Patent EP0583108A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0583108A2
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Entity-relation database
Assignee: AUTOMATED TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATES Inc
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Filing: 1993-07-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-07-28
Abstract
Abstract An entity-relation database is disclosed to include a plurality of entity fields containing arrays of data elements, the data elements being related to each other in predefined sets, with each predefined set including data elements in at least two of the entity fields. At least one linked list defines the relationship between data elements between each of the predefined sets and provides a means for retrieving all of the elements of any selected predefined set from the two entity fields. The linked list consists of two distinct portions, namely, a head portion associated with each member of one entity field and a continuation portion associated with each member of another entity field, while each entry consists of a pair of addresses thereby forming a doubly linked list.
Inventors
- 👤 John E. Layden
- 👤 Thomas A. Pearson
- 👤 David J. Layden
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 15:46
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/20; G06F16/28; G06F16/284; G06F16/288; G06F17/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
237 words
A method of handling pre-defined sets of related information in a general purpose computer comprising the steps of: constructing a database including a plurality of entity fields for containing arrays of data elements, adding data elements to the database such that data elements of each of said pre-defined sets are located in at least two of the entity fields, associating with each data element of a second entity field an address for a first and a last related element in a first entity field, the set of all such addresses for the first and the last related elements forming together a head of a linked list, associating with each data element of the first entity field an address for the next related element and an address for the previous related element of the first entity field, a set of all such addresses for said next and previous related elements forming together a continuation of a linked list, indexing the data elements in at least the second entity field in an order related to a selected characteristic of the data elements within the indexed entity field, and retrieving a selected one of said pre-defined sets of data elements from the first and second entity fields by conducting a binary search of the second entity field index to locate one data element of said pre-defined set, the remaining elements of said pre-defined set being specified by said linked list.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of adding a data element to the first entity field comprises the steps of: substituting in the head portion of said linked list the address of the added data element for the previously existing address of said last element of said first entity field related to the member of the second entity field to which the added data element is related, and adding said previously exising address to the continuation portion of the linked list to specify the address of said previous element associated with the added data element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the step of adding a data element to the first entity field further comprises the steps of: substituting the address of the added data element to the continuation portion of the linked list for the next related element of said previous element associated with the added data element, and adding an address for the next related element to the continuation portion of the linked list associated with the added data element symbolizing the end of the linked list.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
86 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the operation of deleting a selected data element from the first entity field by the steps of: substituting the address of the next and previous related elements of said selected data element at the locations in the continuation of the linked list where the address of the selected data element appears, and inserting in the continuation of the linked list at the location of the selected data element a value indicating that the array at that location is vacant.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
172 words
An entity-relation database comprising a plurality of entity fields containing arrays of data elements, the data elements being related to each other in pre-defined sets, each pre-defined set including data elements in at least two of the entity fields, the database further comprising: at least one linked list providing means for retrieving from a first of the entity fields all elements related to a selected element of a second of one entity fields in either of two reciprocal orders defined by the linked list, the linked list comprising: a head portion, associated with each member of the second entity field, containing an address for a first and a last element of said first entity field related to said each member of the second entity field, and a continuation portion, associated with each member of the first entity field, containing an address for each next element in said first entity field and an address for each previous element in said first entity field related to said each member of the second entity field.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
The entity-relation database of claim 5 further comprising indexing means for indexing the data elements of at least some of the plurality of entity fields including said second entity field into ordered arrays forming indexed entity fields to permit retrieval of any selected data element within such an indexed entity field and all related elements identified by said linked list associated therewith.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
The entity-relation database of claim 6 wherein the indexing means comprises a searchable series of integers related one-to-one to the data elements of each indexed entity field as a function of a selected characteristic of the data elements within the indexed entity field, and wherein the database further comprises means for conducting a binary search of the series of integers to locate a desired data element of the indexed entity field.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
87 words
The entity-relation database of claim 6 wherein the indexing means comprises a searchable network of integers arranged in groups of three integers for each of the data elements of each such indexed entity field, one of the three integers specifying the index integer of a parent data element of the same entity field, and each of the two remaining integers specifying the index integer of any immediately dependent data elements of the same entity field, the network of integers mapping the data elements onto an inverted tree.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
74 words
The entity-relation database of claim 5 further comprising a pointing field containing an addressable array of addresses of at least some of the data elements in said first entity field, and a pointer linked list providing means for retrieving from said first entity field by way of the pointing field all elements related to any selected element of a third entity field in either of two reciprocal orders defined by the pointer linked list.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
89 words
The entity-relation database of claim 9 wherein the pointer linked list comprises: a head portion containing an address, associated with each member of said third entity field, for a first and a last element of the pointing field pointing to a related element in said first of the entity fields, and a continuation portion containing an address for each next element of the pointing field and an address for each previous element of the pointing field pointing to the same related element in said first of the entity fields.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
76 words
The entity-relation database of claim 9 further comprising a second pointing field containing an addressable array of addresses of at least some of one data elements in said third entity field, and a pointer linked list providing means for retrieving from said third entity field by way of the pointing field all elements related to any selected element of said first entity field in either of two reciprocal orders defined by said second pointer linked list.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The entity-relation database of claim 11 wherein said first pointing field and said second pointing field are combined together to form a concatination of pointer fields allowing reciprocal retrieval of related data elements from both related entity fields.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The entity-relation database of claim 5 further comprising means for checking the integrety of the linked lists including means for comparing the sum of the first and next element addresses with the sum of the last and previous element addresses within each linked list.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
109 words
The entity-relation database of claim 5 further comprising means for providing a backup record of the database including permanent record storage means for storing a permanent record of the database, a cache divided into at least two portions connected to the permanent record storage means, means connected to the cache for logging to the cache each transaction within the database which causes a change to at least one data element within the database, and means for flushing the contents of one portion of the cache to the permanent record storage means upon the filling of said one portion while allowing logging to another portion of the cache to continue.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
233 words
An entity-relation database comprising a plurality of entity fields containing ordered arrays of data elements, the data elements being related to each other in pre-defined sets, each pre-defined set including data elements in at least two of the entity fields, the database further comprising: at least one pointing field containing an addressable array of addresses of at least some of the data elements in a first of the plurality of entity fields, at least one linked list providing means for retrieving from a first of the entity fields all elements related to a selected element of a second of the entity fields in either of two reciprocal orders defined by the linked list, the linked list comprising: a head portion containing an address, associated with each member of the second of said plurality of entity fields, for a first and a last element of the pointing field pointing to a related element in said first of the entity fields, and a continuation portion containing an address for each next element of the pointing field and an address for each previous element of the pointing field pointing to the same related element in said first of the entity fields, and means for checking the integrity of the linked lists including means for comparing the sum of the first and next addresses with the sum of the last and previous addresses within each linked list.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
78 words
The entity-relation database of claim 15 further comprising a second pointing field containing an addressable array of addresses of at least some of the data elements in said second entity field, and a second pointer linked list providing means for retrieving from said second entity field by way of the second pointing field all elements related to any selected element of said first entity field in either of two reciprocal orders defined by said second pointer linked list.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
119 words
In combination with a database retained in the memory of a general purpose computer, the improvement comprising means for providing a backup record of the database including a permanent record storage means for storing a permanent record of the database, a cache divided into at least two portions connected to the permanent record storage means, means connected to the cache for logging to the cache each transaction within the database which causes a change to at least one data element within the database, and means for flushing the contents of one portion of the cache to the permanent record storage means upon the filling of said one portion while allowing logging to another portion of the cache to continue.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The improvement of claim 17 wherein the permanent record storage means comprises an erasable medium, and means for recording data on said medium reflecting the contents of said one portion of said cache.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
The improvement of claim 17 further comprising means for preventing any changes in the database if no portion of the cache is available to receive the logging of database transactions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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