Searches of highly structured data

• US 10,296,617 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Zhang, Kevin, Philipson, David, Nayini, Arjun, Yu, Helen, Sun, Zennard, Llorca, Antoine
• Primary Examiner(s): Uddin, Md I
• Application Number:
  US14/875,536
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 707769, 707770, 707999, 707737, 707999005
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

Techniques related to searches of highly structured data are described. A body of data may be represented by an object-centric data model. For a search of the body of data, an indication of a particular search template to use may be received. The particular search template may specify one or more hierarchical object types that are within a scope of the search. The one or more hierarchical object types may be defined in the object-centric data model. The particular search template may specify at least one search field. A user interface may be generated based on the particular search template. The user interface may include the at least one search field.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at one or more computing devices comprising one or more processors and storage media storing one or more computer programs executed by the one or more processors to perform the method, performing the operations of;

receiving an indication that a particular search template is to be used for a search of a body of data represented by an object-centric data model, wherein the particular search template translates user intent into search queries and the object-centric data model defines data objects and properties of the data objects comprising hierarchical object types and property types based on an ontology independent of any data storage model;

wherein the particular search template specifies one or more hierarchical object types defined in the object-centric data model that are within a scope of the search, wherein the hierarchical object types share disjunctive searches on a same hierarchical level;

wherein the particular search template specifies at least one search field related to at least one corresponding hierarchical object type of the one or more hierarchical object types, wherein the search field imposes a property restriction on the search, the property restriction being dependent on the one or more hierarchical object types that are specified;

based on the particular search template, generating a user interface that includes the at least one search field, wherein the search is scoped based on the at least one corresponding hierarchical object type for the at least one search field and equivalent to searching each sub-type of the hierarchical object type;

retrieving one or more first data objects from the body of data based on causing the search to be executed against the body of data, wherein the one or more first data objects are within the scope of the search; and

providing one or more second data objects that are outside the scope of the search based on one or more relationships, defined in the object-centric data model, between the one or more first data objects and the one or more second data objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each search field of the at least one search field corresponds to a respective property type, defined in the object-centric data model, that is associated with the one or more hierarchical object types.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one search field includes one or more search fields that accept input from an interactive map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular search template restricts the search to a user-specified geographical region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular property type associated with the one or more hierarchical object types corresponds to two or more disjunctive search fields in the at least one search field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more hierarchical object types include two or more disjunctive object types.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular search template is one of a plurality of search templates.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular search template specifies the scope of the search.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to generating the user interface, providing the user interface to a user.

10. A system, comprising:

storage media;

one or more processors; and

one or more programs stored in the storage media and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

receiving an indication that a particular search template is to be used for a search of a body of data represented by an object-centric data model, wherein the particular search template translates user intent into search queries and the object-centric data model defines data objects and properties of the data objects comprising hierarchical object types and property types based on an ontology independent of any data storage model;

wherein the particular search template specifies one or more hierarchical object types defined in the object-centric data model that are within a scope of the search wherein the hierarchical object types share disjunctive searches on a same hierarchical level;

wherein the particular search template specifies at least one search field related to at least one corresponding hierarchical object type of the one or more hierarchical object types, wherein the search field imposes a property restriction on the search, the property restriction being dependent on the one or more hierarchical object types that are specified;

based on the particular search template, generating a user interface that includes the at least one search field, wherein the search is scoped based on the at least one corresponding hierarchical object type for the at least one search field and equivalent to searching each sub-type of the hierarchical object type;

retrieving one or more first data objects from the body of data based on causing the search to be executed against the body of data, wherein the one or more first data objects are within the scope of the search; and

providing one or more second data objects that are outside the scope of the search based on one or more relationships, defined in the object-centric data model, between the one or more first data objects and the one or more second data objects.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each search field of the at least one search field corresponds to a respective property type, defined in the object-centric data model, that is associated with the one or more hierarchical object types.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one search field includes one or more search fields that accept input from an interactive map.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the particular search template restricts the search to a user-specified geographical region.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein a particular property type associated with the one or more hierarchical object types corresponds to two or more disjunctive search fields in the at least one search field.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more hierarchical object types include two or more disjunctive object sub-types.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the particular search template is one of a plurality of search templates.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the particular search template specifies the scope of the search.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

subsequent to generating the user interface, providing the user interface to a user.