Back to results
US 5,671,404 AGranted
System for querying databases automatically
AssigneesMartin Lizee, Robert Lizee
InventorsMartin Lizee, Robert Lizee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneesMartin Lizee, Robert Lizee
InventorsMartin Lizee, Robert Lizee
Estimating the term…
A data processing system is disclosed to automatically query databases. The invention provides an Automatically Relaxable Query (ARQ) which includes a list of query conditions ordered in descending degree of importance. First, the database is queried on the first condition of the ARQ; if any object is found, the system labels this first condition. Then, the system proceeds with a query composed of all the conditions labelled previously in conjunction with the next condition of the ARQ; if any object is found then this next condition is labelled. And so on, in order, for all the remaining conditions of the ARQ until a predetermined termination condition is achieved. Finally, the system reports which conditions were labelled, and if the query composed of the labelled conditions matches only few objects of the database, they are automatically retrieved. The automatic querying with an ARQ enables faster searches, minimizes interaction between database and user and permits offline preparation of the search.
A method for automatically retrieving information from a database through a computer in communication with the database, the database having a plurality of retrieval objects, the computer defining a plurality of pre-ordered and distinct query conditions, wherein each query condition is ordered in a query condition list from the most important query condition to the least important query condition and wherein the most important query condition of the query condition list is initially designated as the current query condition, comprising the steps of:
A method for retrieving information from a database by an automatically relaxable query through a computer having a link with the database, the database having a plurality of retrieval objects, each retrieval object satisfying one or more query conditions, the automatically relaxable query being defined in the computer as a list of at least two query conditions ordered from the most important query condition to the least important query condition wherein each query condition of the list can be marked and starts as being unmarked and where the first query condition starts as being designated as the current query condition, comprising the steps of:
An automatic information retrieval system for use with a computer having a link to a database system containing a plurality of retrieval objects, each retrieval object satisfying one or more query conditions, a query inputting device for specifying a query expressed as a conjunction of query conditions, the information retrieval system comprising:
An automatic information retrieval method for use with a computer having a link to a database system containing a plurality of retrieval objects, each retrieval object satisfying one or more query conditions, a query inputting device for specifying a query expressed as a conjunction of query conditions, the information retrieval method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.