Managing product information versions
First Claim
1. A product information versioning system comprising:
- a processor; and
a memory, coupled to the processor, storing a database including;
a product information table including information describing a product as different versions, a first version including a version number, an effective date, and a plurality of attribute groups, a first attribute group including a name, a plurality of attribute data values and a bit map defining which attribute data values have changed from a previous version, anda reference information table including, for the first version, a reference version number for the first attribute group, the reference version number indicating the previous version containing the previous attribute data values for the first attribute group,wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, control product versioning, comprising;
modifying one or more attribute data values within the first attribute group in the first version in the product information table,creating a bitmap for the modified first attribute group, the bitmap including one bit for each attribute data value in the modified first attribute group, each bit indicating whether the respective attribute data value has changed or whether the respective attribute data value has not changed,creating a new entry for a second version in the product information table, including;
for each bit in the bitmap indicating that the respective attribute data value has changed, storing the modified attribute data value in a first attribute group in the second version, andfor each bit in the bitmap indicating that the respective attribute data value has not changed, storing the unmodified attribute data value in the first attribute group in the second version, andcreating a new entry for the second version in the reference information table, including;
storing the version number of the first version as the reference version number of the first attribute group in the second version, andstoring the reference version number of an unmodified attribute group in the first version as the reference version number of the unmodified attribute group in the second version.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for managing versions of product attribute information are described. A database management system that manages a database for storing attribute information of a product is described. The database management system in this implementation comprises a version control system and a querying system. The version control system is configured to enable a user to insert one or more versions of product information in the database. Each version has an effective date and is divided into a plurality of attribute groups, each attribute group containing a plurality of attributes. One or more attribute groups are modified with respect to a previous version. The version control system is further configured to record which attributes of a modified attribute group are changed. The querying system is configured to enable a user to search the database based on the effective dates of the versions.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A product information versioning system comprising:
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a processor; and a memory, coupled to the processor, storing a database including; a product information table including information describing a product as different versions, a first version including a version number, an effective date, and a plurality of attribute groups, a first attribute group including a name, a plurality of attribute data values and a bit map defining which attribute data values have changed from a previous version, and a reference information table including, for the first version, a reference version number for the first attribute group, the reference version number indicating the previous version containing the previous attribute data values for the first attribute group, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, control product versioning, comprising; modifying one or more attribute data values within the first attribute group in the first version in the product information table, creating a bitmap for the modified first attribute group, the bitmap including one bit for each attribute data value in the modified first attribute group, each bit indicating whether the respective attribute data value has changed or whether the respective attribute data value has not changed, creating a new entry for a second version in the product information table, including; for each bit in the bitmap indicating that the respective attribute data value has changed, storing the modified attribute data value in a first attribute group in the second version, and for each bit in the bitmap indicating that the respective attribute data value has not changed, storing the unmodified attribute data value in the first attribute group in the second version, and creating a new entry for the second version in the reference information table, including; storing the version number of the first version as the reference version number of the first attribute group in the second version, and storing the reference version number of an unmodified attribute group in the first version as the reference version number of the unmodified attribute group in the second version. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A database management system, comprising:
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a processor; and a memory, coupled to the processor, storing a database including; a product information table including information describing a product as different versions, a first version including a version number, an effective date, and a plurality of attribute groups, a first attribute group including a name, a plurality of attribute data values and a bit map defining which attribute data values have changed from a previous version, and a reference information table including, for the first version, a reference version number for the first attribute group, the reference version number indicating the previous version containing the previous attribute data values for the first attribute group, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, manage the database, comprising; inserting a new version of product information into the database, including; modifying one or more attribute data values within the first attribute group in the first version in the product information table, creating a bitmap for the modified first attribute group, the bitmap including one bit for each attribute data value in the modified first attribute group, each bit indicating whether the respective attribute data value has changed or whether the respective attribute data value has not changed, creating a new entry for a second version in the product information table, including; for each bit in the bitmap indicating that the respective attribute data value has changed, storing the modified attribute data value in a first attribute group in the second version, and for each bit in the bitmap indicating that the respective attribute data value has not changed, storing the unmodified attribute data value in the first attribute group in the second new version, and creating a new entry for the second version in the reference information table, including; storing the version number of the first version as the reference version number of the first attribute group in the second version, and storing the reference version number of an unmodified attribute group in the first version as the reference version number of the unmodified attribute croup in the second version, and searching the database based on the effective dates of the versions. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-based version control method, comprising:
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storing a database in a memory, the database including; a product information table including information describing a product as different versions, a first version including a version number, an effective date, and a plurality of attribute groups, a first attribute group including a name, a plurality of attribute data values and a bit map defining which attribute data values have changed from a previous version, and a reference information table including, for the first version, a reference version number for the first attribute group, the reference version number indicating the previous version containing the previous attribute data values for the first attribute group; inserting a new version of product information into the database, including; entering an effective date associated with the inserted version to establish when the inserted version becomes effective, modifying one or more attribute groups within the first attribute group in the first version in the product information table, creating a bitmap for each modified attribute group, the bitmap including one bit for each attribute data value in the modified first attribute group, each bit indicating whether the respective attribute data value has changed with respect to the attribute data value of the previous version or whether the respective attribute data value has not changed, creating a new entry for a second version in the product information table, including; for each bit in the bitmap indicating that the respective attribute data value has changed, storing the modified attribute data value in a first attribute group in the second version, and for each bit in the bitmap indicating that the respective attribute data value has not changed, storing the unmodified attribute data value in the first attribute group in the second new version, and creating a new entry for the second version in the reference information table, including; storing the version number of the first version as the reference version number of the first attribute group in the second version, and storing the reference version number of an unmodified attribute group in the first version as the reference version number of the unmodified attribute group in the second version; and searching the database based on the effective dates of the versions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, manage a database, the instructions comprising:
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storing a database in a memory, the database including; a product information table including information describing a product as different versions, a first version including a version number, an effective date, and a plurality of attribute groups, a first attribute group including a name, a plurality of attribute data values and a bit map defining which attribute data values have changed from a previous version, and a reference information table including, for the first version, a reference version number for the first attribute group, the reference version number indicating the previous version containing the previous attribute data values for the first attribute group; inserting a new version of product information into the database, including; entering an effective date associated with the inserted version to establish when the inserted version becomes effective, modifying one or more attribute groups within the first attribute group in the first version in the product information table, creating a bitmap for each modified attribute group, the bitmap including one bit for each attribute data value in the modified first attribute group, each bit indicating whether the respective attribute data value has changed with respect to the attribute data value of the previous version or whether the respective attribute data value has not changed, creating a new entry for a second version in the product information table, including; for each bit in the bitmap indicating that the respective attribute data value has changed, storing the modified attribute data value in a first attribute group in the second version, and for each bit in the bitmap indicating that the respective attribute data value has not changed, storing the unmodified attribute data value in the first attribute group in the second new version, and creating a new entry for the second version in the reference information table, including; storing the version number of the first version as the reference version number of the first attribute group in the second version, and storing the reference version number of an unmodified attribute group in the first version as the reference version number of the unmodified attribute group in the second version; and searching the database based on the effective dates of the versions. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification