Intelligent joining system for a relational database

Claim 2

A computer operable method for automatically generating a structured query language query to extract data from a database wherein said database includes a schema defined by a plurality of record sources and a plurality of relationships therebetween, said method comprising: selecting a field set containing at least one field from among said plurality record sources in said database; determining a minimal path relationship between each of a plurality of field set record sources wherein each of said plurality of field set record sources contains at least one field from said field set and wherein said minimal path relationship includes at least one indirect relationship; generating a graph of a sub-schema of said database wherein said sub-schema is defined by said plurality of field set record sources and said minimal path relationship among said plurality of field set record sources; and generating said structured query language query based on said sub-schema and said minimal path relationship between each of said plurality of field set record sources.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 3 wherein said means for selecting a field set includes: means for selecting said database by way of user input command; means for generating a display of a plurality of fields in said plurality of record sources in said database; and means for selecting said field set from among said plurality of fields by way of a user input command.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 3 wherein said means for determining a minimal path relationship includes: means for generating a graph of said database wherein said graph includes a vertex for each record source therein and an edge for each relationship between two record sources and wherein each said relationship between two record sources can include a pseudo-relation between a first vertex representing a query-type record source and a second vertex representing another record source; means for generating a single edge vertex set that includes each single edge vertex in said graph that is connected to said graph by only one edge; means for generating a direct relation edge set that identifies each direct relation for each said single edge vertex in said graph; and means for generating a minimal path edge set that identifies each direct relation between a first field set vertex and a second field set vertex and any intervening non-field set vertex therebetween in said graph wherein said field set vertex is a vertex in said graph that represents a record source containing at least one field from said field set and wherein said minimal path edge set is derived from said direct relation edge set.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 5 wherein said means for generating a single edge vertex set includes: means for recursively examining each vertex in said graph in a manner comprising: means for identifying said single edge vertex in said graph; means for adding said single edge vertex to said single edge vertex set; and means for pruning said single edge vertex from said graph.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 5 wherein said means for generating a direct relation edge set includes: means for recursively examining each vertex in said graph in a manner comprising: means for identifying said single edge vertex in said graph; means for adding said direct relation edge corresponding to said single edge vertex to said direct relation edge set; and means for pruning said direct relation edge from said graph.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 5 wherein said means for generating a minimal path edge set includes: means for recursively examining said single edge vertex set in a manner comprising: means for identifying a single edge vertex in said single edge vertex set wherein said single edge vertex is also a field set vertex; means for adding said direct relation edge to said minimal path edge set for said direct relation edge corresponding to said single edge vertex; and means for replacing said single edge vertex in said single edge vertex set with a replacement vertex wherein said single edge vertex is on an originating end of said direct relation edge and said replacement vertex is on a terminating end of said direct relation edge; and means for adding at least one additional direct relation edge to said minimal path edge set for a minimal path between a first field set vertex and second field set vertex in a region of said graph that is identified as a cyclic graph.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 8 wherein said means for adding at least one additional direct relation edge includes: means for defining a component for each said field set vertex in said cyclic graph; and means for recursively consolidating each said non-component vertex with one of said components until only one component remains in said cyclic graph, wherein said means for recursively consolidating comprises: means for assigning a weighted score to each non-component vertex in said cyclic graph wherein said weighted score is based on an average proximity of each said non-component vertex to each component; means for consolidating a highest scoring non-component vertex into a nearest component; and means for adding a direct relation edge from between said highest scoring non-component vertex and said nearest component to said minimal path edge set.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 9 wherein said means for consolidating includes: means for resolving a tie in a weighted scoring by random selection.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 9 wherein said means for consolidating includes: means for resolving a tie in a weighted scoring by user intervention.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 3 including: means for generating a graph of a sub-schema of said database wherein said sub-schema is defined by said plurality of record sources in said database that contain at least one field from said field set; and means for generating a minimal set of said plurality of relationships.

Claim 15

A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying instructions executable by said computer to perform method steps for generating a structured query language statement to extract data from a database, wherein said database includes a schema defined by a plurality of record sources and a plurality of relationships therebetween, said method comprising: selecting a field set containing at least one field from among said plurality record sources in said database; determining a minimal path relationship between each of a plurality of field set record sources in said database wherein each of said plurality of field set record sources contains at least one field from said field set and wherein said minimal path relationship includes at least one indirect relationship between any two of said plurality of field set record sources; and generating said structured query language statement based on said plurality of field set record sources and said minimal path relationship between each of said plurality of field set record sources.

Claim 16

A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying instructions executable by said computer to perform method steps for generating a structured query language statement to extract data from a database, wherein said database includes a schema defined by a plurality of record sources and a plurality of relationships therebetween, said method comprising: selecting a field set containing at least one field from among said plurality record sources in said database; determining a minimal path relationship between each of a plurality of field set record sources in said database wherein each of said plurality of field set record sources contains at least one field from said field set and wherein said minimal path relationship includes at least one indirect relationship between any two of said plurality of field set record sources; and generating said structured query language statement based on said plurality of field set record sources and said minimal path relationship between each of said plurality of field set record sources.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 13 wherein said step of selecting a field set includes: selecting said database by way of user input command; generating a display of a plurality of fields in said plurality of record sources in said database; and selecting said field set from among said plurality of fields by way of a user input command.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 13 wherein said step of determining a minimal path relationship includes: generating a graph of said database wherein said graph includes a vertex for each record source therein and an edge for each relationship between two record sources and wherein each said relationship between two record sources can include a pseudo-relation between a first vertex representing a query-type record source and a second vertex representing another record source; generating a single edge vertex set that includes each single edge vertex in said graph that is connected to said graph by only one edge; generating a direct relation edge set that identifies each direct relation for each said single edge vertex in said graph; and generating a minimal path edge set that identifies each direct relation between a first field set vertex and a second field set vertex and any intervening non-field set vertex therebetween in said graph wherein said field set vertex is a vertex in said graph that represents a record source containing at least one field from said field set and wherein said minimal path edge set is derived from said direct relation edge set.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 15 wherein said step of generating a single edge vertex set includes: recursively examining each vertex in said graph in a manner comprising: identifying said single edge vertex in said graph; adding said single edge vertex to said single edge vertex set; and pruning said single edge vertex from said graph.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 15 wherein said step of generating a direct relation edge set includes: recursively examining each vertex in said graph in a manner comprising: identifying said single edge vertex in said graph; adding said direct relation edge corresponding to said single edge vertex to said direct relation edge set; and pruning said direct relation edge from said graph.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 15 wherein said step of generating a minimal path edge set includes: recursively examining said single edge vertex set in a manner comprising: identifying a single edge vertex in said single edge vertex set wherein said single edge vertex is also a field set vertex; adding said direct relation edge to said minimal path edge set for said direct relation edge corresponding to said single edge vertex; and replacing said single edge vertex in said single edge vertex set with a replacement vertex wherein said single edge vertex is on an originating end of said direct relation edge and said replacement vertex is on a terminating end of said direct relation edge; and adding at least one additional direct relation edge to said minimal path edge set for a minimal path between a first field set vertex and second field set vertex in a region of said graph that is identified as a cyclic graph.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 18 wherein said step of adding at least one additional direct relation edge includes: defining a component for each said field set vertex in said cyclic graph; and recursively consolidating each said non-component vertex with one of said components until only one component remains in said cyclic graph, wherein said recursively consolidating comprises: assigning a weighted score to each non-component vertex in said cyclic graph wherein said weighted score is based on an average proximity of each said non-component vertex to each component; consolidating a highest scoring non-component vertex into a nearest component; and adding a direct relation edge from between said highest scoring non-component vertex and said nearest component to said minimal path edge set.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 19 wherein said step of consolidating includes: resolving a tie in a weighted scoring by random selection.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 19 wherein said step of consolidating includes: resolving a tie in a weighted scoring by user intervention.

Claim 25

A method according to claim 13 including: generating a graph of a sub-schema of said database wherein said sub-schema is defined by said plurality of field set record sources; and generating a minimal set of said plurality of relationships.

Claim 26

A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying instructions executable by said computer to perform method steps for automatically generating a structured query language query to extract data from a database, wherein said database includes a schema defined by a plurality of record sources and a plurality of relationships therebetween, said method comprising: selecting a field set containing at least one field from among said plurality record sources in said database; determining a minimal path relationship between each of a plurality of field set record sources in said database wherein each of said plurality of field set record sources contains at least one field from said field set and wherein said minimal path relationship includes at least one indirect relationship between any two of said plurality of field set record sources, in a manner comprising: generating a graph of said database, wherein said graph includes a vertex for each record source therein and an edge for each relationship between two record sources and wherein each said relationship between two record sources can include a pseudo-relation between a first vertex representing a query-type record source and a second vertex representing another record source; generating a single edge vertex set that includes each single edge vertex in said graph that is connected to said graph by only one edge; generating a direct relation edge set that identifies each direct relation for each said single edge vertex in said graph; and generating a minimal path edge set that identifies each direct relation between a first field set vertex and a second field set vertex and any intervening non-field set vertex therebetween in said graph, wherein said field set vertex is a vertex in said graph that represents a record source containing at least one field from said field set, and wherein said minimal path edge set is derived from said direct relation edge set; generating a graph of a sub-schema of said database wherein said sub-schema is defined by said plurality of field set record sources; generating a minimal set of said plurality of relationships; generating said structured query language query defined by said field set record sources and said minimal set of said plurality of relationships; and outputting said structured query language query.

Claim 27

A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying instructions executable by said computer to perform method steps for automatically generating a structured query language query to extract data from a database, wherein said database includes a schema defined by a plurality of record sources and a plurality of relationships therebetween, said method comprising: selecting a field set containing at least one field from among said plurality record sources in said database; determining a minimal path relationship between each of a plurality of field set record sources in said database wherein each of said plurality of field set record sources contains at least one field from said field set and wherein said minimal path relationship includes at least one indirect relationship between any two of said plurality of field set record sources, in a manner comprising: generating a graph of said database, wherein said graph includes a vertex for each record source therein and an edge for each relationship between two record sources and wherein each said relationship between two record sources can include a pseudo-relation between a first vertex representing a query-type record source and a second vertex representing another record source; generating a single edge vertex set that includes each single edge vertex in said graph that is connected to said graph by only one edge; generating a direct relation edge set that identifies each direct relation for each said single edge vertex in said graph; and generating a minimal path edge set that identifies each direct relation between a first field set vertex and a second field set vertex and any intervening non-field set vertex therebetween in said graph, wherein said field set vertex is a vertex in said graph that represents a record source containing at least one field from said field set, and wherein said minimal path edge set is derived from said direct relation edge set; generating a graph of a sub-schema of said database wherein said sub-schema is defined by said plurality of field set record sources; generating a minimal set of said plurality of relationships; generating said structured query language query defined by said field set record sources and said minimal set of said plurality of relationships; and outputting said structured query language query.