US 8,285,739 B2Granted

System and method for identifying qualifying data records from underlying databases

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsRichard D. Dettinger, Daniel P. Kolz

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Abstract

A method, system and article of manufacture for creating queries against databases and, more particularly, for creating queries that are suitable to identify relevant information from one or more underlying databases. One embodiment provides a method of composing a query against data in a database. The method comprises receiving a query having one or more result fields and a plurality of query conditions. Each query condition defines selection criteria for selection of data records from the database. Each selected data record has data that satisfies at least one of the plurality of query conditions. Each of the plurality of query conditions has an associated weight. The method further comprises receiving an accuracy threshold for qualifying data records. The accuracy threshold defines a requested minimum accuracy of each selected data record defining a qualifying data record forming part of a valid result set returned for the query. For each selected data record, it is determined whether the accuracy threshold is satisfied with respect to a cumulative weight of those weighted query conditions that are satisfied.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method of composing a query against data in a database, comprising:

receiving a query having one or more result fields and a plurality of query conditions, wherein each query condition defining selection criteria for selection of data records from the database, wherein each query condition specifies at least a field name for identifying a set of data values stored in the database that are associated with the field name, a comparison operator, and a value expression for comparison with each of the set of data values associated with the field name, and wherein each selected data record stores a data value that satisfies at least one of the plurality of query conditions, and wherein each of the plurality of query conditions has a first and second associated weight associated with a first and second accuracy threshold, respectively;
receiving, for a first subset of query conditions of the plurality of query conditions, the first accuracy threshold;
receiving, for a second subset of query conditions of the plurality of query conditions, the second accuracy threshold for qualifying data records, the first and second accuracy thresholds each defining a respective requested minimum accuracy of each selected data record defining a qualifying data record forming part of a valid result set returned for the query;
and
for each selected data record, determining whether the first and second accuracy thresholds are satisfied with respect to a cumulative weight of said weighted query conditions that are satisfied, wherein determining comprises:
determining a first accuracy value on the basis of the first subset of query conditions, the first accuracy value being indicative of the accuracy of the data record with respect to the first subset of query conditions, and
determining a second accuracy value on the basis of the second subset of query conditions, the second accuracy value being indicative of the accuracy of the data record with respect to the second subset of query conditions;
and
including, as the qualifying data records, with the valid result set for the query all selected data records having at least one of the first and second accuracy values that exceeds at least one of the corresponding first and accuracy thresholds.

6 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs operations for executing a query against data in a database, the operations comprising:

receiving a query having one or more result fields and a plurality of query conditions, wherein each query condition defining selection criteria for selection of data records from the database, wherein each query condition specifies at least a field name for identifying a set of data values stored in the database that are associated with the field name, a comparison operator, and a value expression for comparison with each of the set of data values associated with the field name, and wherein each selected data record stores a data value that satisfies at least one of the plurality of query conditions, and wherein each of the plurality of query conditions has a first and second associated weight associated with a first and second accuracy threshold, respectively;
receiving, for a first subset of query conditions of the plurality of query conditions, the first accuracy threshold;
receiving, for a second subset of query conditions of the plurality of query conditions, the second accuracy threshold for qualifying data records, the first and second accuracy thresholds each defining a respective requested minimum accuracy of each selected data record defining a qualifying data record forming part of a valid result set returned for the query;
executing the query against the data in the database, comprising:
identifying all selected data records from the database,
applying, for a first subset of query conditions of the plurality of query conditions, the first accuracy threshold to each selected data record to determine whether the first accuracy threshold is satisfied for the selected data record with respect to a cumulative weight of said weighted query conditions that are satisfied thereby determining a first set of qualifying data records, and
applying, for a second subset of query conditions of the plurality of query conditions, the second accuracy threshold to each selected data record to determine whether the second accuracy threshold is satisfied for the selected data record with respect to a cumulative weight of said weighted query conditions that are satisfied thereby determining a second set of qualifying data records;
and
outputting the first set of qualifying data and the second set of qualifying data as a valid result set.

6 more elements

A system, comprising:

a processor;
a database accessible on a storage device, the database having data defining a plurality of data records;
a user interface for issuing a query against the database, the query having one or more result fields and a plurality of query conditions, each query condition defining selection criteria for selection of data records from the database, wherein each query condition specifies at least a field name for identifying a set of data values stored in the database that are associated with the field name, a comparison operator, and a value expression for comparison with each of the set of data values associated with the field name, and wherein each selected data record stores a data value that satisfies at least one of the plurality of query conditions, and wherein each of the plurality of query conditions has an associated weight;
and
a memory storing a query manager for executing the query against the database, the query manager being configured to:
receive the query,
identify all selected data records from the plurality of data records;
apply an accuracy threshold to each selected data record to determine whether the accuracy threshold is satisfied for the selected data record with respect to a cumulative weight of said weighted query conditions that are satisfied, wherein applying the accuracy threshold to each selected data record comprises:
applying, for a first subset of query conditions of the plurality of query conditions, a first accuracy threshold to the selected data record;
and
applying, for a second subset of query conditions of the plurality of query conditions, a second accuracy threshold to the selected data record;
for each selected data record:
determine a first accuracy value on the basis of the first subset of query conditions, the first accuracy value being indicative of the accuracy of the data record with respect to the first subset of query conditions;
and
determine a second accuracy value on the basis of the second subset of query conditions, the second accuracy value being indicative of the accuracy of the data record with respect to the second subset of query conditions, and
include, as the qualifying data records, with the valid result set for the query all selected data records having at least one of the first and second accuracy values that exceeds the accuracy threshold.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.