Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-27
2001-12-04
Breene, John (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327586
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data analysis, and specifically to a system, method and computer program product for automating the collection and analysis of data. More specifically, the present invention provides an automated tool for defining research requirements, collecting, managing and analyzing data, building relationships between data items, and for generating reports based on data from a variety of sources.
2. Related art
We live in an era of data overload where information continues to grow at an ever-spiraling rate. This presents a real challenge in doing effective research and analysis of data. Data analysts quickly become overwhelmed by the glut of raw data and consequently often miss securing critical information.
Currently, there are relatively few tools to assist the analyst in managing this information overload. Typically, these tools consist of stand-alone or independent tools that have been designed to serve a single purpose. Examples of such tools are: word processors; spreadsheets; search engines and browsers; database management systems; and data visualization systems.
A major problem with these stand-alone tools is that the analyst is forced to manually manipulate the data between the use of each tool. Additionally, using the conventional method, the analyst is required to have a thorough understanding of Boolean logic and a database query language, such as Standard Query Language (SQL), to gain access to the stored data. It has been estimated that using these conventional methods, analysts can spend up to ninety percent of their time searching, collecting, and organizing information. This leaves a mere five to ten percent of an analyst's time for performing actual analysis of data.
Accordingly, what is needed is an automated system and method for defining, collecting, organizing and analyzing data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a complete end-to-end data management and analysis tool based on four phases of the intelligence process used to perform research on data. The present invention increases research efficiency by providing automated data analysis that allows analysts to spend more time on data analysis and less time on data management.
The present invention accomplishes this by providing a single environment where users can perform knowledge management and knowledge production of data. The knowledge management feature of the present invention allows users to quickly and efficiently cull through large quantities of data, so that items that are of interest, quickly and efficiently emerge to the surface. Once the items of interest are determined, only those data items associated with the items of interest are saved in a repository. These items are saved in the repository along with related tags so that users can leverage off their associative style of thinking and work more efficiently at retrieving data. The knowledge production features of the present invention allow users not only to extract patterns from the data but also to visualize the data so that new patterns and relationships can easily be recorded.
Specifically, the present invention provides a unique set of automation tools to assist the user in conducting research. This is accomplished using a methodology based on four phases for conducting research, namely, the Requirements phase, the Collection phase, the Analysis phase and the Reporting phase.
The Requirements phase is where the user records the objectives for the research project. The requirements may be referred to by the user at any time during the remaining research phases to serve as a focal point for the collection and interpretation of data. In addition, the requirements entered by the user can be used to automatically perform database searches to compile data for the research project.
During the Requirements phase, users define items of interest in a Personal Dictionary. The items of interest are organized by user-defined or pre-defined categories.
The Collection phase is used to filter out relevant data items from irrelevant data. The relevant data is stored in a repository. The present invention provides the user with a set of automation tools to assist in the collection process. Specifically, the present invention automatically searches for the items of interest and associated aliases stored in the Personal Dictionary. In addition, automation tools are provided that allow the user to quickly and efficiently determine the relevancy of documents based on the occurrences of the items of interest. This is accomplished in part, by providing the user with interactive visualization displays that model document contents according to the defined items of interest.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an efficient means for quickly scanning large volumes of information to determine their relevancy with respect to the current research project. The items that are determined to be relevant are automatically saved into a repository associated with the research project. These items are tagged with descriptive user created pointers to facilitate future retrieval of those items.
The Analysis phase is where the collected information from the Collection phase is analyzed, compared, related, and understood in terms of the items of interest from the Personal Dictionary. During the Analysis phase, the analyst reviews the collected items and extracts patterns and relationships. Relationships between data items are recorded and automatically maintained by the present invention. In addition, knowledge is added to any item or relationship between items by written comments that are automatically associated with the corresponding data items and maintained by the present invention.
During the Analysis phase, the present invention provides the user with relationship diagrams that graphically depict the relationships between any two items of interest. These relationship diagrams are selectable by the user in terms of their “degree of separation”. That is, the present invention provides a mechanism that allows users to display direct relationships between two items of interest, as well as indirect, distant relationships. In this fashion, users are instantly presented with distant relationships between items of interest that may never have been known to exist.
The Dissemination or Reporting phase is used to assist the analyst in creating reports of a research project. Specifically, summaries and conclusions are captured to be included in the finished reports. Documents are “bookmarked” during the Analysis phase so that they are can be instantly retrieved and included in the final report(s). During the Reporting phase, analysts document their analyses, conclusions and recommendations.
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Breene John
Lewis Cheryl
Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.
WisdomBuilder, L.L.C.
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