Patent ID: 7346628
Filing Date: 2008-03-18
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of updating and deleting values of attributes in a database, the database having stored in it a summary position in which attributes have associated with them a valid start time from which the value of the attribute will hold true and a valid end time up to which the value of the attribute will hold true, and a transaction time associated with the summary position at which transaction time the valid start time and valid end time of the value of the attribute are true, the method comprising performing updating and deleting logical operations on the values of attributes by inserting into the database a new insert summary position with a new particular transaction time without altering any existing summary position, logical update and delete of valid start time and valid end time for a value of an attribute being achieved by inserting the new summary position with a different valid start time or valid end time that is to be true for the new particular transaction time, wherein data relating to each attribute is held in corresponding data-entity associated Time Cubes that comprise valid and transaction time related values for different attributes in different attribute-slices of said Time Cube.