Abstract:
A database system comprising a novel process for the formatting, association, storage and retrieval of amorphous, structured or ordered data. The database system enables the dynamic accumulation and integration of unpredicted or unforeseen data, entities and relationships into a database. Each and every individual datum contained in the database system is associated with a unique license number. Each license number uniquely refers to only one entity, datum, attribute, relationship or relationship attribute. A unique entity license number is established, from which and to which entity attributes, relationships, relationship attributes and other entity license numbers are associated, structured and/or ordered. An entity license list contains a list of unique entity license numbers. Each attribute license includes a unique attribute license number, at least one unique entity license number, at least one value and optionally at least one name descriptor of a value.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the architecture of computer implemented database systems. More particularly, the present invention addresses requirements to flexibly associate, order and retrieve data within and from computer systems. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Electronic information storage and management is a fundamental aspect of most business and government activities in the industrialized world. Even minimal improvements in the art of database design and structure can have profound effects in the operational efficiencies of numerous organizations and even entire sectors of the economy. 
     The exponential growth of data generated by Internet traffic has especially created huge opportunities for those enterprises that can rapidly benefit from the creative and innovative analyses of previously unavailable information. Yet conventional database designs are most effective in ordering and retrieving data in accordance with previously defined relationships among the data elements. 
     Additionally, large organizations typically have multiple points of data entry and management within a distributed computer network. These networks will usually receive data from a variety of sources and from numerous kinds of sources, such as Internet messages and manual transference from hard copy documents. Information management in these cases is made all the more challenging because the value and significance of the data being entered is often indefinite or unknown at the time of data capture by the system. In addition, the significance of data can change over time in unforeseeable ways. 
     There is, therefore, a long felt need in the art of computer implemented database design, generation and use to provide a method to flexibly create relatedness among the stored data elements in relationship patterns that are often of unforeseeable or unpredictable significance, nature or value at the time of entry of some of the data values. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique to relate data stored in a computer database to other data stored therein and that is related to a specified entity. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method to uniquely identify individual data stored in a computer database. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a methodology to relate new data to previously identified entity or to new a newly specified entity. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a computer implemented database system, which is oriented to the organization of amorphous data. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by the method of the present invention wherein the generation of a unique identification number is generated within or provided to, a computer implemented database system for an entity of interest. Consider that an entity of interest might be a customer, a project, a part, a supplier, an employee, an account a competitor, or any number of material, actual, fictional or abstract things, beings, persons, organizations, ideas, documents, files, wirings, formulations or constructs. Identifying the existence of an entity of interest within the database system can be accomplished by creating an Entity License with an Entity License Number Field. The Entity License Number is a number that is unique to, or uniquely distinguished from, all license numbers through out the database system. 
     Associating an attribute with an Entity License may be accomplished by creating an Attribute License. The Attribute License provides at least three fields, these necessary fields being an Attribute License Field, an Entity License Number Field, an Attribute Value Field. The Attribute License may contain other optional fields, such as an Attribute Name Field or additional Entity License Number Fields. 
     The Attribute License Number Field contains an Attribute License Number that is unique to, or uniquely distinguished from, all license numbers found within the database. The Entity License Number Field contains an Entity License Number to which the instant Attribute License is thereby associated. The Attribute Value Field specifies the Attribute Value that is associated with the referenced Entity. The optional Attribute Name Field may contain information that describes a category or quality of information to which the Attribute Value is related. The optional additional Entity License Num to which the Attribute Value is related. The optional additional Entity License Number Fields enable the association of the Attribute License, and thereby the Attribute Value with more than two Entity Licenses, by means of including at least one additional and relevant Entity License Number in the additional Entity License Number Fields. 
     An example of the design of an Attribute License might include the association of an Attribute Value of RED with an Attribute Name of COLOR and with a unique Entity License Number. The inclusion of additional Entity License Numbers in this example might allow the same Attribute License to associate the color of red with an automobile, an apple, a dress and a graphic image element. 
     Relationships between Entities can be recorded in the database by means of a Relationship License. A Relationship License minimally contains a Relationship License Number Field, a First Entity License Number Field and a Second Entity License Number Field. The Relationship License Field includes a Relationship License Number that is unique to, or uniquely distinguished from, all license numbers contained within the database. The First and Second Entity License Number Fields contain Entity License Numbers. The First and Second Entity License Numbers recorded in these two fields may be identical, as on occasion a relationship may be found to be self-referential, such as where a particular employee is authorized to change a status indicator relating to himself or herself. Either the First or Second Entity License Numbers may be designated with a FROM quality or a TO quality, whereby a vector or flow indicator is indicated the Relationship License. The FROM/TO vector of the Relationship License may be to inform the database system that the instant Relationship License presents a directional aspect of a relationship existing between two or more entities. 
     Additional optional Entity License Number Fields with additional Entity License Numbers may be included in a Relationship License whereby more than two Entities are designated as being related. These additionally generated Entity License Number Fields may alternately be designated as presenting FROM, TO or other qualities. 
     The indication of the FROM or TO qualities may alternately be made by the order of the Entity License Number Fields within in the Relationship License itself, or by the value of the Relationship License Number, or by some additional Tag Field Value, or by some other method known in the art. The indication of the relatedness of a specified quality, by any means disclosed herein or known in the art, to an Entity License Number or an Entity License Number Field is referred to herein as the tagging of the instant number or field. 
     The method of the present invention further comprises the creation of a fourth optional license, identified as a Relationship Attribute License. Relationship Attribute Values may be associated with designated Relationship Licenses by means of the Relationship Attribute License. A Relationship Attribute License format contains at least a Relationship Attribute License Number Field, a Relationship License Number Field and a Relationship Attribute Value Field. The Attribute License format may further contain other optional fields, such as a Relationship Attribute Name Field or additional Relationship License Number Fields. 
     The Relationship Attribute License Number Field contains a Relationship Attribute License Number that is unique to, or uniquely distinguished from, all license numbers found within the database. The Relationship License Number Field contains a Relationship License Number to which the instant Relationship Attribute License is thereby associated. The Relationship Attribute Value Field presents the Relationship Attribute Value that is associated with the referenced Relationship License. The optional Relationship Attribute Name Field may contain information that describes or denotes a category or quality of information to which the Relationship Attribute Value is related or designated as being associated with. The optional additional Relationship License Number Fields enable the association of the Relationship Attribute License, and thereby the Relationship Attribute Value contained therein, with more than one Relationship License, by means of including at least one additional Relationship License Number in the additional Relationship License Number Fields. 
     An example of the design of a Relationship Attribute License might include the association of an Relationship Attribute Value of MOTHER, and optionally denoting a Relationship Attribute Name of PARENT, with a unique Relationship License, wherein an Entity License tagged with a FROM quality denotes a patient Mary Smith and a Entity License tagged with a TO quality, identifies a child Frank Smith, are specified. The inclusion of additional Relationship License Fields and Numbers in this example Relationship Attribute License might allow the same Relationship Attribute License to associate Mary Smith&#39;s parental state of motherhood with more than one child. 
     The flexibility of the method of the present invention allows for the association of data to an established Entity License by the database system in cases where the desire or intent to include such new data as associative with the Entity License was wholly unexpected or even unforeseeable. This characteristic of the method of the present invention enables the present invention to provide an evolving capability to a data base system, where the structure of the interrelatedness of the data develops in to meet unpredicted data management requirements of data base system users. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These, and further features of the invention, may be better understood with reference to the accompanying specification and drawings depicting the preferred embodiment, in which: 
     FIG. 1A depicts a list of Entity Licenses. 
     FIG. 1B is a tabular representation of the list of Entity License Numbers of FIG.  1 A and the entities that which these Entity License Numbers serve to identify. 
     FIG. 2 depicts an Attribute License Format. 
     FIGS. 3A,  3 B and  3 C depict alternate embodiments of Relationship License Formats. 
     FIG. 4 depicts a Relationship Attribute License Format. 
     FIG. 5 is a relationship diagram of a simple database designed in accordance with the method of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 depicts a set of Attribute Licenses used in the database of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 depicts a set of Relationship Licenses used in the database of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 8 depicts a set of Relationship Attribute Licenses used in the database of FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In describing the preferred embodiments, certain technology will be utilized for the sake of clarity. Such terminology is intended to encompass the recited embodiment, as well as all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner for a similar purpose to achieve a similar result. The various preferred embodiments of the method of the present invention are implemented in structured query language, or SQL, object oriented database systems, XML server data base systems, file server systems, and other database systems known in the art. 
     Suppose that we are seeking to architect and implement a database structure that enables our organization or corporation to capture, organize and relate varieties of data about many categories of interrelated entities. The data varieties might include or describe documents, registration numbers, medical records, legal histories, financial transactions, budgetary specifications, credit evaluations, medications, chemical compositions, musical compositions and other data of these and other data types known in the art, to include graphical, visual, audio, numerical and textual. The entities of interest to our enterprise might include corporate departments, teams, agencies, persons, patients, consultants, suppliers, manufacturers, serial numbers, products, tools, documents, instructions, electronic messages, ideas, brand names, constructs, graphic images, sounds, words, dates, locations, parts, part numbers, slogans, and other entity types known in the art. 
     Let us further suppose that we are part of a medical service organization and that we are receiving information relevant to our patients, their children, medications and pharmaceutical suppliers from a variety of sources to include Internet transmissions, electronic messages and other Internet transactions, printed medical journals, radio bulletins, patient interviews, written annotations, dictation transcripts, handwritten notes and other sources. 
     The preferred embodiment may be implemented in a computer system using an operating system such as UNIX, Linux, HPUX, Windows 95, Windows 98, or NT. The preferred embodiment may run under an SQL system such as Microsoft Access or another database system known in the art. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the preferred embodiment of a computer implemented database system designed to address the requirements and conditions of our enterprise includes the generation of Entity Licenses  2  for those entities of interest or value to our considerations. An Entity License  2  comprises an Entity License Number Field  3  and an Entity License Number  4  stored within the Entity License Number Field  3 . FIG. 1A describes a stack of Entity Licenses  2 . FIG. 1B is an explanatory table and displays the Entity License Numbers  4  of FIG. 1A against actually existing entities to which each Entity License  2  of FIG. 1A is intended to relate. A patient Mary Smith is referred to by a unique Entity License Number  4  of  1005 , her two children Frank and Anne are each uniquely identified by their respective Entity License Numbers  4  of  1117  and  1539 . Mary Smith&#39;s medical history file is also identified by a unique Entity License Number  4  of  1966 , as is a medication Plaseebo by the Entity License Number  4  of  1724 , and the manufacturer of Plaseebo, Drugs Worldwide Inc., by the Entity License Number  4  of  1898 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, the format of an Attribute License  6  includes an Attribute License Number Field  8 , an Entity License Number Field  10 , optional Additional Entity License Number Fields  12 , an optional Attribute Name Field  14 , an Attribute Value Field  16  and an optional Flag Field  18 . The Attribute License  6  of FIG. 2 is identified by an Attribute License Number  8  of  2531 . The Attribute License Number  20  is stored in the Attribute License Number Field  8 . Each Attribute License Number  20  is unique, or uniquely identifiable through out the database structure. The Entity License Number  4  of  1005  stored in the Entity License Number Field  10  specifies that the Attribute License  6  refers to the Entity License  2  that exists to relate information relevant to one Mary Smith. The optional Additional Entity License Number Fields  12  may be used to associate the Attribute License  6  with other Entity Licenses  2  in addition to the Entity License  2  associated with Mary Smith. The optional Attribute Name Field  14  stores an Attribute Name  21  of INSURER. The Attribute Value Field  16  stores Attribute Value  22  of GREENCROSS, GREENCROSS being the name of an insurer that is related in some way to Mary Smith. The optional Flag Field  18  contains a binary pattern  19  that informs the database about the nature of the Attribute License  6 , such as whether this Attribute License  6  of FIG. 2 includes only one or more than one Entity License Number Fields  4 , 12 , or whether this Attribute License  6  does or does not include an Attribute Name Field  14 . The database manager may, for example, structure a single Attribute License  6  to relate the medical insurance company of Green Cross to Mary Smith only, or additionally to Mary, Frank and Anne Smith. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3A, the format of a Relationship License  23 A includes a Relationship License Number Field  24 , a FROM Entity License Number Field  26 , a TO Entity License Number Field  28 , optional Additional FROM and TO Entity License Number Fields  30 ,  32 , and an optional Flag Field  22 . The designation of an Entity License Number  4  included in the Relationship License  23 A as being a FROM or a TO Entity License Number  4  is determined in the format presented in FIG. 3A by the placement of the Entity License Number  4  within the Relationship License  23 A. These TO and FROM qualities of the Entity License Numbers  4  are not intrinsic to the Entity License Numbers  4  but are established by the structure of the Relationship License  23 A, or by a combination of the format of the Relationship License  23 A, a binary pattern  22  contained in the optional Flag Field  34 , and/or programming of the database processing tools. The Relationship License Number Field  24  contains a Relationship License Number  35  of  4306 . This number of  4306  is unique or uniquely distinguishes the Relationship License  23 A of FIG. 3A from all other License Numbers  4 ,  20 ,  35 &amp;  58  of the database system. The FROM Entity License Number Field  26  contains the Entity License Number  4  of  1005 . The TO Entity License Number Field  28  contains the Entity License Number  4  of  1117 . As discussed above, the Entity License Number  4  of  1005  is used as a marker to which data that is determined to be relevant to Mary Smith may be linked or referred. The Entity License Number  4  of  1117 , as mentioned previously, refers to Frank Smith, and this Entity License Number  4  of  1117  may be used to note within the computer database that specified information is related to the person of Frank Smith. The optional Flag Field  34  contains the binary pattern  22  that may inform the database about the nature of the Relationship License  23 A, such as whether this Relationship License  23 A includes only one or more than one FROM Entity License Number Fields  26 ,  30 , and whether this Relationship License includes only one or more than one TO Entity License Number Fields  28 ,  32 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 3B, an alternate design of a Relationship License  23 B includes a Relationship License Number  35 , a First Entity License Number  36 , 4 , a Second Entity License Number  38 ,  4  and an optional Tag Field  40 . The Tag Field  40  indicates to the computer system implementing the database that the First Entity License  36 ,  4  has a TO quality appended and that the Second Entity License  38 ,  4  has a FROM quality appended. This alternate preferred embodiment of the Relationship License  23 B actualizes the designation of TO and FROM qualities, and potentially other qualities or characteristics known in the art, to Entity Licenses  2  within an alternate format of a Relationship License  23 B. It is noteworthy that the placement of the Entity License Numbers  4  within the Relationship License  23 B of FIG. 3B is not wholly determinative of qualities that may by appended to either Entity License Numbers  4 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 3C, a Relationship License  23 C has two Neutral Entity License Number Fields  43  and thereby simply denotes that the Entity License Number  4  of  1539  for Anne Smith and the Entity License Number  4  of  1117  for Frank Smith are related and that this Relationship License  23 C has no FROM or TO qualities related to either of the two included Neutral Entity License Number Fields  43  or Numbers  4 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, the format of a Relationship Attribute License  44  includes Relationship Attribute License Number Field  46 , a Relationship License Number Field  48 , optional Additional Relationship License Number Fields  50 , an optional Relationship Attribute Name Field  52 , a Relationship Attribute Value Field  54  and an optional Flag Field  56 . The Relationship Attribute License  44  of FIG. 4 is identified by a uniquely distinguishable Relationship Attribute License Number  58  of  6001 . This Relationship Attribute License Number  58  of  6001  is stored in the Relationship Attribute License Number Field  46 . Each Relationship Attribute License Number  58  is unique, or uniquely identifiable through out the database structure. The Relationship License Number  35  of  4306  stored in the Relationship License Number Field  48  specifies that the Relationship Attribute License  23 A of FIG. 4 refers to the Relationship License  23 A that defines a relationship existing between the Entity License  2  for the person of Mary Smith and the Entity License  2  for Frank Smith. The optional Additional Relationship License Number Fields  50  may be used to associate the Relationship Attribute License  44  of FIG. 4 with other Entity Licenses  2  in addition to the Entity License  2  associated with the Relationship License  4306 . The optional Relationship Attribute Name Field  52  stores a name  57  of PARENT. The Relationship Attribute Value Field  54  stores a value  59  of MOTHER, mother being a name of a relatedness that exists Mary Smith and her son Frank Smith. The optional Flag Field  56  contains a binary pattern  60  that informs the database about the nature of the Relationship Attribute License  44 , such as whether this Relationship Attribute License  44  includes only one or more than one Relationship License Number Fields  48 ,  50 , or whether this Relationship Attribute License  44  does or does not include a Relationship Attribute Name Field  52 . The database manager may, for example, wish to structure a single Relationship Attribute License  44  to denote that various persons identified by the database are mothers of various other persons identified by the database. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3A,  3 B and  4 , the optional Flag and Tag Fields  34 ,  40  may be expanded to include additional data in a Relationship License  23 A,  23 B such as indications of or information about the relationship type, or Relationship Attribute Names  57  and/or Relationship Values  59 . 
     Suppose that we wish to enter into the database information about Mary Smith, and that we wish to further relate certain entities to Ms. Smith and various information about these third parties to Ms. Smith. The method of the present invention enables the generation of a database that flexibly accepts the attachment, by relation, of information, attributes, relationships and relationship attributes in an elegant and efficient manner. This characteristic of the method of the present invention allows a database manager or architect to evolve a database to integrate information, relationships and relationship types that may not have been foreseen, predicted or anticipated for in the creation and development of the database. 
     Referring now to the Figures and particularly to FIG. 5, a relationship diagram presented by FIG. 5 describes elements of a database  62  designed in accordance with the method of the present invention. The database structure  62  includes Entity Licenses  2  for Mary Smith, her children Frank Smith and Anne Smith, a medication Plaseebo and distributor Drugs Worldwide, Inc., a wholesale sales agent for the medication Plaseebo. 
     Referring now to the Figures and particularly to FIGS. 5 and 7, a Relationship License  23 A of  4306  listed in FIG. 7 teaches that a relationship exists between Entity License Number  4  of  1005 , representing the entity Mary Smith, and Entity License Number  4  of  1117 , representing the entity Frank Smith. The placement of the Entity License Number  4  of  1005  in a FROM Entity License Number Field  26 , and the placement of the Entity License Number  1117  in a TO Entity License Number Field  28  indicates that a Relationship Attribute License  23 A may flow from Entity License Number  1005  to Entity License Number  4  of  1117 . 
     An additional Relationship License Number  23 A of  4307  listed in FIG. 7 further teaches that a relationship exists between Entity License Number  4  of  1117 , representing the entity Mary Smith, and Entity License Number  4  of  1005 , representing the entity Frank Smith, wherein the TO and FROM characteristic of the Entity License Numbers  1005  and  1117  are altered from the orientation of Relationship License Number  4306 , and the database tools may infer that a Relationship Attribute License  23 A related to Relationship License  4307  has a characteristic that flows from Entity License Number  1117  to Entity License Number  1005 . 
     Referring now to the Figures and particularly to FIGS. 7 and 8, a Relationship Attribute License  44  of  6001  listed in FIG. 8 relates a Relationship Value  59  MOTHER with a Relationship Name  57  of PARENT to the Relationship License Number  4306 . The database thereby relates, in light of Entity License Numbers  1005  and  1117 , the Relationship License Number  4306 , and the Relationship Attribute License Number  6001 , that the Entity License Number  1005 , representing the person of Mary Smith, and the Entity License Number  1117 , representing the person of Frank Smith, are related in a FROM/TO nature that describes Mary Smith as a parent and mother of Frank Smith. 
     Referring now generally to the Figures and particularly to FIGS. 5,  7  and  8 , a Relationship Attribute License  6104  listed in FIG. 8 relates a Relationship Attribute Value  59  SON with a Relationship Attribute Name  57  of CHILD to the Relationship License Number  4307 . The database thereby relates, in light of Entity License Numbers  1117  and  1005 , the Relationship License Number  4307 , and the Relationship Attribute License Number  6104 , that the Entity License Number  1117 , representing the person of Frank Smith, and the Entity License Number  1005 , representing the person of Mary Smith, are related in a FROM/TO nature that describes Frank Smith as a child and son of Mary Smith. 
     Another Relationship Attribute License  23 A of  6105  listed in FIG. 8 relates a Relationship Value DAUGHTER  59  with a Relationship Name of CHILD  57  to the Relationship License Number  4308 . The database thereby relates, in light of Entity License Numbers  1539  and  1005 , the Relationship License Number  4308 , and the Relationship Attribute License Number  6105 , that the Entity License Number  1539 , representing the person of Anne Smith, and the Entity License Number  1005 , representing the person of Anne Smith, are related in a FROM to nature that describes Anne Smith as a child and daughter of Anne Smith. 
     Referring now generally to the Figures and particularly FIGS. 3A and 4, an alternate embodiment of the present invention may, with the inclusion of Additional FROM and TO Entity License Fields  30 ,  32  in a Relationship License  23 A, express via a single Relationship License  23 A the relating of two or more Entity License Numbers  4  as FROM Entity License Numbers  4  in separate additional FROM Entity License Fields  30  to two or more Entity License Numbers  4  identified in separate additional TO Entity License Number Fields  32 . For example, Entity License Numbers  1005  and  1233 , where Entity License Number  1233  representing a person of George Smith, father of Anne and Frank Smith, might be separately and respectively entered into a FROM Entity License Number Field  26  and an Additional FROM Entity License Number Field  30 . 
     Furthermore a TO Entity License Number Field  28  might contain the Entity License Number  1117 , for Frank Smith, and an Additional TO Entity License Number Field  32  might contain the Entity License Number  1539 , for Anne Smith. An alternate embodiment of the present invention might then allow a Relationship Attribute License  44  consisting of an Attribute License Number Field  46  and Number  58 , a Relationship License Number Field  48  containing the Relationship License Number  35  of the Relationship License  23 A as described above in this paragraph, and a Relationship Attribute Value Field  54  containing a Relationship Value  59  of PARENT to thereby record in the database that Mary Smith and George Smith are related as parents to both Anne Smith and Frank Smith by means of a single Relationship License  23 A. 
     Another alternate embodiment of the present invention might allow the creation of a Relationship License that links Entity License  1005 , for Mary Smith, in a FROM Entity  23 A License Number Field, to Entity License Number  1117 , for Frank Smith, in a TO Entity License Number Field  26 , and Entity License Number  1539 , for Anne Smith, in an Additional TO Entity License Number Field  28 , whereby Mary Smith is related to both Frank Smith and Anne Smith in a FROM/TO vector. Preferred embodiments employing this alternate methodology might further include a Relationship Attribute License  44 containing a Relationship Attribute License Field  46  and Number  58 , a Relationship License Number Field  48  containing a Relationship License Number  35  of the Relationship License  23 A as described above within this paragraph, a Relationship Attribute Name Field  52  and Name  57  of PARENT, and a Relationship Value Field  54  and Value  59  of MOTHER. The database  62  may thus thereby establish that Mary Smith is related as parent and mother to both Anne Smith and Frank Smith by means of a single Relationship License  23 A. 
     Referring now generally to the Figures and particularly to FIGS. 1B,  7  and  8 , a Relationship Attribute License  44  of  6109  listed in FIG. 8 relates a Relationship Attribute Name  66  RELATIVE with a Relationship Value  65  of SIBLING to the Relationship License Number  35  of  4310 . The database  62  thereby relates, in light of Entity License Numbers  1539  and  1117 , the Relationship License Number  4310 , and the Relationship Attribute License Number  6109 , that the Entity License Number  1539 , representing the person of Anne Smith, and the Entity License Number  1117 , representing the person of Frank Smith, are related in a FROM/TO nature that describes Anne Smith as a relative and sibling to Frank Smith. 
     Referring now generally to the Figures and particularly to FIG.  3 B and FIG. 8 a Relationship Attribute License  6109  listed in FIG. 8 relates a Relationship Attribute Name RELATIVE  66  with a Relationship Attribute Value of SIBLING  65 . Certain alternate preferred embodiments of the method of the present invention may denote the SIBLING Relationship Attribute Value  65  as having a neutrality or mutuality characteristic, rather a FROM/TO vector, whereby Anne Smith and Frank Smith are denoted as have a sibling relatedness that is bi-directional in nature. This denotation may be accomplished by recognizing the Relationship Attribute Value of SIBLING  65  as having a bi-directional characteristic that supercedes a FROM/TO characteristic of a Relationship License  23 A,  23 B,  23 C, or by means of a binary value  41  stored in an optional Tag Field  40 , or another distinguishing method known in the art. 
     Referring now generally to the Figures and particularly to FIGS. 1B,  5 ,  7  and  8 , a Relationship Attribute License  6304  listed in FIG. 8 relates a Relationship Attribute Value  65  DAILY with a Relationship Attribute Name  66  of PRESCRIBED to the Relationship License Number  4605 . The Relationship License  4605  includes a FROM Entity License Number Field  26  containing an Entity License Number  1724 , and a TO Entity License Number Field  28  containing the Entity License Number  1005 . The Entity License Number  1724 , as shown in FIG. 1B, is configured to denote a medication Plaseebo. Relationship Attribute License  6304 , Relationship License  4605 , Entity License  1724  and Entity License  1005  thereby enable the database to record that Mary Smith has been prescribed the medication of Plaseebo on a daily basis 
     Another Relationship Attribute License  6801  listed in FIG. 8 relates a Relationship Attribute Name  66  of SUPPLYCHAIN with a Relationship Attribute Value  65  of DISTRIBUTOR to the Relationship License Number  4931 . The Relationship License  4931  includes a FROM Entity License Number Field  26  containing an Entity License Number  1898 , and a TO Entity License Number Field  28  containing the Entity License Number  1724 . The Entity License Number  1898 , as shown in FIG. 1B, signifies the wholesale distributor Drugs Worldwide, Inc., and the Entity License  1724  is also shown in FIG. 1B, and as discussed above, to denote the medication Plaseebo. Relationship Attribute License  6801 , Relationship License  4931 , Entity License  1898  and Entity License  1724  thereby enable the database to record that the distributor Drugs Worldwide, Inc is a distributor in the supply chain of the medication Plaseebo. The Relationship Licenses  4605  and  4931 , in combination with Relationship Attribute Licenses  6304  and  6801 , thereby record in the database that the Plaseebo medication prescribed to Mary Smith is provided by means of the distributor Drugs Worldwide, Inc. 
     Referring now generally to the Figures, and particularly to FIGS. 5 and 6, a number of Attribute Licenses  44  are included in the database to relate pairs of Attribute Names  57  and Attribute Values  59  to Entity Licenses  2  as specified in separate and individual Attribute Licenses  44 . An Attribute License  2532 , mentioned as a first example, includes an Attribute License Number Field  46  containing an Attribute License Number  58  of  2531 , an Entity License Number Field  48  containing the Entity License Number  4  of  1005 , an Attribute Name Field  52  containing an Attribute Name INSURER  57 , and an Attribute Value Field  54  containing an Attribute Value  59  of GREENCROSS. The Attribute License 44  of  2531  thereby records in the database that the Attribute Value  59  of GREENCROSS and the Attribute Name  57  of INSURER are related to the Entity License Number  1005 , and that Entity License Number  1005  relates to the person or entity of Mary Smith. 
     Another Attribute License  44  of  2537 , mentioned as a second example, includes an Attribute License Number Field  46  containing an Attribute License Number  58  of of  2537 , an Entity License Number Field  48  containing the Entity License Number  4  of  1005 , an Attribute Name Field  52  containing an Attribute Name  57  BLOODTYPE, and an Attribute Value Field  54  containing an Attribute Value  59  of OPOS. The Attribute License  2537  thereby records in the database that the Attribute Value  59  of OPOS and the Attribute Name  57  of BLOODTYPE are related to the Entity License Number  1005 , and that Entity License Number  1005  relates to the person or entity of Mary Smith. 
     A third Attribute License  44  of Attribute License Number  58  of  2822  includes an Attribute License Number Field  46  containing an Attribute License Number  58  of  2822 , an Entity License Number Field  48  containing the Entity License Number  4  of  1724 , an Attribute Name Field  52  containing an Attribute Name  57  of DOSAGE, and an Attribute Value Field  54  containing an Attribute Value  59  of 20MG. The Attribute License  2822  thereby records in the database that the Attribute Value  59  of 20 MG and the Attribute Name  57  of DOSAGE are related to the Entity License Number  4  of  1724 , and that Entity License Number  1724  relates to the person or entity of the medication Plaseebo. The Attribute License  2822  establishes, in concert with various Entity Licenses  2 , Relationship Licenses  23 A,  23 B,  23 C and Relationship Attribute Licenses  44  discussed above, that Mary Smith&#39;s prescription of a daily intake of Plaseebo is set at a dosage of 20 milligrams. 
     A fourth Attribute License  44  of Attribute License Number  58  of  2943  includes an Attribute License Number Field  46  containing an Attribute License Number  58  of  2943 , an Entity License Number Field  48  containing the Entity License Number  4  of  1005 , an Attribute Name Field  52  containing an Attribute Name  57  of MEDRECORDS, and an Attribute Value Field  54  containing an Attribute Value  59  of 370AG2. The Attribute License  2943  thereby records in the database that the Attribute Name  57  of MEDRECORDS and the Attribute Value  59  of 370SG2 are related to the Entity License Number  1005 , and that Entity License Number  1005  relates to the person or entity of Mary Smith. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.