Database management system and method for combining meta-data of varying degrees of reliability
US6044370A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 26, 1998 |
| Grant date | Mar 28, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 26, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99934
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a database management system (DBMS) or other data processing system or product that stores and processes information, a subset of the stored information is stored as annotated values. Each annotated value has a stored data value and an associated data reliability value, where the data reliability value is a member of a domain that includes at least three distinct data reliability values corresponding to at least three distinct data reliability classifications that can apply to the annotated values stored in the database. Typically, one of the data reliability classifications represents fully reliable data and at least two of the distinct data reliability classifications represent two distinct classifications of missing data or less than fully reliable data. A query executer or other data processing procedure executes queries requesting access to information stored in the database (or other data processing tasks). The query executer includes annotated nullable logic for evaluating expressions containing at least one annotated value as an operand. The annotated nullable logic includes logic (i.e., instructions) for combining annotated values, for comparing annotated values so as t…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.