System and method for data storage and retrieval

• US 6,651,052 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WW Grainger Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WW Grainger Incorporated
• Inventors: Westphal, Geoffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid Al
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ISAAC M
• Application Number:
  US09/625,576
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/100-104, 707/10, 707/6, 707/7, 707/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An improved method for creating and searching data files in a database is described. The system and method uses a memory in which is stored a main data file having a plurality of data records each having a data field containing data representative of an alpha-numeric product descriptor. A bitmask generator generates a bitmask value representative of the data in the data field of each data record and appends to each data record stored in the memory a bitmask data field containing the bitmask value representative of the data in the data field of the corresponding data record. A prefix generator generates a plurality of prefix files that are stored in the memory, the prefix files including a copy of selected data records of the main data file, the data records being selected as a function of the prefix of the alpha-numeric product descriptors corresponding to the data in the data fields of the data records. In performing a search to obtain information, both the appended main data file and the prefix files are available to the searching procedure.

Claims

1. A method for storing and retrieving information, the method comprising:

running a bitmask generator on a main data file having a plurality of data records each having a data field, the bitmask generator generating a bitmask value representative of the data in the data field of each data record;

appending to each data record in the main data file a bitmask data field containing the results generated by the bitmask generator;

running a prefix file generator on each data record in the main data file, the prefix file generator generating a plurality of prefix files into which selected portions of selected data records of the main data file are copied as a function of an alphanumeric prefix of the data contained in the data field of each data record so as to provide each of the plurality of prefix files with data that is homogenous with respect to an alphanumeric prefix; and

making the appended main data file and the plurality of prefix files available for use in performing a search to retrieve selected data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the prefix files include the bitmask data field generated by the bitmask generator.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of arranging the prefix files in ascending order as a function of file size.

4. A method for storing and retrieving information, the method comprising:

running a bitmask generator on a main data file having a plurality of data records each having a data field, the bitmask generator generating a bitmask value representative of the data in the data field of each data record;

appending to each data record in the main data file a bitmask data field containing the results generated by the bitmask generator;

providing a mark-up language document having a plurality of user selectable parameters, each selectable parameter having an associated bitmask value;

in response to the user selecting one of the selectable parameters, matching the bitmask value of the selected parameter with the bitmask values in the bitmask data fields of the main data file to determine which data records of the main data file correspond to the selected parameters; and

returning to the user information contained within those data records wherein the bitmask value of the selected parameter matches the bitmask value in the bitmask data field.

5. A method for storing and retrieving information in a database, the method comprising:

running a prefix file generator on each data record in a main data file, the prefix file generator generating a plurality of prefix files into which selected data fields of selected data records of the main data file are copied as a function of an alphanumeric prefix of the data contained in the data field of each data record so as to provide each of the plurality of prefix files with data that is homogenous with respect to an alphanumeric prefix;

accepting from a remote user via a network connection a keyword;

using an alphanumeric prefix of the keyword to select the prefix file that is homogeneous with respect to the alphanumeric prefix of the keyword;

comparing the entirety of the keyword with the entirety of the data contained in the selected data fields in the data records contained within the selected prefix file; and

selecting those data records wherein the entirety of the keyword matches the entirety of the data in at least one of the selected data fields of the data records in the selected prefix file, the selected data records representing information for which the user was searching.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the data in the data fields of the plurality of data records is representative of a product descriptor.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the user enters a plurality of keywords, the alphanumeric prefix of each keyword is used in the process of selecting a prefix file, and the prefix file of the selected prefix files which has the smallest file size is utilized in the step of comparing.

8. A database system, comprising:

a memory in which is stored a main data file having a plurality of data records, each having a data field containing data representative of an alphanumeric product descriptor;

a bitmask generator that generates a bitmask value representative of the data in the data field of each data record and which appends to each data record stored in the memory a bitmask data field containing the bitmask value representative of the data in the data field of the corresponding data record; and

a prefix file generator that generates a plurality of prefix files that are stored in the memory, the prefix files including a copy of selected data records of the main data file, the data records being selected as a function of the prefix of the alphanumeric product descriptors corresponding to the data in the data fields of the data records;

wherein each prefix file only contains data records in which the prefix of the alphanumeric descriptors in the data fields are the same.