US5485567A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Iconic table of database information
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1994-09-15
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Granted: 1996-01-16
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Expires: 2014-09-15
Abstract
Abstract A method, system and program for displaying database information via a table containing icons and other summary information which clearly and concisely convey particular aspects of a database to a user. The table display acts as a window into a database when it is selected by a user. A user can also make changes to the database via the window of information.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth R. Banning
- 👤 George P. Erwin-Grotsky
- 👤 Shih-Gong Li
- 👤 Alejandra Sanchez-Frank
- 👤 Theodore Shrader
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 00:22
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0487; G06F3/0489; G06F16/00; G06F16/20; G06F16/21; G06F16/217; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934; Y10S715/00; Y10S715/961; Y10S715/965; Y10S715/966; Y10S715/968
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
An apparatus for graphically displaying on a display information of a plurality of vertical columns in at least one table of a database, comprising: (a) means for accessing a data structure in memory containing the information for each of the columns and generating icons representative of the information, wherein at least one of the icons represents a primary key having values uniquely identifying a single horizontal row of the plurality of vertical columns in the table; (b) means for displaying the icons on the display; and (c) means for placing alphanumeric representations of the information on the display, wherein at least one alphanumeric representation represents a number of the foreign keys that one of the columns belongs to.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
118 words
An apparatus for graphically displaying on a display information of a plurality of vertical columns in at least one table of a database, comprising: (a) means for accessing a data structure in memory containing the information for each of the columns and generating icons representative of the information, wherein at least one of the icons represents a primary key having values uniquely identifying a single horizontal row of the plurality of vertical columns in the table; (b) means for displaying the icons on the display; and (c) means for placing alphanumeric representations of the information on the display, wherein at least one alphanumeric representation represents a number of the foreign keys that one of the columns belongs to.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein a second icon represents a foreign key.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the icons change based on changes to the information.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, including means for placing a second alphanumeric representation of the information on the display, wherein the second alphanumeric representation represents a column sequence number.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
112 words
A method for graphically displaying information of a plurality of vertical columns of a database table on a display, comprising the steps of: (a) accessing a data structure containing the information for each of the columns in the table and generating icons representative of the information, wherein at least one of the icons represents a primary key having values uniquely identifying a single horizontal row of the plurality of vertical columns in the table; (b) displaying the icons on the display; and (c) placing alphanumeric representations of the information on the display, wherein at least one alphanumeric representation represents a number of the foreign keys that one of the column belongs to.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
112 words
A method for graphically displaying information of a plurality of vertical columns of a database table on a display, comprising the steps of: (a) accessing a data structure containing the information for each of the columns in the table and generating icons representative of the information, wherein at least one of the icons represents a primary key having values uniquely identifying a single horizontal row of the plurality of vertical columns in the table; (b) displaying the icons on the display; and (c) placing alphanumeric representations of the information on the display, wherein at least one alphanumeric representation represents a number of the foreign keys that one of the column belongs to.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 5, including the step of changing the icons based on changes to the information.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as recited in claim 5, including the step of accessing information in the data structure and placing a second alphanumeric representation of the information on the display, wherein the second alphanumeric representation represents a column sequence number.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-01-15 | 1999-07-17 | 2000-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-01-15 | 2003-07-17 | 2004-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-01-15 | 2007-07-17 | 2008-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |