Mapping terms between multiple taxonomies

• US 8,452,773 B1
• Filed: 08/05/2011
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Young, Adam E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US13/198,812
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/737, 705/27
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Improved techniques utilize a cross-referencing database which correlates terms which describe product information across multiple taxonomies. The cross-referencing database is independent of the taxonomies used to organize the product information in different departments and is thus able to correlate terms across multiple taxonomies. As a consequence, a user looking at product information in one taxonomy (e.g., a marketing department) can locate precisely where that product information resides in another taxonomy (e.g., the support department) despite the fact that the two taxonomies may refer to that same product using different terms and likely places those terms in different places.

Claims

1. A method of cross-referencing terms across multiple taxonomies, the method comprising:

receiving a lookup command having (i) a first tag identifier which identifies a particular term with respect to a first taxonomy and (ii) a taxonomy identifier which identifies a second taxonomy;

in response to the lookup command, accessing a cross-referencing database to obtain a second tag identifier which identifies the particular term with respect to the second taxonomy; and

outputting a lookup response having the second tag identifier.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the cross-referencing database includes a set of entries;

wherein each entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database includes a term identifier, a tag identifier and a taxonomy identifier; and

wherein accessing the cross-referencing database to obtain the second tag identifier includes;

based on the first tag identifier, obtaining a term identifier from a first entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database, and

based on the term identifier from the first entry and the taxonomy identifier, obtaining the second tag identifier from a second entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the tag identifiers of different entries of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database are different;

wherein obtaining a term identifier from a first entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database includes;

locating the unique entry of the set of entries which has the first tag identifier, and

storing the term identifier of the unique entry into a memory location within the electronic apparatus; and

wherein obtaining the second tag identifier from a second entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database includes;

locating another entry of the set of entries which has the term identifier stored in the location in the memory location and the taxonomy identifier, and

acquiring the tag identifier of the another entry.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein identifying a particular term with respect to a taxonomy includes:

locating a hierarchal position of the taxonomy at which the particular term is situated with respect to other terms; and

wherein the method further comprises;

prior to receiving the lookup command, receiving a first message which includes hierarchal positions added to the first taxonomy and a second message which includes hierarchal positions added to the second taxonomy, and

generating an entry of the set of entries for each hierarchal position added to each of the first taxonomy and the second taxonomy.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein each term is associated with metadata, the first message and the second message each including metadata associated with each term;

and

wherein generating an entry of the set of entries includes;

adding values of fields of the metadata to the entry.

6. A method according to claim 5,

wherein the metadata includes a list of synonyms, each synonym of the list of synonyms being a valid representation of the term identifier;

wherein storing the term identifier of the unique entry into a memory location within the electronic apparatus includes;

storing synonyms of the list of synonyms in additional fields of the cross-referencing database; and

wherein locating the other entry of the set of entries which has the term identifier stored in the location in the memory location includes;

performing a lookup operation on the synonyms stored in the additional fields of the cross-referencing database when the term identifier is not identified with respect to the second taxonomy.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein receiving a lookup command includes:

receiving, from a remote computer having an output device, a third message which includes the particular term and a taxonomy identifier which identifies the first taxonomy; and

wherein outputting a lookup response having the second tag identifier includes;

sending, to the remote computer, a fourth message which includes the second tag identifier, the remote computer constructed and arranged to output to the output device a graphical representation of the second taxonomy from the second tag identifier.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to sending the fourth message to the remote computer, placing the instructions included in the third message into a queue, the queue including other lookup commands received from other remote computers before receipt of the third message;

carrying out the lookup command included in the third message when the other lookup commands have been carried out.

9. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the first taxonomy defines a hierarchy of product categories of a first organization,

wherein the second taxonomy defines a hierarchy of product categories of a second organization;

wherein the particular term includes a name of a product category in the first taxonomy; and

wherein accessing the cross-referencing database to obtain the second tag identifier includes cross-referencing, in the cross-referencing database, the name of the product category in the first taxonomy to a name of the same product category in the second taxonomy.

10. An electronic system constructed and arranged to cross-reference terms across multiple taxonomies, comprising:

an electronic apparatus which includes;

a network interface coupled to a network;

a memory; and

a controller which includes controlling circuitry, the controlling circuitry constructed and arranged to;

receive a lookup command having (i) a first tag identifier which identifies a particular term with respect to a first taxonomy and (ii) a taxonomy identifier which identifies a second taxonomy;

in response to the lookup command, access a cross-referencing database to obtain a second tag identifier which identifies the particular term with respect to the second taxonomy; and

output a lookup response having the second tag identifier.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the cross-referencing database includes a set of entries;

wherein each entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database includes a term identifier, a tag identifier and a taxonomy identifier; and

wherein accessing the cross-referencing database to obtain the second tag identifier includes;

based on the first tag identifier, obtaining a term identifier from a first entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database, and

based on the term identifier from the first entry and the taxonomy identifier, obtaining the second tag identifier from a second entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the tag identifiers of different entries of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database are different;

wherein obtaining a term identifier from a first entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database includes;

locating the unique entry of the set of entries which has the value of the first tag identifier, and

storing the term identifier of the unique entry into a memory location within the electronic apparatus; and

wherein obtaining the second tag identifier from a second entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database includes;

locating another entry of the set of entries which has the term identifier stored in the location in the memory location and the taxonomy identifier, and

acquiring the tag identifier of the another entry.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein identifying a particular term with respect to a taxonomy includes:

locating a hierarchal position of the taxonomy at which the particular term is situated with respect to other terms; and

wherein the controlling circuitry is further constructed and arranged to;

prior to receiving the lookup command, receive a first message which includes hierarchal positions added to the first taxonomy and a second message which includes hierarchal positions added to the second taxonomy, and

generate an entry of the set of entries for each hierarchal position added to each of the first taxonomy and the second taxonomy.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein each term is associated with metadata, the first message and the second message each including metadata associated with each term;

and

wherein generating an entry of the set of entries includes;

adding values of fields of the metadata to the entry.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein receiving a lookup command includes:

receiving, from a remote computer having an output device, a third message which includes the particular term and a taxonomy identifier which identifies the first taxonomy; and

wherein outputting a lookup response having the second tag identifier includes;

sending, to the remote computer, a fourth message which includes the second tag identifier, the remote computer constructed and arranged to output to the output device a graphical representation of the second taxonomy from the second tag identifier.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the controlling circuitry is further constructed and arranged to:

prior to sending the fourth message to the remote computer, place the instructions included in the third message into a queue, the queue including other lookup commands received from other remote computers before receipt of the third message;

carry out the lookup command included in the third message when the other lookup commands have been carried out.

17. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable storage medium which stores a set of instructions to cross-reference terms across multiple taxonomies, the set of instructions, when carried out by a computerized device, causing the computerized device to:

receive a lookup command having (i) a first tag identifier which identifies a particular term with respect to a first taxonomy and (ii) a taxonomy identifier which identifies a second taxonomy;

in response to the lookup command, access a cross-referencing database to obtain a second tag identifier which identifies the particular term with respect to the second taxonomy; and

output a lookup response having the second tag identifier.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the cross-referencing database includes a set of entries;

wherein each entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database includes a term identifier, a tag identifier and a taxonomy identifier; and

wherein accessing the cross-referencing database to obtain the second tag identifier includes;

based on the first tag identifier, obtaining a term identifier from a first entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database, and

based on the term identifier from the first entry and the taxonomy identifier, obtaining the second tag identifier from a second entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database.

19. A computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the tag identifiers of different entries of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database are different;

wherein obtaining a term identifier from a first entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database includes;

locating the unique entry of the set of entries which has the value of the first tag identifier, and

storing the term identifier of the unique entry into a memory location within the electronic apparatus; and

wherein obtaining the second tag identifier from a second entry of the set of entries of the cross-referencing database includes;

locating another entry of the set of entries which has the term identifier stored in the location in the memory location and the taxonomy identifier, and

acquiring the tag identifier of the another entry.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein identifying a particular term with respect to a taxonomy includes:

locating a hierarchal position of the taxonomy at which the particular term is situated with respect to other terms; and

wherein the set of instructions further causes the computerized device to;

prior to receiving the lookup command, receive a first message which includes hierarchal positions added to the first taxonomy and a second message which includes hierarchal positions added to the second taxonomy, and

generate an entry of the set of entries for each hierarchal position added to each of the first taxonomy and the second taxonomy.

21. A computer program product according to claim 20, wherein each term is associated with metadata, the first message and the second message each including metadata associated with each term;

and

wherein generating an entry of the set of entries includes;

adding values of fields of the metadata to the entry.

22. A computer program product according to claim 20, wherein receiving a lookup command includes:

receiving, from a remote computer having an output device, a third message which includes the particular term and a taxonomy identifier which identifies the first taxonomy; and

wherein outputting a lookup response having the second tag identifier includes;

sending, to the remote computer, a fourth message which includes the second tag identifier, the remote computer constructed and arranged to output to the output device a graphical representation of the second taxonomy from the second tag identifier.