US6523028B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system for universal querying of distributed databases
Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corp
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Filing: 1999-12-02
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Granted: 2003-02-18
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Expires: 2019-12-02
Abstract
Abstract A method and system for accessing information or data from distributed databases is disclosed. Generally, the method includes the steps of receiving an unstructured query from a user, generalizing the query to expand the query, receiving from the user selected terms of the expanded query, searching a directory for database tables and/or attributes matching the selected terms, and generating a pictorial query using database tables suggested as relevant by the search. Thereafter, an SQL query may be generated to retrieve the relevant data from the actual distributed databases.
Inventors
- 👤 Virginia Ann DiDomizio
- 👤 Walter Vincent Dixon, III
- 👤 Scott D. Epter
- 👤 Louis John Hoebel
- 👤 Osman Rifki Oksoy
- 👤 Jonathan Peter Stillman
- 👤 Jennifer M. Corman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:42
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/20; G06F16/24; G06F16/245; G06F16/2452; G06F16/24522; G06F16/242; G06F16/2428; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/964; Y10S707/966; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99935
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
231 words
A method of obtaining information from a plurality of distributed databases, comprising the steps of: receiving a first query from a first user; processing the first query to identify a plurality of key terms in the first query, the plurality of key terms comprising at least one of a first noun and a first noun phrase; displaying to the first user an expanded query including at least a plurality of returned key terms; receiving from the first user a plurality of select key terms, the plurality of select key terms being selected from the plurality of returned key terms by the first user; processing the select key terms to retrieve a plurality of attributes and a plurality of table names, wherein the plurality of attributes corresponds to the plurality of table names, wherein the plurality of table names correspond to a plurality of tables in the plurality of distributed databases; displaying to the first user the plurality of table names and the plurality of attributes; receiving from the first user a final query, the final query including a plurality of select tables, the plurality of select tables being selected from the plurality of table names by the first user; processing the final query to generate a first SQL query corresponding to the final query; and returning to the first user a first data result set based on the first SQL query.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
231 words
A method of obtaining information from a plurality of distributed databases, comprising the steps of: receiving a first query from a first user; processing the first query to identify a plurality of key terms in the first query, the plurality of key terms comprising at least one of a first noun and a first noun phrase; displaying to the first user an expanded query including at least a plurality of returned key terms; receiving from the first user a plurality of select key terms, the plurality of select key terms being selected from the plurality of returned key terms by the first user; processing the select key terms to retrieve a plurality of attributes and a plurality of table names, wherein the plurality of attributes corresponds to the plurality of table names, wherein the plurality of table names correspond to a plurality of tables in the plurality of distributed databases; displaying to the first user the plurality of table names and the plurality of attributes; receiving from the first user a final query, the final query including a plurality of select tables, the plurality of select tables being selected from the plurality of table names by the first user; processing the final query to generate a first SQL query corresponding to the final query; and returning to the first user a first data result set based on the first SQL query.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first query is an unstructured query.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said step of processing the first query comprises the step of stemming a first of the plurality of key terms.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the first query comprises the step of: identifying at least one of a first verb and a first data item within the first query.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said step of processing the first query comprises the step of identifying at least a first synonym of a first of the plurality of key terms.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: ranking at least each of the plurality of select key terms to produce a rank of terms; and, storing the rank of terms for the first user.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the first query comprises the stop of stemming a first of the plurality of key terms.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the step of processing the first query filter comprises the step of identifying at least a first synonym of a first of the plurality of key terms.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising the steps of; ranking at least each of the plurality of selected key terms to produce a rank of terms; and storing the rank of terms for the first user.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the first query further comprises the steps of: identifying at least one of a verb and a first data item within the first query; and identifying at least a first synonym for a first of the plurality of key terms.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the step of processing the first query further comprises the step of stemming a first of the plurality of key terms.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising the step(s) of; ranking at least each of the plurality of selected key terms to produce a rank of terms; and storing the rank of terms for the first user.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said step of processing the selected key terms comprises the step of using the selected key terms to search the plurality of distributed databases.
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