Generic attribute database system for storing items of different categories having shared attributes

• US 6,604,107 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Hsiaozhang Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen T
• Application Number:
  US09/563,069
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/102, 707/103, 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y, 707/1, 707/100, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217
• US Class Current: 707/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/28 Databases characterised by their database models, e.g. relational or object models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/962 Entity-attribute-value
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for storing multiple items across different categories in a database. One embodiment of the present invention provides a database that includes an attribute value table that has item entries for items of different categories. Each item entry has attribute values for attributes of the items. The database also includes an attribute map table that has attribute map entries. The attribute map entries have attribute map values. Additionally, an attribute value is associated with an attribute map entry, such that the attribute values are translated based on the attribute map values of the associated attribute map entry. In one embodiment, the translating of an attribute value includes determining an attribute type associated with the attribute value.

Claims

1. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a database, the database comprising:

a generic attribute table having attribute entries for attributes of items of different categories, wherein at least one attribute entry of the attribute entries is shared across at least two different categories;

an attribute value table having attribute value entries for attribute values for the attributes;

an attribute validity table having valid value entries for the attribute values; and

an attribute map table having attribute map entries, the attribute map entries having attribute map values, wherein an attribute value is associated with an attribute map entry, such that the attribute values are translated based on the attribute map values of the associated attribute map entry.

2. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein translating the attribute values includes determining an attribute type associated with the attribute values.

3. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein translating the attribute values includes determining display positions for the attribute values within an output window.

4. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein translating the attribute values includes determining display lengths for the attribute values within an output window.

5. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the different categories included different product and service categories.

6. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a database, the database comprising:

a generic attribute table having attribute entries for attributes of items of different categories, wherein at least one attribute entry of the attribute entries is shared across at least two different categories;

an attribute value table having attribute value entries for attribute values for the attributes; and

an attribute map table having attribute map entries for the attribute values, wherein each attribute value has an associated attribute entry and an attribute map entry, the associated attribute map entry and the associated attribute entry to determine the attribute type and the category for the associated attribute value.

7. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, further including an attribute validity table having valid values for the attributes of the items of the different categories.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the valid values include a range of values that is valid.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the attribute validity table includes valid values for the attributes that are shared by at least two items from at least two different categories.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the associated attribute map entry determines display positions for the associated attribute value within an output window.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the associated attribute map entry determines a display length for the associated attribute value within an output window.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the generic attribute table includes an attribute entry that is shared by at least two items from at least two different categories.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the different categories included different e-commerce categories.

14. A method comprising:

storing attribute entries for attributes of items of different categories into a generic attribute table of a database, wherein at least one attribute entry of the attribute entries is shared across at least two different categories;

storing values for the attributes of items of different categories into an attribute value table of the database;

storing valid value entries for the values for the attributes into an attribute validity table of the database; and

storing translation components of the values for the attributes of the items of the different categories into an attribute map table of the database, the translation components to translate the values of the attributes of the items, the translation to include an attribute type of the values of the attributes and a category of the different categories of items having the attribute value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the translation of the values of the attributes of the items includes determining an attribute type for the values of the attributes of the items.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the translation of the values of the attributes of the items includes determining a display position for the values of the attributes within an output window.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the translation of the values of the attributes of the items includes determining a display length for the values of the attributes within an output window.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the different categories included different product and service categories.

19. A method comprising:

storing attributes of items of different categories into a generic attribute table of a database, wherein at least one attribute entry of the attribute entries is shared across at least two different categories;

storing attribute values of the items of the different categories into an attribute value table of the database; and

storing translation components of the values for the attributes of the items of the different categories into an attribute map table of the database, wherein each attribute value has an associated attribute in the generic attribute table and associated translation components in the attribute map table, the associated attribute and the associated translation components to determine an attribute type and the category for the associated attribute value.

20. The method of claim 19, further including storing valid values for the attributes of the items of the different categories into an attribute validity table of the database, wherein each attribute value has associated valid values in the attribute validity table, the associated valid values to validate the associated attribute value.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the valid values include a range of values that are valid.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the attribute validity table includes valid values for the attributes that are shared by at least two items from at least two different categories.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the associated translation components determine a display position for the associated attribute value within an output window.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the associated translation components determine a display length for the associated attribute value within an output window.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the generic attribute table includes an attribute entry for an attribute that is shared by at least two items from at least two different categories.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the different categories included different e-commerce categories.

27. A method comprising:

generating a generic attribute table for a database, wherein the generic attribute table includes attribute entries for attributes of items of different categories, wherein at least one attribute entry of the attribute entries is shared across at least two different categories;

generating an attribute value table for the database, wherein the attribute value table includes entries for the values of the attributes of different categories; and

generating an attribute map table for the database, wherein the attribute map table includes attribute map entries having attribute map values, wherein a value of an attribute is associated with an attribute map entry, such that the values of the attributes are translated based on the attribute map values of the associated attribute map entry.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein translating the attribute values includes determining an attribute type associated with the values of the attributes.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein translating the values of the attributes includes determining display positions for the values of the attributes within an output window.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein translating the values of the attributes includes determining display lengths for the attribute values within an output window.

31. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause said processors to perform operations comprising:

storing attribute entries for attributes of items of different categories into a generic attribute table of a database, wherein at least one attribute entry of the attribute entries is shared across at least two different categories;

storing values for the attributes of items of different categories into an attribute value table of the database;

storing valid value entries for the values for the attributes into an attribute validity table of the database; and

storing translation components of the values for the attributes of the items of the different categories into an attribute map table of the database, the translation components to translate the values of the attributes of the items, the translation to include an attribute type of the values of the attributes and a category of the different categories of items having the attribute value.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the translation of the values of the attributes of the items includes determining an attribute type for the values of the attributes of the items.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the translation of the values of the attributes of the items includes determining a display position for the values of the attributes within an output window.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the translation of the values of the attributes of the items includes determining a display length for the values of the attributes within an output window.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the different categories included different product and service categories.

36. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause said processors to perform operations comprising:

storing attributes of items of different categories into a generic attribute table of a database, wherein at least one attribute entry of the attribute entries is shared across at least two different categories;

storing attribute values of the items of the different categories into an attribute value table of the database; and

storing translation components of the values for the attributes of the items of the different categories into an attribute map table of the database, wherein each attribute value has an associated attribute in the generic attribute table and associated translation components in the attribute map table, the associated attribute and the associated translation components to determine an attribute type and the category for the associated attribute value.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 36, further including storing valid values for the attributes of the items of the different categories into an attribute validity table of the database, wherein each attribute value has associated valid values in the attribute validity table, the associated valid values to validate the associated attribute value.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the valid values include a range of values that are valid.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the attribute validity table includes valid values for the attributes that are shared by at least two items from at least two different categories.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the associated translation components determine a display position for the associated attribute value within an output window.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the associated translation components determine a display length for the associated attribute value within an output window.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the generic attribute table includes an attribute entry for an attribute that is shared by at least two items from at least two different categories.

43. The machine-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the different categories included different e-commerce categories.