Table for storing parameterized product/services information using variable field columns

• US 9,424,580 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Douglas Fish
• Original Assignee: Robert Douglas Fish
• Inventors: Fish, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US13/591,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20120317154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 707/795, 707/796, 707/801, 707/803, 715/837
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2282 Tablespace storage structures; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Computer implemented systems store descriptions of multiple different types of marketplace items as a collection of parameter-value pairs, using a table having a plurality of rows and columns, wherein values for at least two of the items are stored in cells of first and second ones of the rows, respectively; keys that provide information that can be used to decipher differential mappings of a plurality of the columns to a plurality of parameters in different ones of the rows; and one or more interfaces that collectively display previously stored parameters and values to a human end-user.

Claims

1. A computer system that facilitates storing and searching items of information by an ordinary, unsophisticated user, comprising:

(a) a memory storing a first data structure that holds descriptions of items of the information as parameter-value pairs, including;

(i) a values table that stores values of items of the information, wherein a column of the values table comprises a first value of a first type of data and a second value of a second type of data different from the first type of data

(ii) a class key that maps columns in a first row of the values table to a first set of parameters and columns in a second row of the values table to a second set of parameters different from the second set of parameters;

(b) a first interface configured to allow the user to suggest a new parameter and new value to the system, which the user can utilize in identifying parameter-value pairs for a new one of the items of information; and

(c) a processor configured to incorporate the new parameter and the new value in the first row of values by modifying the class key.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the values table contains different class key record identifiers for each of five of the items of information, wherein each of the five class key record identifiers identifies a different set of parameters than any other of the five class key record identifiers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the items of information comprise marketplace items.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the values table is further configured to utilize at least thirty of the positions to store the values for each of at least five of the items of information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a given one of the positions in the values table corresponds to different types of data for different classes of the items.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the types of data comprises a literal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least another of the types of data comprises a pointer to a data element in another table of the system.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein at least another of the types of data comprises a pointer to an address in a public package switched network.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein one of the types of data comprises a number, and another of the types of data comprises alphabetic text.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the values table contains records having a length of no more than 512 byes.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the class key includes references to at least 1000 of the parameters.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the values table requires no more than 30 megabytes to store 100,000 records of the items of information.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the values table requires no more than 60 megabytes to store 100,000 records of the items of information.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second data structure that contains equivalent parameter-value information for at least some of the items of information, but differs in structure from the values table.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second data structure stores at least some parameter data as parameter pointers.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the second data structure stores at least some of the values as value pointers, and at least some of the values as literals.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the first data structure requires at least twice as much space to store a set of at least 100,000 items of information as the second data structure.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first data structure requires at least four times as much space to store a set of at least 100,000 items of information as the second structure.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the values table stores different numbers of values for each of first and second ones of the items of information.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the class key stores parameter position data with respect to at least first and second classes, and further comprising first and second edge caches that includes records associated with the first and second classes, respectively.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the display interface is further configured to display at least some of the values stored in the first edge cache when the user selects the first class.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mapping table having a record that maps a class key to multiple positions in the values table.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the first type of data is an integer and the second type of data is text.