determined data item.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein, if it is determined that the initial data structure does not contain the determined one or more dimensions, the step of dynamically reorganizing further comprises automatically generating the modified data structure containing the determined one or more dimensions and data item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic document comprises one or more of the following types of electronic documents:

a spreadsheet, a business application software package, a word processing document, a webpage.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more dimensions comprises at least two dimensions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial data structure comprises a relational database.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial data structure comprises a text database.

14. A computer-based system comprising a memory, one or more processors and a computer readable medium having instructions executable that, when executed on the one or more processors for performing a method for automatically and dynamically collecting new data entered into an electronic document, the method comprising the steps of:

providing using the one or more processors a database comprising initial data and an initial data structure;

retrieving using the one or more processors the new data as the new data is entered into the electronic document, the new data comprising a data value and one or more data descriptors corresponding to the data value;

automatically assigning using the one or more processors one of the one or more data descriptors as a data item, the data item defining a variable the value of which varies based on the data value;

automatically determining, using the one or more processors and information from one or more repositories external to the initial data structure, one or more dimensions of the data value based on at least one of the one or more data descriptors;

automatically determining, using the one or more processors, whether the initial data structure requires modification in order to accommodate storage and retrieval of the new data;

upon a condition that a determination is made that the initial data structure requires modification, dynamically reorganizing without user input using the one or more processors the initial data structure into a modified data structure based on the at least one or more dimensions and the data item, so that the new data is stored in the modified data structure in a manner that allows the initial data and the new data to be later retrieved from the modified data structure;

upon a condition that a determination is made that the initial data structure does not require modification, foregoing the step of dynamically reorganizing; and

storing using the one or more processors the new data in the modified data structure.

15. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the one or more dimensions of the data value are further determined based on information regarding the at least one of the one or more data descriptors as predefined in the initial data structure.

16. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the initial data structure comprises a virtual database.

17. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the initial data structure comprises a conventional database.

18. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the step of dynamically reorganizing comprises determining whether the initial data structure contains the one or more determined dimensions of the data value.

19. The computer-based system of claim 18, wherein, if it is determined that the initial data structure contains the one or more determined dimensions, the step of dynamically reorganizing further comprises determining whether the initial data structure contains the determined data item corresponding to the data value.

20. The computer-based system of claim 19, wherein, if it is determined that the initial data structure contains the determined one or more dimensions and the determined data item, the step of dynamically reorganizing further comprises selecting the initial data structure as the modified data structure.

21. The computer-based system of claim 19, wherein, if it is determined that the initial data structure does not contain the determined data item, the step of dynamically reorganizing further comprises modifying the initial data structure to form the modified data structure which contains the determined data item.

22. The computer-based system of claim 18, wherein, if it is determined that the initial data structure does not contain the determined one or more dimensions, the step of dynamically reorganizing further comprises automatically generating the modified data structure containing the determined one or more dimensions and data item.

23. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the electronic document comprises one or more of the following types of electronic documents:

a spreadsheet, a business application software package, a word processing document, a webpage.

24. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the one or more dimensions comprises at least two dimensions.

25. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the initial data structure comprises a relational database.

26. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the initial data structure comprises a text database.