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US6363394B1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Auto-generation of table neighborhoods

Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1999-03-18
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Granted: 2002-03-26
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Expires: 2019-03-18
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Abstract

Abstract A system for automatically generating table neighborhoods comprises a database designer which automatically generates a database diagram for a selected table. The database designer automatically compiles a set of tables having the desired relation to a selected table. The desired level of relation may be several levels removed from the selected table, in which case, the database designer searches multiple levels for tables to be included in the database diagram. Thereafter, the database designer gathers format data for the selected table and the set of tables having the desired relation to the selected table. Finally, the database designer displays the selected table, the tables in the set of tables having the desired relation to the selected table, and the relationships between these tables.

Inventors

  • 👤 Vij Rajarajan
  • 👤 Casey L. Kiernan

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 19:24
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/20; G06F16/28; G06F16/284; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943; Y10S707/99944

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim 49 words
A database management system for managing data in a database, comprising: a database designer for creating a database diagram of tables in the database, wherein said database designer automatically displays a selected database table and related database tables having a selected level of relation with the selected database table.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 49 words
A database management system for managing data in a database, comprising: a database designer for creating a database diagram of tables in the database, wherein said database designer automatically displays a selected database table and related database tables having a selected level of relation with the selected database table.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 56 words
The database management system of claim 1 wherein said database designer searches the database for tables having a relationship to the selected table; retrieves format data related to the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table; and displays the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 69 words
The database management system of claim 1 , wherein said database designer compiles a set of related tables having a relationship to the selected table; retrieves format data about the selected table and each table in the set of related tables; and displays the selected table, each table in the set of related tables, and relationships between the selected table and each table in the set of related tables.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 65 words
A database management system for managing data in a database, comprising: computer-executable instructions for searching a database for tables having a relationship to the selected table; computer-executable instructions for formatting data related to the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table; and computer-executable instruction for automatically displaying the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 65 words
A database management system for managing data in a database, comprising: computer-executable instructions for searching a database for tables having a relationship to the selected table; computer-executable instructions for formatting data related to the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table; and computer-executable instruction for automatically displaying the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 78 words
A database management system for managing data in a database, comprising: computer-executable instruction for compiling a set of related tables having a relationship to a selected table; computer-executable instruction for retrieving format data about the selected table and each table in the set of related tables; and computer-executable instruction for automatically displaying the selected table, each table in the set of related tables, and relationships between the selected table and each table in the list of related tables.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 78 words
A database management system for managing data in a database, comprising: computer-executable instruction for compiling a set of related tables having a relationship to a selected table; computer-executable instruction for retrieving format data about the selected table and each table in the set of related tables; and computer-executable instruction for automatically displaying the selected table, each table in the set of related tables, and relationships between the selected table and each table in the list of related tables.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 75 words
A method for creating a database diagram for a selected table, comprising the following steps: searching a database for tables having a relationship to the selected table; retrieving format data related to the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table; automatically displaying the selected table, each table having a relationship to the selected table, and relationships between the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 75 words
A method for creating a database diagram for a selected table, comprising the following steps: searching a database for tables having a relationship to the selected table; retrieving format data related to the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table; automatically displaying the selected table, each table having a relationship to the selected table, and relationships between the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 41 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein said step of searching a database for tables having a relationship to the selected table comprises searching a database schema for tables defined in the schema as having a relationship to the selected table.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein said format data comprises column name, column character type, and column width.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 17 words
A computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 6 .
Claim 14
Independent Claim 73 words
A method for creating a database diagram for a selected table, comprising the following steps: compiling a set of related tables having a relationship to the selected table; retrieving format data about the selected table and each table in the set of related tables; and automatically displaying the selected table, each table in the set of related tables, and relationships between the selected table and each table in the set of related tables.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 73 words
A method for creating a database diagram for a selected table, comprising the following steps: compiling a set of related tables having a relationship to the selected table; retrieving format data about the selected table and each table in the set of related tables; and automatically displaying the selected table, each table in the set of related tables, and relationships between the selected table and each table in the set of related tables.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method for creating a database diagram of claim 10 , wherein said step of compiling a set of tables comprises: searching the database for tables within a defined level of relation with the selected table.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 46 words
The method for creating a database diagram of claim 11 , wherein said step of searching the database for tables having a relationship to the selected table comprises searching a database schema for tables defined in the schema as having a relationship to the selected table.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method for creating a database diagram of claim 10 , wherein the format data comprises column name, column character type, and column width.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method for creating a database diagram of claim 10 , wherein the defined level of relation is one level of relation.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method for creating a database diagram of claim 14 , wherein the defined level of relation is two levels of relation.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method for creating a database diagram of claim 14 , wherein the defined level of relation is three levels of relation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method for creating a database diagram of claim 14 , wherein the defined level of relation is defined by human input.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 17 words
A computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 10 .
Claim 24
Independent Claim 111 words
A method for creating a database diagram for a plurality of selected tables, comprising the following steps: searching a database for tables having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables; retrieving format data for each of the plurality of selected tables and each table having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables; and automatically displaying each of the plurality of selected tables, each table having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables, and relationships between the plurality of selected tables and each table having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables.
Claim 25
Independent Claim 111 words
A method for creating a database diagram for a plurality of selected tables, comprising the following steps: searching a database for tables having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables; retrieving format data for each of the plurality of selected tables and each table having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables; and automatically displaying each of the plurality of selected tables, each table having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables, and relationships between the plurality of selected tables and each table having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of creating a database diagram of claim 19 , wherein said plurality of selected tables is two tables.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 17 words
A computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 19 .

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4961139A Cited
US5428776A Cited
US5752018A Cited
US5495567A Cited
US6112199A Cited
US5950210A Cited
US5778390A Cited
US6085198A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2005-03-25 2005-09-24 2006-03-26 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2009-03-25 2009-09-24 2010-03-26 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2013-03-25 2013-09-24 2014-03-26 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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