Method and system for the determination of a particular data object utilizing attributes associated with the object

• US 6,070,169 A
• Filed: 02/12/1998
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shorter, David Uel
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/022,910
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 707/3, 707/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for the determination of a particular one of a plurality of data objects stored in the data processing system utilizing attributes associated with the object. Data is associated with a first plurality of a plurality of attributes associated with each data object. In response to an establishment of each data object, an object attribute record is established which includes the first plurality of the plurality of attributes. Search data is specified for a second plurality of the first plurality of attributes. Each object attribute record is searched for the search data. In response to a location of at least a portion of the specified search data in one of the object attribute records, the data object associated with that object attribute record is determined.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for determining a particular one of a plurality of data objects stored in said data processing system, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a plurality of data objects, each of said plurality of data objects having a plurality of attributes;

associating data with a first plurality of said plurality of attributes for each of said plurality of data objects;

in response to said establishment of said each of said plurality of data objects, establishing an object attribute record having said first plurality of said plurality of attributes, wherein each of said object attribute records is associated with only one of said plurality of data objects;

specifying search data for each of a second plurality of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes;

searching each of said object attribute records for said specified search data;

for each of said object attribute records, comparing said specified search data associated with each of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes with said associated data; and

in response to a location of at least a portion of said specified search data in one of said each of said object attribute records, determining said one of said plurality of data objects associated with said one of said each of said object attribute records;

by specifying a match weight value utilized when specified search data matches data associated with a particular one of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes; and

specifying a total match value, wherein said total match value must be met or exceeded said one of said plurality of data objects to be determined to be associated with said object attribute record including said particular one of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including the steps of:

for each of said object attribute records, establishing an object attribute record total match value;

for each of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes for each of said object attribute records where said specified search data matched said associated data, adding said match weight value to said object attribute record total match value.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

specifying a non-match weight value utilized when specified search data does not match data associated with a particular one of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes; and

for each of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes for each of said object attribute records where said specified search data does not match said associated data, subtracting said non-match weight value from said object attribute record total match value.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

for each of said object attribute records, determining whether said object attribute record total match value meets or exceeds said total match value; and

in response to said object attribute record total match value meeting or exceeding said total match value, determining said data object associated with said object attribute record having an object attribute record total match value which meets or exceeds said total match value.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

specifying a plurality of valid combinations of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes; and

determining whether said second plurality of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes is one of said plurality of valid combinations.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said step of searching each of said object attribute records for said specified search data is performed only in response to a determination that said second plurality of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes is one of said plurality of valid combinations.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of establishing a plurality of data objects having a plurality of attributes further includes the step of establishing a plurality of data objects having a social security number as an attribute.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of establishing a plurality of data objects having a plurality of attributes further includes the step of establishing a plurality of data objects having an individual'"'"'s name as an attribute.

9. A data processing system for determining a particular one of a plurality of data objects stored in said data processing system, comprising:

means for establishing a plurality of data objects, each of said plurality of data objects having a plurality of attributes;

means for associating data with a first plurality of said plurality of attributes for each of said plurality of data objects;

means responsive to said establishment of said each of said plurality of data objects, for establishing an object attribute record having said first plurality of said plurality of attributes, wherein each of said object attribute records is associated with only one of said plurality of data objects;

means for specifying search data for each of a second plurality of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes;

means for searching each of said object attribute records for said specified search data;

means for each of said object attribute records, for comparing said specified search data associated with each of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes with said associated data;

means responsive to a location of at least a portion of said specified search data in one of said each of said object attribute records, for determining said one of said plurality of data objects associated with said one of said each of said object attribute records;

means for specifying a match weight value utilized when specified search data matches data associated with a particular one of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes; and

means for specifying a total match value, wherein said total match value must be met or exceeded said one of said plurality of data objects to be determined to be associated with said object attribute record including said particular one of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes.

10. The system according to claim 9 further comprising:

means for each of said object attribute records, for establishing an object attribute record total match value;

means for each of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes for each of said object attribute records where said specified search data matched said associated data, for adding said match weight value to said object attribute record total match value.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for specifying a non-match weight value utilized when specified search data does not match data associated with a particular one of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes; and

means for each of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes for each of said object attribute records where said specified search data does not match said associated data, for subtracting said non-match weight value from said object attribute record total match value.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for each of said object attribute records, for determining whether said object attribute record total match value meets or exceeds said total match value; and

means responsive to said object attribute record total match value meeting or exceeding said total match value, for determining said data object associated with said object attribute record having an object attribute record total match value which meets or exceeds said total match value.

13. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for specifying a plurality of valid combinations of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes; and

means for determining whether said second plurality of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes is one of said plurality of valid combinations.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said means for searching each of said object attribute records for said specified search data is performed only in response to a determination that said second plurality of said first plurality of said plurality of attributes is one of said plurality of valid combinations.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said means for establishing a plurality of data objects having a plurality of attributes further includes means for establishing a plurality of data objects having a social security number as an attribute.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said means for establishing a plurality of data objects having a plurality of attributes further includes means for establishing a plurality of data objects having an individual'"'"'s name as an attribute.