Sap Ag

Azi, Inc.

Other

Sap Se

A21, Inc.

A2i, Inc.

Dave L Sullivan

Paul N Weinberg

David E Brookler

Philip A Tinari

Ariel Hazi

Richard T Endo

Eugene Cherny

Nathan F Yospe

Dominic Tham

Karl Fürst

Andrea Langlotz

Matan Arazi

Alexander K Alexandrov

Ronen Cohen

Zheng Liu

Anat Levi Segal

Eugene Chemy

Dave Poyourow

Matthew Garth McLuckie

A method for generating and using a reusable custom-defined nestable compound data type for use as a database qualifier provides significant advantages over using traditional non-reusable structured tables of RDBM systems is described. The method and data structures of the invention may be used to define and instantiate flexible nested-record structures that reverse and better expose the relationship between parent records and private child sub-records in a database schema to provide improved referential integrity and visibility into database structure.

Method for generating and using a reusable custom-defined nestable compound data type as database qualifiers

An object matching system comprises a plurality of disparate databases comprising data objects and a master data server. The master data server comprises a computer programmed to provide a plurality of adapters configured to connect to said plurality of disparate databases, a matching module configured to compare data objects provided by said plurality of adapters through use of an object matching rule to determine at least two matching data objects, and a data integrator configured to merge said at least two matching data objects to produce a master data object.

System and method for rule-based data object matching

The reusable custom-defined nestable compound data type for construction of database objects of one or more embodiments of the invention provide advantages over traditional non-reusable structured tables of RDBM systems. The data structure of one or more embodiments of the invention may be thought of in part as a generalized form of a user defined compound data type that may be used to model various 'exotic' data structures, such as flexible hierarchies and networks, in database schema. Thus, the system, methods and data structures of one or more embodiments of the invention may be used to define and instantiate structures that support the creation of flexible nested records that expose the relationship between parent records and private child sub-records in a database schema.

System, method and structures for a reusable custom-defined nestable compound data type for construction of database objects

One or more embodiments of the invention enable a user to search for at least one value in layers of audience specific data comprising language, regional, regulatory and/or cultural specific values per layer. The word 'audience' for the purposes of this specification means a group of document consumers such as people or computers that are associated with a language, country, region, regulation or culture. A search utilizing at least one embodiment of the invention occurs with respect to data that makes use of rule-based inheritance. For a three level inheritance embodiment, there are 8 permutations involving a NULL value in at least one of the layers, instead of making the user calculate the proper mask, the Current Audience Layer mask can be logical ORed with the Primary Audience Layer Mask or the Secondary Audience Layer Mask in order to create the desired search combination. In addition, predefined audience layer operators may also be used comprising 'has value', &#x201c;is missing value&#x201d;, &#x201c;inherits primary&#x201d;, &#x201c;inherits secondary&#x201d;, &#x201c;inherits any&#x201d; and &#x201c;does not inherit&#x201d;. These predefined masks save the user from generating a bit mask for searching by hand.

Method for testing layered data for the existence of at least one value

An embodiment of the invention comprises a method and apparatus for structuring, storing and retrieving data in database systems utilizing relational objects referred to as qualifiers. Catalog data are segregated into one or more primary tables (e.g., main tables), one or more lookup tables, and one or more qualified lookup tables following a predefined set of categories and a taxonomy. Qualified lookup tables comprise a special type of fields referred to as qualifiers. Searches are conducted in embodiments of the invention by determining a set of lookup fields, performing a lookup in one or more lookup tables, and retrieving data values which include association values with records that belong to one or more primary tables. The qualifiers are then used to narrow the search space by selecting only those values that satisfy the selection criteria with regard to the qualifiers. In embodiments of the invention, only a small set in the primary table are traversed to retrieve eligible records.

Method and apparatus for generating and utilizing qualifiers and qualified taxonomy tables

One or more embodiments of the invention enable a user to create multiple non-redundant views using metadata targeted at a specific audience that comprises language, regional, regulatory and/or cultural specific values. The word 'audience' for the purposes of this specification means a group of document consumers such as people or computers that are associated with a language, country, region, regulation or culture. Audience specific data therefore is data targeted at a specific audience and audience specific metadata is related to the descriptive information related to the data, such as a table name or a field name for example. At least one embodiment of the invention makes use of rule-based inheritance in providing metadata values via layers that comprise audience specific data.

Method for utilizing audience-specific metadata

Audience specific document targeted at a particular media type are generated by accessing data from an audience hierarchy. When obtaining a data value for a particular audience, if that value does not exist for that audience then the audience hierarchy may be utilized to find the data value for an inherited audience. By adding regional, cultural or regulatory subdivisions within the audience hierarchy and inheriting large portions of existing audience specific data entries, a large number of audience specific documents may be generated with a minimal amount of data entry required. Audiences may be specified in a given order for traversal within the hierarchy and displayed in a data entry and editing application utilizing visual characteristics to inform a user if the value for a particular piece of data is inherited from another layer or utilized from the particular layer in use. Audience specific documents may be masked and accessed by payment.

Method for generating documents using layer-specific inheritance rules

One or more embodiments of invention are directed to a multi-layered data model for generating audience-specific documents will now be described. The invention is used in the context of generating a document such as a catalog or web page for publication across regions and cultures comprising multiple languages. It allows users to rapidly generate multi-language, multi-culture and multi-region documents since fields flagged as multi-lingual may utilize existing buckets that comprise pre-filled multi-language, multi-culture and multi-region values without requiring the user to specify every multi-value when creating a record.

Multi-layered data model for generating audience-specific documents

Rule based data object matching to determine if two or more objects are similar to allow the objects to be merged into one master data object. The rules explicitly state what conditions are required to consider two or more objects equal. The certainty of the rule may be specified. Examples for the certainty are automatic, manual high, medium and low probability. For example, the certainty 'automatic' specifies that the objects can be considered matches and no additional manual verification is needed. The certainty 'manual low probability' specifies that there is a low probability that the objects are matches and that a manual verification is needed. Matching rules may be grouped by priority. If matches are not found, the next highest priority group of rules is processed. Hierarchical matching rules may be specified that are able to express similarity of objects considering structured objects containing sub-objects in a hierarchical manner.

Rule-based database object matching with comparison certainty

One or more embodiments of the invention enable a smart store and forward DBMS statement collating system. The system may be utilized with any database implementation by coupling computer readable program code to the interface layer of the database, generally the lowest layer of software that accesses the database. The system can be utilized with complex transactional code that insulates a user from programming complex collating logic. Hence a user that employs an embodiment of the system is unaware that database operations within a transaction are collated into silos with like table and field usage and flushed to the database as part of a database block operation. The order in which operations occur allows for high priority table inserts to occur before low priority table inserts to maintain referential integrity, while low priority table deletes occur before high priority table deletes for the same reason.

Smart store and forward DBMS statement collating system

The present invention provides for storage of data items with dissimilar structures in a single database table while minimizing the problems associated with prior approaches. In one aspect of the invention, a method of efficiently storing data items in a database management system (DBMS) is provided wherein each data item has at least one attribute associated with it, the method comprising identifying a set of attributes associated with each data item, creating, for use with all of the data items, a common data structure that excludes those attributes unique to any one of the data items, and associating each data item with attributes excluded from the data structure.

Efficient storage and access in a database management system

An interface for indicating the presence of inherited values in a document. The interface enables a user to rapidly determine if an audience specific document conforms to the expectations or requirements of an intended audience. The interface distinguishes between current, primary and secondary audience layer values through the use of color or any other mechanism that allows a user to quickly identify data that is missing and needs to be populated, changed or remain unchanged if the inherited data is suitable for the given audience. Using the interface, users can determine at a glance what information is inherited and what level of inheritance that information is from. Before generating an audience specific document targeted at a particular media type, an audience hierarchy may be created and utilized for entry and edit of data for a desired audience.

Interface for indicating the presence of inherited values in a document

A system and method for providing a timeshared electronic catalog is disclosed. The system comprises an electronic database having a plurality of data records that comprise a master data set. The system comprises at least a first and second subset of the data records, wherein each subset comprises one or more data records selected from the master data set. The system includes a software program comprising a data record masking module for selectively providing a first view for displaying one of the subsets to a first user. Each of the plurality of data records contains a plurality of data elements, or fields, or attributes. The data record masking module is further for selecting which data elements are provided in the view. The system further includes a means for selectively providing which executable features from a plurality of executable features may be provided with each view.

Method and system for generating user defined timeshared derivative electronic catalogs from a master catalog

Embodiments of the invention improve upon current systems by allowing users to dynamically generate and repeatedly modify the appearance of any set of tabular data. When the system obtains input relating to formatting the table, the appearance of the table is dynamically modified so the users can instantaneously view any changes to the table caused by the input (e.g., WYSIWYG). Users provide input (e.g., layout information) that relates to various types of pivot operations, sorting operation, and/or merging operations performed on the table. The user may, for example, select a certain field and then initiate a pivot operation using the selected field. The system is configured in accordance with one embodiment of the invention so that the layout information is stored independent of and/or associated with the table data.

Growing community of inventors

Canoga Park, CA, United States of America

Dave L Sullivan