Database system and matching method between databases

• US 5,210,868 A
• Filed: 12/19/1990
• Issued: 05/11/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Korea Electric Power Corporation (Government of South Korea), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Korea Electric Power Corporation (Government of South Korea), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Naoki, Takei, Sirou, Suzuki, Kazuyuki, Shimada, Shigeru, Chikada, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US07/630,328
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 395/600
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

In a database system for map information, matching and retrieving operations are carried out between an attribute database associated with a business and a map database. A matching key word is separated into a common noun part and a proper noun part, a synonym and an abbreviated word are inferred by employing rules respectively. Furthermore, a candidate key word is inferred by employment of a rule for combining these results at an optimum state, whereby a matching process is performed. Another address database is employed so as to realize a mutual retrieving operation even when the attribute database is not matched with the map database.

Claims

1. A database system comprising:

a first database for storing a matching keyword;

a second database for storing a matching object keyword;

first inputting means for inputting the matching keyword from said first database;

separating means for separating the matching keyword into a common noun part and a proper noun part in accordance with a common noun dictionary;

first inferring means for inferring first noun parts associated with the separated common noun part in accordance with a first rule;

second inferring means for inferring second noun parts associated with the separated proper noun part in accordance with a second rule;

a combination inferring means for combining each of the first noun parts with each of the second noun parts to form combinations and for inferring candidates associated with the matching keyword from the combinations in accordance with a combination rule;

second inputting means for inputting the matching object keyword from said second database;

matching means for performing a matching process of the matching object keyword to each of the candidates; and

output means for generating and outputting a matching output based on a result of the matching process.

2. The database system according to claim 1, further comprising

a third database for storing the matching output from said output means.

3. The database system according to claim 1, wherein said first inputting means further comprises means for inputting the matching keyword through a keyword input, instead of said first database.

4. The database system according to claim 1, further comprising means for managing the first and second rules and the combination rule.

5. The database system according to claim 1, further comprising means for transforming a form of matching keyword into a kanji character string.

6. A map information database system comprising:

an attribute database for storing attribute data associated with a business;

a map database for storing therein map data;

a result storing database for storing therein a matching result;

matching keyword input means for inputting as a matching keyword the stored data from one of said attribute database and said map database;

common/proper noun separating means for separating the matching keyword into a common noun and a proper noun in accordance with a common noun dictionary;

common noun-to-synonym inferring means for inferring first synonyms associated with the separated common noun in accordance with a common noun-to-synonym rule;

proper noun-to-synonym inferring means for inferring second synonyms associated with the separated proper noun in accordance with a proper noun-to-synonym rule;

combination inferring means for combining each of the first synonyms with each of the second synonyms and for inferring synonyms candidates of the matching keyword from the combinations in accordance with a combination rule;

object keyword inputting means for inputting as a matching object keyword the stored data from the other of said map database and said attribute database;

matching processing means for performing a matching process by use of the synonym candidates and the matching object keyword; and

matching output forming means for storing a result of the matching process to the result storing database.

7. The map information database system according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the matching keyword and the matching object keyword contains an address code, a name code, and a house code.

8. A map information database system comprising:

an attribute database for storing attribute data associated with a business;

a map database for storing map data;

an address database for storing address data containing at least an address code and a block code, the address code and the block code being included at least in the attribute data and the map data;

attribute data retrieving means for performing a retrieving operation for said attribute database in accordance with a first predetermined keyword;

map data retrieving means for performing a retrieving operation for said map database in accordance with a second predetermined keyword; and

address data retrieving means for performing a retrieving operation for said address database and selectively outputting the address code and the block code as the first and second predetermined keywords to said attribute data retrieving means and said map data retrieving means, to enable said attribute data retrieving means and said map data retrieving means to perform the retrieving operation for said map database and said attribute database, respectively.

9. A method for matching between first and second databases, comprising the steps of:

separating a matching keyword from said first database into a common noun part and a proper noun part in accordance with a common noun dictionary;

inferring first noun parts associated with the separated common noun part from the separated common noun part in accordance with a common noun rule;

inferring second noun parts associated with the separated proper noun part from the separated proper noun part in accordance with a proper noun rule;

combining each of the first noun parts with each of the second noun parts to infer synonym candidates of the matching keyword in accordance with a combination rule; and

performing a matching process by use of the synonym candidates and a matching object keyword from said second database.

10. A method for matching between databases, in a map information database system for matching between an attribute database for storing attribute data associated with a business and a map database for storing map data, and for storing a matching result into a result storing database, comprising the steps of:

separating a matching keyword from one of said attribute database and a said map database into a common noun and a proper noun in accordance with a common noun dictionary;

inferring first nouns similar to the separated common noun from the separated common noun in accordance with a common noun synonym rule;

inferring second nouns similar to the separated proper noun from the separated proper noun in accordance with a proper noun synonym rule;

combining each of the first nouns and each of the second nouns candidates of the matching keyword from the combinations in accordance with a combination rule;

performing a matching process by use of the candidates and a matching object keyword from the other of said map database and said attribute database; and

storing the matching result in said result storing database.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said performing step further comprises the step of performing, when there exists an item for limiting a matching range between data in the data stored in said attribute database and said map database, a limiting process based upon the item before the matching process to limit the candidates, the matching process being hierarchically performed by use of the limited candidates.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of repeatedly performing the hierarchical combination of the limiting process and the matching process until only one matching result is obtained.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the item is at least one of an address code, a block number, an address number, a postal code, a housing number and a room number as code information for limiting a geographic position.

14. A method for retrieving an attribute database for storing therein attribute data associated with a business and a map database for storing therein map data, comprising the steps of:

retrieving a first record from said attribute database in accordance with a first keyword;

retrieving a second record from an address database in accordance with at least an address code and a block code contained in the first record; and

retrieving a third record from said map database in accordance with a second keyword contained in the second record.

15. A method for retrieving an attribute database for storing therein attribute data associated with a business and a map database for storing therein map data, comprising the steps of:

retrieving a second record from an address database in accordance with at least one of an address code and a block code contained in the first record; and

retrieving a third record from said attribute database in accordance with a second keyword contained in the second record.

16. A method for retrieving map data in a system including a map database, a customer attribute database, an address database and a processor, the method comprising steps of:

inputting a customer number to the processor;

selecting customer attribute data from the customer attribute database in accordance with the customer number;

determining, by the processor, whether the selected customer attribute data includes a map number corresponding to desired map data;

retrieving the desired map data from the map database using the map number if the selected customer attribute data includes the map number;

retrieving address data including the map number from the address database if the selected customer attribute data does not include the map number;

retrieving the desired map data from the map database using the map number includes in the address data; and

,

displaying a map in accordance with the desired map data.

17. A method for retrieving customer attribute data in a system including a map database, a customer attribute database, an address database, and a processor, the method comprising steps of:

displaying a map of a plurality of house frames;

selecting one of the plurality of house frames displayed;

retrieving selected map data from the map database corresponding to the selected house frame;

determining, by the processor, whether the selected map data includes a customer number corresponding to desired customer attribute data;

retrieving the desired customer attribute data if the selected map data includes the customer number;

retrieving address data from the address database if the selected map data does not include the customer number;

retrieving the desired customer attribute data in accordance with the address data retrieved; and

,

displaying customer information in accordance with the desired customer attribute data.