Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-13
2004-03-30
Amsbury, Wayne (Department: 2171)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
active
06714929
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to data searching methods and systems including, for example, relational database searching methods and systems.
An increasingly vast amount of data is being stored in digital electronic formats. The value of this data is often dependent upon how effectively it can be retrieved to provide useful information. For this reason, a variety of database structures and database search engines have been developed over the years.
A large body of data has been stored in proprietary databases, which are accessed via custom-crafted software (“code”). In such proprietary databases, there is a tight coupling between data organization (i.e. in the actual data structure) and in the access and query code. While the advantages of such proprietary databases include speed of access, compactness, and simplicity, they are typically not well suited for general-purpose data storage and retrieval applications. This is because with proprietary databases modifications to the data structures requires the rewriting of the access and query code, and because the queries tend to be fixed by being implemented in a programming language and then being compiled into the query code.
With the ever increasing amount of electronic data available and with the increasingly sophisticated demands for specialized information derived from such data, search engine techniques have become increasingly sophisticated and generalized. At the present time, the two main approaches for information retrieval include relational database searching engines, and text-based searching technologies as used, for example, for Internet searching.
Relational databases have been increasingly utilized over the past two decades in order to overcome the limitations of previous database architectures. One of the great strengths of relational databases is that they offer a flexible way to access the data along different dimensions and based on a set of criteria. The industry standard language, Structured Query Language (SQL), is used to define and execute such queries. SQL was initially designed by IBM Corporation and was later popularized by including it in relational database engines from such companies as IBM and Oracle Corporation, amongst others.
By using a relational database search engine such as SQL or the like, information can be obtained from the relational database based upon a multiplicity of factors. For example, an SQL inquiry can search a personnel database of a company for all employees that are making more than $20,000.00 a year and who have been employed with the company for less than twenty years.
Relational database search engines, such as the aforementioned SQL search language, suffer from the disadvantage of creating “yes or no” or “black and white” results. Using the previous example, a user searching for company employees making a salary of greater than $20,000.00 and less than twenty years with the company would miss all of the employees that were making exactly $20,000.00 or a few dollars less than $20,000.00 and those that worked exactly twenty years at the company or just over twenty years for the company, e.g. twenty years and one day. As such, there is no “fuzziness” in such a relational database search request, and no indication of the importance of exactly fitting within the search criteria.
Sophisticated search engines using text-searching technologies approach the problem from a different direction. These text-searching technologies are used by Internet-based search engines such as Yahoo!, Alta Vista, etc. With the text based searching technologies, the search engine creates indexes based upon the words found in searched documents. When a user specifies one or more phrases to the search engine, the search engine checks these indexes and then uses some algorithm to produce a ranking of all the documents that contain the search words or phrases. The algorithm varies depending upon the search engine, but may be as simple as a count of matched words.
Text based search engines suffer from several common limitations. For one, they cannot perform trade-off analysis between various criteria, such as searching for information concerning cars which cost less than $30,000 and which have engines with more than 500 horsepower. For another, they are limited to text-based documents as their search domain. Finally, they do not provide any effective means for a user to specify how important a particular word is to that use.
The prior art therefore suffers from the inability for users or automated clients of a database search engine to specify preferences or “weights” with respect to various search criteria, thereby introducing a degree of “fuzziness” into the search request which provides a better retrieval of information from the database or other data source.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention allows users and automated clients of a database search engine to specify the importance of various search criteria when making data searches. This permits a ranking of search results to present data in a more relevant fashion to the user or other client (e.g. an automated process).
A weighted preference information search system in accordance with the present invention includes a weighted preference generator and a weighted preference data search engine. The weighted preference generator develops weighted preference information including weights corresponding to search criteria. The weighted preference data search engine uses the weight of the preference data to search an information source and to provide an ordered result list based upon the weighted preference information.
The weighted preference data search system is often used to search a relational database. However, the search system can also be used to search a number of other data sources including flat databases, text-based databases, and data streams. In the case of data streams, the search system can search in real time or it can search the data stream after it has been buffered or stored in a computer readable media.
The weighted preference generator is preferably a client to the weighted preference data search engine. Alternatively, the weighted preference generator and weighted preference data search engine can be integrated processes. As a client, the weighted preference generator can include a user interface which allows a human user to input preferences into the generator. These preferences can include one or more of the selection of search criteria, the adjustment of weights with respect to the search criteria, and an indication of subjective ordering of at least one of the search criteria. Alternatively or additionally, the weighted preference generator can provide weighted preference information based upon at least one of default values, automated heuristics, user input, or other sources of input such as from devices such as machine sensors, temperature gauges, etc.
Preferably, the weighted preference data search system includes a data store and an algorithm processor. The data store stores data for the use of the algorithm processor such as client preferences, historical search data, and intermediate search results. The algorithm processor includes a data source reader, a normalizing alternative distance calculator, and an alternative scorer which creates a ranking for the alternatives based upon the normalized alternative distances and weighted preference information.
A method for weighted preference data searching in accordance with the present invention includes determining weighted preference information including a plurality of search criteria and a corresponding plurality of weights signifying the relative importance of the search criteria, and querying an information source and ranking the results based upon the weighted preference information. The data sources are often a database, e.g. a relational database. Alternatively, the data source can be a data stream which is arriving either in real-time or which has been buffered in a computer readable media.
In an embodiment of the present
Criswell David Brandon
Micaelian Fadi Victor
Sawey Richard
Scoffone Emil Mario
Amsbury Wayne
Auguri Corporation
Perkins Coie LLP
LandOfFree
Weighted preference data search system and method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Weighted preference data search system and method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Weighted preference data search system and method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3186298