Systems, methods, and apparatuses for implementing a related command with a predictive query interface

• US 9,454,767 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Cronin, Beau David, Obermeyer, Fritz Heinrich, Petschulat, Cap Christian, Jonas, Eric Michael, Glidden, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Baoquoc N
• Application Number:
  US14/014,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 707/222, 707/737, 707/741
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2282 Tablespace storage structures; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/244 Grouping and aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2445 Data retrieval commands; View definitions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2453 Query optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24553 of query operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24556 Aggregation; Duplicate elimination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24558 Binary matching operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2458 Special types of queries, e.g. statistical queries, fuzzy queries or distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2465 Query processing support for facilitating data mining operations in structured databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/316 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 : Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 : of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 : Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 : Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 : Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 : Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for implementing a RELATED command with a predictive query interface including means for generating indices from a dataset of columns and rows, the indices representing probabilistic relationships between the rows and the columns of the dataset; storing the indices within a database of a host organization; exposing the database of the host organization via a request interface; receiving, at the request interface, a query for the database specifying a RELATED command term and a specified column as a parameter for the RELATED command term; querying the database using the RELATED command term and passing the specified column to generate a predictive record set; and returning the predictive record set responsive to the query, the predictive record set having a plurality of elements therein, each of the returned elements including a column identifier and a confidence indicator for the specified column passed with the RELATED command term, wherein the confidence indicator indicates whether a latent relationship exists between the specified column passed with the RELATED command and the column identifier returned for the respective element. Other related embodiments are further disclosed.

Claims

1. A method in a system of a host organization, the system having at least a processor and a memory therein, wherein the method comprises:

generating, via an analysis engine, indices from a dataset of columns and rows, the indices representing probabilistic relationships between the rows and the columns of the dataset;

storing the indices within a database of the host organization;

exposing the database of the host organization via a request interface communicably interfaced to the database;

receiving, at the request interface, a query for the database specifying a RELATED command term and a specified column as a parameter for the RELATED command term;

querying the database using the RELATED command term and passing the specified column to generate a predictive record set; and

returning, via the request interface, the predictive record set responsive to the query, the predictive record set having a plurality of elements therein, each of the returned elements including a column identifier and a confidence indicator for the specified column passed with the RELATED command term, wherein the confidence indicator indicates whether a latent relationship exists between the specified column passed with the RELATED command and the column identifier returned for the respective element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing a minimum confidence threshold with the RELATED command term; and

wherein returning the predictive record set comprises returning only the elements of the predictive record set having a confidence indicator in excess of the minimum confidence threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing a record set limit with the RELATED command term to restrict a quantity of elements returned with the predictive record set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the elements of the predictive record set are returned ordered by descending order according to a confidence indicator for each of the elements of the predictive record set or are returned ordered by ascending order according to the confidence indicator for each of the elements of the predictive record set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the related columns included with each element returned within the predictive record set are based further on a fraction of times the related columns occur in a same column grouping as the specified column passed with the RELATED command term.

6. The method of claim 1:

wherein the predictive record set having a plurality of elements therein comprises each of the returned elements including all of the columns and a corresponding predicted value for every one of the columns; and

returning a confidence indicator for each of the corresponding predicted values ranging from 0 indicating a lowest possible level of confidence in the respective predicted value to 1 indicating a highest possible level of confidence in the respective predicted value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more of the related columns from the predictive record set generated responsive to the querying the database using the RELATED command term based on a minimum threshold for the related columns; and

inputting the identified one or more of the related columns into a second query specifying a PREDICT command term or a GROUP command term to restrict a second predictive record set returned from the second query.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the database using the RELATED command term comprises the database estimating mutual information between the specified column passed with the RELATED command term and the column identifier returned for the respective element of the predictive record set.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the database of the host organization comprises exposing a Predictive Query Language Application Programming Interface (PreQL API) directly to authenticated users, wherein the PreQL API is accessible to the authenticated users via a public Internet.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein querying the database using the RELATED command term comprises passing a PreQL query to the database, the PreQL query having a query syntax of:

the RELATED command term as a required term;

an optional FROM term specifying one or more tables, datasets, data sources, and/or indices to be queried when the optional FROM term is specified and wherein a default value is used for the one or more tables, datasets, data sources, and/or indices to be queried when the optional FROM term is not specified; and

a TARGET term specifying the column to be passed with the RELATED command term.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the query syntax for the PreQL query further provides one or more of:

an optional CONFIDENCE term that, when provided, specifies the minimum acceptable confidence indicator to be returned with the predictive record set;

an optional COUNT term that, when provided, specifies a maximum quantity of elements to be returned within the predictive record set; and

an optional ORDER BY term that, when provided, specifies whether the elements of the predictive record are to be returned in ascending or descending order according to a confidence indicator for each of the elements returned with the predictive record set.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein querying the database using the RELATED command term comprises passing a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) structured query to the database, the JSON structured query having a query syntax of:

the RELATED command term as a required term;

an optional one or more tables, datasets, data sources, and/or indices to be queried or a default value for the one or more tables, datasets, data sources, and/or indices to be queried when not specified;

the column to be passed with the RELATED command term;

an optional specification of a minimum acceptable confidence to be returned with the predictive record set according to a confidence indicator;

an optional specification of a maximum quantity of elements to be returned within the predictive record set; and

an optional specification of whether the elements of the predictive record are to be returned in ascending or descending order according to a confidence indicator for each of the elements returned with the predictive record set.

13. The method of claim 1:

wherein exposing the database of the host organization comprises exposing a web form directly to authenticated users, wherein the web form is accessible to the authenticated users via a public Internet;

wherein the host organization generates a latent structure query for submission to the database based on input from the web form; and

wherein querying the database using the RELATED command term comprises querying the database using the latent structure query via a Predictive Query Language Application Programming Interface (PreQL API) within the host organization, the PreQL API being indirectly exposed to authenticated users through the web form.

14. The method of claim 1:

wherein querying the database using the RELATED command term comprises executing a Predictive Query Language (PreQL) structured query against the database for the RELATED command term; and

wherein the method further comprises executing one or more additional PreQL structured queries against the database, each of the one or more additional PreQL structured queries specifying at least one command selected from the group of PreQL commands comprising;

PREDICT, RELATED, SIMILAR, and GROUP.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the dataset from an authenticated subscriber and subsequently receiving the query for the database from the authenticated subscriber; and

processing the dataset on behalf of the authenticated subscriber to generate the indices.

16. The method of claim 1:

wherein each of the plurality of rows in the dataset corresponds to an entity;

wherein each of the plurality of columns corresponds to a characteristic for the entities; and

wherein a point of intersection between each respective row and each of the plurality of columns forms a cell to store a value at the point of intersection.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor in a host organization, the instructions cause the host organization to perform operations comprising:

generating indices from a dataset of columns and rows, the indices representing probabilistic relationships between the rows and the columns of the dataset;

storing the indices within a database of the host organization;

exposing the database of the host organization via a request interface;

receiving, at the request interface, a query for the database specifying a RELATED command term and a specified column as a parameter for the RELATED command term;

querying the database using the RELATED command term and passing the specified column to generate a predictive record set; and

returning the predictive record set responsive to the query, the predictive record set having a plurality of elements therein, each of the returned elements including a column identifier and a confidence indicator for the specified column passed with the RELATED command term, wherein the confidence indicator indicates whether a latent relationship exists between the specified column passed with the RELATED command and the column identifier returned for the respective element.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein exposing the database of the host organization comprises exposing a Predictive Query Language Application Programming Interface (PreQL API) directly to authenticated users, wherein the PreQL API is accessible to the authenticated users via a public Internet.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein querying the database using the RELATED command term comprises passing a PreQL query to the database, the PreQL query having a query syntax of:

the RELATED command term as a required term;

an optional FROM term specifying one or more tables, datasets, data sources, and/or indices to be queried when the optional FROM term is specified and wherein a default value is used for the one or more tables, datasets, data sources, and/or indices to be queried when the optional FROM term is not specified; and

a TARGET term specifying the column to be passed with the RELATED command term.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the query syntax for the PreQL query further provides one or more of:

an optional CONFIDENCE term that, when provided, specifies the minimum acceptable confidence indicator to be returned with the predictive record set;

an optional COUNT term that, when provided, specifies a maximum quantity of elements to be returned within the predictive record set; and

an optional ORDER BY term that, when provided, specifies whether the elements of the predictive record set are to be returned in ascending or descending order according to a confidence indicator for each of the elements returned with the predictive record set.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein querying the database using the RELATED command term comprises passing a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) structured query having a query syntax of:

the RELATED command term as a required term;

an optional one or more tables, datasets, data sources, and/or indices to be queried or a default value for the one or more tables, datasets, data sources, and/or indices to be queried when not specified;

the column to be passed with the RELATED command term;

an optional specification of a minimum acceptable confidence to be returned with the predictive record set according to a confidence indicator;

an optional specification of a maximum quantity of elements to be returned within the predictive record set; and

an optional specification of whether the elements of the predictive record set are to be returned in ascending or descending order according to a confidence indicator for each of the elements returned with the predictive record set.

22. A system to operate within a host organization, the system comprising:

a processor to execute instructions stored in memory of the system;

an analysis engine to generate indices from a dataset of columns and rows, the indices representing probabilistic relationships between the rows and the columns of the dataset;

a predictive database to store the indices;

a request interface to expose the predictive database;

the request interface to receive a query for the predictive database specifying a RELATED command term and a specified column as a parameter for the RELATED command term;

a query interface to query the predictive database using the RELATED command term and passing the specified column to generate a predictive record set; and

the request interface to further return the predictive record set responsive to the query, the predictive record set having a plurality of elements therein, each of the returned elements including a column identifier and a confidence indicator for the specified column passed with the RELATED command term, wherein the confidence indicator indicates whether a latent relationship exists between the specified column passed with the RELATED command and the column identifier returned for the respective element.

23. The system of claim 22:

wherein the predictive database is to execute as an on-demand cloud based service at the host organization for one or more subscribers; and

wherein the system further comprises an authenticator to verify client devices are associated with a subscriber and to further verify authentication credentials for the respective subscriber.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the request interface exposes a Predictive Query Language Application Programming Interface (PreQL API) directly to authenticated users, wherein the PreQL API is accessible to the authenticated users via a public Internet.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the query interface is to pass a Predictive Query Language (PreQL) structured query to the predictive database to execute the query, the PreQL structured query having a query syntax of:

the RELATED command term as a required term;

an optional FROM term specifying one or more tables, datasets, data sources, and/or indices to be queried when the optional FROM term is specified and wherein a default value is used for the one or more tables, datasets, data sources, and/or indices to be queried when the optional FROM term is not specified; and

a TARGET term specifying the column to be passed with the RELATED command term.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the query syntax for the PreQL structured query further provides one or more of:

an optional CONFIDENCE term that, when provided, specifies the minimum acceptable confidence indicator to be returned with the predictive record set;

an optional COUNT term that, when provided, specifies a maximum quantity of elements to be returned within the predictive record set; and

an optional ORDER BY term that, when provided, specifies whether the elements of the predictive record set are to be returned in ascending or descending order according to a confidence indicator for each of the elements returned with the predictive record set.

27. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a web-server to implement the request interface;

wherein the web-server is to receive as input, a plurality of access requests from one or more client devices from among a plurality of customer organizations communicably interfaced with the host organization via a network;

a multi-tenant database system with predictive database functionality to implement the predictive database; and

wherein each customer organization is an entity selected from the group consisting of;

a separate and distinct remote organization, an organizational group within the host organization, a business partner of the host organization, or a customer organization that subscribes to cloud computing services provided by the host organization.