Relationship based tree structure with scoped parameters

A system for storing information about tree structures, comprising:

• means for identifying nodes and relationships between the nodes for each given tree, each of the identified nodes including one or more parameters;
• means for defining for each parameter of the identified nodes, if more than one node of any of the given tree shares the parameter, a scoping for the parameter to cover all of the nodes to which the parameter is applicable,
• wherein the system is adapted to apply, to each node covered by the defined scoping, one or more scope types having a varying specificity, the varying specificity identifying whether a node, among the nodes covered by the scoping, should be updated depending upon a location of the node in the given tree;
• means for assigning each scope type a scope priority value;
• means for receiving a query related to the shared parameter for which the scoping is defined;
• means for determining, if the shared parameter has more than one parameter value assigned to the nodes covered by the scoping, a parameter value assigned to a node, from among the nodes covered by the scoping, having a highest scope priority value based on the one or more scope types applied to the nodes and the corresponding scope priority value assigned to the one or more scope types;
• and
• means for presenting the determined parameter value with the highest scope priority value in response to the query.

A data processor readable medium storing data processor code that when loaded onto a data processing device adapts the device to store information about tree structures, the data processor readable medium comprising:

• code for identifying, for each given tree, nodes and relationships between the nodes, each of the identified nodes including one or more parameters;
• code for defining for each parameter of the identified nodes, if more than one node of any of the given tree shares the parameter, a scoping for the parameter to cover all of the nodes to which the parameter is applicable;
• code for applying, to each node covered by the defined scoping, one or more scope types having a varying specificity, the varying specificity identifying whether a node, among the nodes covered by the scoping, should be updated depending upon a location of the node in the given tree;
• code for assigning each scope type a scope priority value;
• code for receiving a query related to the shared parameter for which the scoping is defined;
• code for determining, if the shared parameter has more than one parameter value assigned to the nodes covered by the scoping, a parameter value assigned to a node, from among the nodes covered by the scoping, having a highest scope priority value based on the one or more scope types applied to the nodes and the corresponding scope priority value assigned to the one or more scope types;
• and
• code for presenting the determined parameter value with the highest scope priority value in response to the query.

A system for storing information about tree structures, comprising:

• a hardware processor connected to a memory;
• an identifying module, executed on the hardware processor, which identifies nodes and relationships between the nodes for each given tree, each of the identified nodes including one or more parameters;
• a defining module which defines, for each parameter of the identified nodes, if more than one node of any of the given tree shares the parameter, a scoping for the parameter to cover all of the nodes to which the parameter is applicable, the defined scoping stored in the memory;
• an applying module which applies, to each node covered by the defined scoping, one or more scope types having a varying specificity, the varying specificity identifying whether a node, among the nodes covered by the scoping, should be updated depending upon a location of the node in the given tree;
• as assigning module which assigns each scope type a scope priority value;
• a receiving module which receives a query related to the shared parameter for which the scoping is defined;
• a determining module which determines, if the shared parameter has more than one parameter value assigned to the nodes covered by the scoping, a parameter value assigned to a node, from among the nodes covered by the scoping, having a highest scope priority value based on the one or more scope types applied to the nodes and the corresponding scope priority value assigned to the one or more scope types;
• and
• a presenting module which presents the determined parameter value with the highest scope priority value in response to the query.