Patent ID: 6920457
Filing Date: 2005-07-19
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. Database receiving information in the form of arbitrarily structured data sets in at least one storage device of one or more data processing devices, having hierarchy levels, whereby a superior hierarchy level contains information elements for a definition of the structure of information elements of a subordinate hierarchy level, and a subordinate hierarchy level contains information elements in an instantiation in accordance with a structure which is defined by at least one information element of the superior hierarchy level, a first hierarchy level contains information elements for the definition of the structure of information elements of a second hierarchy level, a second hierarchy level contains information elements for the definition of the structure of information elements of a third hierarchy level, a third hierarchy level contains information elements for receiving information, and a link structure connects the information on different hierarchy levels, characterized in that the link structure contains in a first internal data field a first attribute for the unique association of an information element with an information element or with a set of information elements of the first hierarchy level, in a second internal data field a second attribute for the unique association of an information element with an information element or with a set of information elements of the second hierarchy level, in a third internal data field a third attribute for the unique association of an information element with a set of information elements of the third hierarchy level, and the allocation of an information element to a hierarchy level is determined from the existence of and/or the values of the attributes in the first, second and third internal data fields of the link structure.