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US6018742A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Constructing a bifurcated database of context-dependent and context-independent data items

Assignee: Perigis Corp
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Filing: 1998-07-07
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Granted: 2000-01-25
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Expires: 2018-07-07
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Abstract

Abstract A method of constructing a multi-lingual database includes the step of defining metadata to describe fields of a record as being either language-dependent or language-independent. The fields of the record are so described by flagging descriptions of columns associated with the fields in the metadata. A composite table, including a parent table and a child table, is then automatically generated. The parent table includes columns for the language-independent fields of the record, while the child table includes columns for the language-dependent fields of the record.

Inventors

  • 👤 Charles St. John Herbert, III

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 08:32
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/44; G06F9/451; G06F9/454; G06F16/00; G06F16/20; G06F16/28; G06F16/284; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim 59 words
A method of constructing a context-dependent database, the method including the steps of: creating metadata to describe fields of a record as being either context-dependent or context-independent; generating a context-independent table excluding columns for the context-dependent fields of the record; and generating a context-dependent table, associated with the context-independent table, excluding columns for the context-independent fields of the record.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 59 words
A method of constructing a context-dependent database, the method including the steps of: creating metadata to describe fields of a record as being either context-dependent or context-independent; generating a context-independent table excluding columns for the context-dependent fields of the record; and generating a context-dependent table, associated with the context-independent table, excluding columns for the context-independent fields of the record.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of automatically generating the context-independent and context-dependent tables utilizing the metadata.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of generating a record identifier for an entry of the context-independent table, and assigning the record identifier to multiple context-specific entries of the context-dependent table.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of generating a context identifier for each entry in the context-dependent table, the context identifier identifying the entry as being appropriate for a specific context.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the context identifier indicates a language preference.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the context identifier indicates a geographical location.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 12 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the context identifier indicates a user.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 39 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of generating a context table including a context record describing a context and including a context identifier for use in associating an entry in the context-dependent table with the context record.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the step of generating a context table comprises generating a user table including a record of user preferences.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of generating a unique key for each entry of the context-dependent table, the unique key comprising a record identifier and a context identifier.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 80 words
A method of constructing a context-dependent view of database information in a database including a context-dependent table and a context-independent table, the method including the steps of: identifying a field of a record to be retrieved as being either context-dependent or context-independent; and if the field is context-dependent, then retrieving database information for the field exclusively from a column associated with the field in a context-dependent table without reference to a column associated with a field in the context-independent table.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 80 words
A method of constructing a context-dependent view of database information in a database including a context-dependent table and a context-independent table, the method including the steps of: identifying a field of a record to be retrieved as being either context-dependent or context-independent; and if the field is context-dependent, then retrieving database information for the field exclusively from a column associated with the field in a context-dependent table without reference to a column associated with a field in the context-independent table.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method of claim 11 including the step of, if the field is context-independent, then retrieving the database information for the field exclusively from a context-independent table.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the step of identifying comprises referencing a metadata description of a column associated with the field to determine whether the field is context-dependent or context-independent.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 32 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the step of retrieving from the context-dependent table comprises locating an entry within the context-dependent table by referencing both a record identifier and a context identifier.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the context identifier indicates a language preference.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the context identifier indicates a geographical location.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 12 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the context identifier indicates a user.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 14 including the step of identifying the context identifier from a context table.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the context table comprises a user table.
Claim 22
Independent Claim 88 words
A method of constructing a multi-lingual database, the method including the steps of: defining metadata to describe a first field of record as being language-dependent and a second field of the record as being language-independent; automatically generating a first table, including a column for the first field of the record, but not having column for the second field; and automatically generating a second table, associated with the first table, including a column for the second field of the record, but not having a column for the first field.
Claim 23
Independent Claim 88 words
A method of constructing a multi-lingual database, the method including the steps of: defining metadata to describe a first field of record as being language-dependent and a second field of the record as being language-independent; automatically generating a first table, including a column for the first field of the record, but not having column for the second field; and automatically generating a second table, associated with the first table, including a column for the second field of the record, but not having a column for the first field.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 75 words
A computer-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to construct a database by performing the steps of: examining metadata that describes fields of a record as being either context-dependent or context-independent; automatically generating a context-independent table excluding columns for the context-dependent fields of the record; and generating a context-dependent table, associated with the context-independent table, excluding columns for the context-independent fields of the record.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 75 words
A computer-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to construct a database by performing the steps of: examining metadata that describes fields of a record as being either context-dependent or context-independent; automatically generating a context-independent table excluding columns for the context-dependent fields of the record; and generating a context-dependent table, associated with the context-independent table, excluding columns for the context-independent fields of the record.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 29 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of automatically generating the context-independent and context-dependent tables utilizing the metadata.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 44 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the steps of generating a record identifier for an entry of the context-independent table, and of assigning the record identifier to multiple context-specific entries of the context-dependent table.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 43 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of generating a context identifier for each entry in the context-dependent table, the context identifier identifying the entry as being appropriate for a specific context.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 14 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein the context identifier indicates a language preference.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 14 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein the context identifier indicates a geographical location.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 13 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein the context identifier indicates a user.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 50 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of generating a context table including a context record describing a context and including a context identifier for use in associating an entry in the context dependent table with the context entry.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 30 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 28 where in the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of generating a user table including a record of user preferences.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 41 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of generating a unique key for each entry of the context-dependent table, the unique key comprising a record identifier and a context identifier.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 85 words
A computer-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to construct a context-dependent view of database information by performing the steps of: identifying a field of a record to be retrieved as being either context-dependent or context-independent; and if the field is context-dependent, then retrieving database information for the field exclusively from a column associated with the field in a context-dependent table without reference to a column associated with a field in the context-independent table.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 85 words
A computer-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to construct a context-dependent view of database information by performing the steps of: identifying a field of a record to be retrieved as being either context-dependent or context-independent; and if the field is context-dependent, then retrieving database information for the field exclusively from a column associated with the field in a context-dependent table without reference to a column associated with a field in the context-independent table.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 38 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of, if the field is context-independent, retrieving the database information for the field directly and exclusively from a context-independent table.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim 39 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of referencing a metadata description of a column associated with the field to determine whether the field is context-dependent or context-independent.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim 36 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of locating an entry within the context-dependent table by referencing both a record identifier and a context identifier.
Claim 40
Independent Claim 91 words
A method of constructing a context-dependent view of database information in a database including a context-dependent table and a context-independent table, the method including the steps of: referencing a metadata description of a column, associated with a field of a record to be retrieved, to determine whether the field is context-dependent or context-independent; and if the field is context-dependent, then retrieving database information for the field exclusively from a column associated with the field in a context-dependent table without reference to a column associated with a field in the context-independent table.
Claim 41
Independent Claim 91 words
A method of constructing a context-dependent view of database information in a database including a context-dependent table and a context-independent table, the method including the steps of: referencing a metadata description of a column, associated with a field of a record to be retrieved, to determine whether the field is context-dependent or context-independent; and if the field is context-dependent, then retrieving database information for the field exclusively from a column associated with the field in a context-dependent table without reference to a column associated with a field in the context-independent table.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2003-01-24 2003-07-26 2004-01-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2007-01-24 2007-07-26 2008-01-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2011-01-24 2011-07-26 2012-01-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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