End user query facility

• US 5,487,132 A
• Filed: 11/30/1994
• Issued: 01/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Century Oasis Limited
• Original Assignee: Viktor C.H. Cheng
• Inventors: Cheng, Viktor C. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Application Number:
  US08/348,742
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 395/63, 395/77, 364/419.19
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/934 Information retrieval or Information management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

An end user query technology is taught which is capable of automatically understanding the database model and guiding the user to scout for the desired information, thereby increasing productivity and ease of information access. The user is freed from the need to understanding the database model, with the end user query facility of this invention quickly guiding the user to acquire the information. This is made possible by the end user query facility of this invention first recapturing the application semantics from the existing database model to provide a set of derived semantics. The derived semantics are then used by the end user query facility to intelligently guide the user to scout for the desired information in the database. In addition, the derived semantics can be easily updated by the end user query facility when the database model is changed.

Claims

1. An end user query facility for accessing a database having a plurality of database files formed using a database model, comprising:

a knowledge base which stores key-types of items of said database files and a set of linkages of the database model;

a keyword library which stores a set of keywords of said database model representative of items of said database files;

a semantics extractor for reading said database model and extracting the semantics of said database model, and which stores in said knowledge base said key-types of items and said set of linkages and which stores in said keyword library said set of keywords;

an information scout for interfacing with a user to obtain from the user a designation of the information to be extracted from said database;

an inference engine which, based upon said designation of information to be extracted from said database, identifies one or more of said database files which Contain the desired information and searches said knowledge base to determine the linkage(s) connecting said one or more identified files;

a program generator which accesses the linkages obtained by said inference engine and generates a program to extract said desired information from said database; and

a model purifier for interfacing with a user to alter said key-types of items and said set of linkages in the knowledge base.

2. An end-user query facility as in claim 1 wherein said model purifier further comprises an interface with said semantics extractor in order to re-derive said set of linkages based upon said altered key-types.

3. An end-user query facility as in claim 1 wherein said model purifier further comprises:

means to interface with a user deriving new item(s) and new file(s) using items of said database files;

means to store said new item(s) in said keyword library; and

means to interface with said semantics extractor to derive new linkages using said new files with said database files.

4. An end-user query facility as in claim 3 wherein said model purifier further comprises means to interface with said semantics extractor to derive new basic knowledge threads using said new linkages of said new files with said database files.

5. An end-user query facility as in claim 1 wherein said model purifier further comprises means for a user to specify and store in said keyword library multiple domains for item(s) of said database files, to specify file aliases for said database files containing such item(s), and to interface with said semantics extractor to derive new linkage using said file aliases with said database files.

6. An end-user query facility as in claim 5 wherein said model purifier further comprises means to interface with said semantics extractor to build new basic knowledge threads using said new linkages of said file aliases with said database files.

7. An end-user query facility as in claims 5 or 6 wherein said program generator further comprises means to generate file alias statements in said program to extract said desired information from said database.

8. An end-user query facility as in claim 1 wherein said model purifier further comprises an interface with said semantics extractor in order to rebuild basic knowledge threads in said knowledge base based upon said altered key types and said altered set of linkages.

12. An end-user query facility as in claims 3 or 9 wherein said program generator further comprises means to generate source program that produce data from said new items of said new files and wherein said end-user query facility further comprises a compiler for compiling said source program.

16. An end-user query facility as in claim 1, 9 or 13 wherein said semantics extractor comprises means for deriving basic knowledge threads comprising a set of linkages of said database model and storing said basic knowledge threads in said knowledge base.

17. An end-user query facility as in claim 16 wherein each of said basic knowledge threads comprises a set of two or more of said database files serially linked together such that one file is linked to the next file through an item that has the same domain as the item in the next file and that this same item is a unique or repeating key of the next file.

24. An end user query facility as in claim 1 or 22 wherein said key-types are unique key, repeating key and non-key.

25. An end-user query facility as in claim 1 or 22 wherein said key-types comprise primary key, foreign key, and non-key.

26. An end user query facility as in claims 1, 9, 13, 18, 19, 21, or 22 wherein said program comprises a source code program, and wherein said end user query facility further comprises a compiler for compiling said source program.

27. An end user query facility as in claims 1, 9, 13, 18, 19, 21, or 22 wherein said information scout comprises:

means for obtaining from a user a user supplied keyword indicative of the data desired to be extracted from said database;

means for determining using said keyword library all keywords in said database model having a predefined relationship with said user supplied keyword; and

means for causing a user to select one or more of said keywords having a predefined relationship, said one or more keywords thus selected serving as said designation of the information to be extracted from said database.

28. An end-user query facility as in claims 1, 9, 13, 18, 19, 21, or 22 wherein said inference engine comprises:

means for inferring new acquired knowledge threads and storing said new acquired knowledge threads in said knowledge base; and

means for determining an access path to said database using either said basic knowledge threads or said acquired knowledge threads as required to meet the user query.

29. An end-user query facility as in claim 28 wherein said acquired knowledge thread is derived through a combination in parallel of two or more of said basic knowledge threads such that one of the said basic knowledge threads has one or more of its consecutive files in common with the corresponding number of consecutive files starting from the thread head of another of said basic knowledge threads.

30. An end-user query facility as in claim 29 wherein said thread head is a first file on a said basic knowledge thread.

31. An end-user query facility as in claims 1, 9, 13, 18, 19, 21, or 22 wherein said semantics extractor further comprises means for reading source code of application programs that access said database, extracting the semantics of said application programs and storing in said knowledge base said set of linkages.

32. An end-user query facility as in claims 1, 9, 13, 18, 19, 21, or 22 wherein said knowledge base comprises pre-created knowledge base.

33. An end-user query facility as in claims 1, 9, 13, 18, 19, 21, or 22 wherein said knowledge base comprises a run-time created knowledge base.

34. An end-user query facility as in claims 1, 9, 10, 31, 33, 35, or 36 wherein said knowledge base comprises a persistent knowledge base.

35. An end-user query facility as in claims 1, 9, 13, 18, 19, 21, or 22 wherein said knowledge base comprises a transient knowledge base.

36. An end-user query facility as in claims 1, 9, 10, 31, 33, 35, or 36 wherein said knowledge base is implemented in said data dictionary of said database model.

37. An end-user query facility as in claims 1, 9, 13, 18, 14, 21, or 22 wherein said knowledge base is implemented in said system catalog of said database model.

9. An end user query facility for accessing a database having a plurality of database files formed using a database model, comprising:

a knowledge base which stores a set of linkages of the database model;

a semantics extractor for reading said database model and extracting the semantics of said database model, and which stores in said knowledge base said set of linkages;

an information scout for interfacing with a user to obtain from the user a designation of the information to be extracted from said database;

an inference engine which, based upon said designation of information to be extracted from said database, identifies one or more of said database files which contain the desired information and searches said knowledge base to determine the linkage(s) connecting said one or more identified files;

a program generator which accesses the linkages obtained by said inference engine and generates a program to extract said desired information from said database; and

a program analyzer which analyzes and derives new items and new files from source code of application programs that access said database model.

10. An end-user query facility as in claim 9 wherein said program analyzer further comprises an interface with said semantics extractor to derive new linkages using said new files with said database files.

11. An end user query facility as in claim 10 wherein said program analyser further comprises an interface with said semantics extractor to build new basic knowledge threads using said new linkages of said new files with said database files.

13. An end user query facility for accessing a database having a plurality of database files formed using a database model, comprising:

a knowledge base which stores a set of linkages of the database model;

a semantics extractor for reading said database model and extracting the semantics of said database model, and which stores in said knowledge base said set of linkages;

an information scout for interfacing with a user to obtain from the user a designation of the information to be extracted from said database;

an inference engine which, based upon said designation of information to be extracted from said database, identifies one or more of said database files which contain the desired information and searches said knowledge base to determine the linkage(s) connecting said one or more identified files;

a program generator which accesses the linkages obtained by said inference engine and generates a program to extract said desired information from said database; and

a security model specifier to allow a user to input a security model which specifies restrictions on the information a user can obtain from said database.

14. An end-user query facility as in claim 13 wherein:

said knowledge base further comprises means to store said security model;

said information scout further comprises means to use said security model; and

said program generator further comprises means to generate said program to extract said information for said database that conform to the security model.

15. An end user query facility as in claim 13 wherein said security model comprises:

item security which specifies a set of database files and items selected from said database a user or class of users can access; and

value security which specifies a set of conditions to restrict said user or said class of users to a certain range(s) of values of said database.

18. An end user query facility for accessing a database having a plurality of database files formed using a database model, comprising:

a knowledge base which stores a set of linkages of the database model;

a semantics extractor for reading said database model and extracting the semantics of said database model, and which stores in said knowledge base said set of linkages;

an information scout for interfacing with a user to obtain from the user a designation of the information to be extracted from said database;

an inference engine which, based upon said designation of information to be extracted from said database, identifies one or more of said database files which contain the desired information and searches said knowledge base to determine the linkage(s) connecting said one or more identified files; and

a program generator which accessed the linkages obtained by said inference engine and generates a program to extract said desired information from said database; and

a model purifier for interfacing with a user to obtain new linkages and to store said new linkages in the knowledge base.

19. An end user query facility for accessing a database having a plurality of database files formed using a database model, comprising:

a knowledge base which stores key-types of items of said database files and a set of linkages of the database model;

a keyword library which stores a set of keywords of said database model representative of items of said database files;

a semantics extractor for reading said database model and extracting the semantics of said database model, and which stores in said knowledge base said key-types of items and said set of linkages and which stores in said keyword library said set of keywords;

an information scout for interfacing with a user to obtain from the user a designation of the information to be extracted from said database;

an inference engine which, based upon said designation of information to be extracted from said database, identifies one or more of said database files which contain the desired information and searches said knowledge base to determine the linkage(s) connecting said one or more identified files;

a program generator which accesses the linkages obtained by said inference engine and generates a program to extract said desired information from said database; and

a model purifier for a user to define new item(s) and new file(s) using items of said database file.

20. An end user query facility as in claim 19 wherein said model purifier comprises:

means to store said new item(s) in said keyword library; and

means to interface with said semantics extractor to derive new linkages using said new files with said database files.

21. An end user query facility for accessing a database having a plurality of database files formed using a database model, comprising:

a knowledge base which stores key-types of items of said database files and a set of linkages of the database model;

a keyword library which stores a set of keywords of said database model representative of items of said database files;

a semantics extractor for reading said database model and extracting the semantics of said database model, and which stores in said knowledge base said key-types of items and said set of linkages and which stores in said keyword library said set of keywords;

an information scout for interfacing with a user to obtain from the user a designation of the information to be extracted from said database;

an inference engine which, based upon said designation of information to be extracted from said database, identifies one or more of said database files which contain the desired information and searches said knowledge base to determine the linkage(s) connecting said one or more identified files;

a program generator which access the linkages obtained by said inference engine and generates a program to extract said desired information from said database; and

a model purifier comprising means for a user to specify and store in said keyword library multiple domains for item(s) of said database files, to specify file aliases for said database files containing such item(s), and to interface with said semantics extractor to derive new linkages using said file aliases with said database files.

22. An end user query facility for accessing a database having a plurality of database files formed using a database model, comprising:

a knowledge base which stores a set of linkages of said database model;

a semantics extractor for reading said database model and extracting the semantics of said database model, and which stores in said knowledge base said set of linkages;

an information scout for interfacing with a user to obtain from the user a designation of the information to be extracted from said database;

an inference engine which, based upon said designation of information to be extracted from said database, identifies one or more of said database files which contain the desired information and searches said knowledge base to determine the linkage(s) connecting said one or more identified files;

a program generator which accesses the linkages obtained by said inference engine and generates a program to extract said desired information from said database; and

a model purifier comprising means for a user to define key-types for items of said database.

23. An end user query facility as in claim 22 wherein said model purifier comprises means for causing said semantics extractor to derive new linkages using said key-types of items and to store said new linkages in said knowledge base.