Patent Abstract:
A computer controlled user-interactive display system interface through which the user may access stored search queries to database and then initiate selected searches executed by such queries. The interactive interface includes a displayed tree having at least one root node representative of a view into a table from the database and a plurality of subnodes under the root node, each subnode representative of a stored search query for said table view. The interface system also includes an implementation for executing a search represented by a subnode in response to a user selection of that subnode, and an expedient for presenting the results of said executed search on the display. The preferred display layout would have the tree displayed in one region of the display screen and the result of the executed search presented in a screen region next to the tree region. In this manner, the user could select a subnode representative of a particular search query, whereupon the search would be executed and the results presented to the user right next to his tree.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED COPENDING PATENT APPLICATION 
     “A METHOD OF FORMULATING AND PRESENTING SEARCH QUERIES TO A TABULAR DATABASE THROUGH A USER-INTERACTIVE COMPUTER DISPLAY INTERFACE”, John Lawrence (Attorney Docket No. AT9-98-373), filed on the same day as the present application and assigned to the same assignee. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to user-interactive computer supported display technology, and particularly to such user-interactive systems and methods which provide interactive users with user friendly interfaces for database management and access. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The 1990&#39;s decade has been marked by a technological revolution driven by the convergence of the data processing industry with the consumer electronics industry. This advance has been even further accelerated by the extensive consumer and business involvement in the Internet over the past few years. As a result of these changes it seems as if virtually all aspects of human endeavor in the industrialized world require human/computer interfaces. There is a need to make computer directed activities accessible to people who, up to a few years ago, were computer illiterate or, at best, computer indifferent. 
     Thus, there is continuing demand for display interfaces to computers and networks which improve the ease of use for the interactive user to access functions and data from the computer. With desktop-like interfaces including windows and icons, as well as three-dimensional virtual reality simulating interfaces, the computer industry has been working hard to fulfill such interface needs. However, in the area of database management, interfaces to the databases appear to be formidable obstacles to a great many users who would have considerable needs for data access. Of course, database access and management historically was one of the original primary computer functions, and, as such, it is full of language and functions developed and communicated between computer professionals. As a result, database management and access may be somewhat esoteric and foreboding to the new computer users in businesses and personal computer situations in which they most benefit from the development of and access to databases. Terms such as relational databases (RDBMS) structured query language (SQL) searches have put off such users. Less sophisticated users find it very difficult to frame SQL search queries out of the relatively complex language. As a result, except for some limited access to databaseS through spreadsheets, the bulk of new computer users have shown a reluctance to venture into database organization and data searching. Accordingly, the computer industries are trying to address the need to make interfaces for database organization and access less foreboding and more user friendly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention furnishes one solution to the above needs by providing a data processor controlled interactive display interface through which the user may easily access stored search queries to a database and then initiate selected searches executed by such queries. The interactive interface includes a displayed tree having at least one root node representative of a view into a table from said database and a plurality of subnodes under said root node, each subnode representative of a stored search query for said table view. The interface system also includes means for executing a search represented by a subnode in response to a user selection of said subnode, and means for presenting the results of said executed search on the display. The preferred display layout would have the tree displayed in one region of the display screen and the result of the executed search presented in a screen region next to the tree region. In this manner, the user could select a subnode representative of a particular search query, whereupon the search would be executed and the results presented to the user right next to his tree. Such an arrangement would permit the user to go through a series of searches for, let us say, comparison purposes merely by clicking on a sequence of subnodes with his mouse pointer and immediately viewing his results along side of his tree on the display. 
     The search interface and method of the present invention is very effective in the searching of databases having tabular organization, such as relational databases. With such databases, the search results presented are preferably tabular and present aspects of the table view represented by the root node. Also, the present invention may be most effectively used when the search queries represented by the various subnodes are in SQL. In this manner, the less sophisticated user is not called upon to structure search queries in SQL. It should also be noted that the displayed tree may have a plurality of root nodes, each of which is representative of a view into a given table in the database. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a generalized data processing system including a central processing unit in which the database search system of the present invention may be implemented; 
     FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a display screen on which a tree representative of a portion of a database is shown along side one aspect of a table view resulting from the execution of a subnode represented search query; 
     FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a display screen like that of FIG. 2 in which a tree representative of a portion of a database is shown along side one aspect of a table view resulting from the execution of a different subnode represented search query; 
     FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a display screen like that of FIG. 2 except that the aspect of the table view results from the execution of a different subnode represented search query; 
     FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a display screen like that of FIG. 4 except that the aspect of the table view shown results from the execution of a different subnode represented search query; 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 are a combined flowchart of the basic elements which are set up in the system and program in a computer controlled display system for creating and using the tree of search queries system of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the steps involved in running database search queries according to the set up of FIGS.  6  and  7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a typical data processing system is shown which may function as a basic computer controlled system used in implementing the present invention of searching databases through display interface trees of selectable search queries. A central processing unit (CPU)  10 , such as one of the PC microprocessors or workstations, e.g., RISC System/6000(™) (“RISC System/6000” is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation) series available from International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), is provided and interconnected to various other components by system bus  12 . An operating system  41  runs on CPU  10 , provides control and is used to coordinate the function of the various components of FIG.  1 . Operating system  41  may be one of the commercially available operating systems such as AIX 6000(™) or OS/2(™) (“AIX 6000” and “OS/2” are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation) available from IBM; Microsoft&#39;s Windows 95(™) or Windows NT( 198  ), as well as UNIX and AIX operating systems. Application programs  40  controlled by the system are moved into and out of the main memory random access memory (RAM)  14  and consequently into and out of secondary storage, disk drive  20  as needed. The database search system of this invention, which will subsequently be described in greater detail is implemented as an application program  40 . A read only memory (ROM)  16  is connected to CPU  10  via bus  12  and includes the basic input/output system (BIOS) that controls the basic computer functions. RAM  14 , I/O adapter  18  and communications adapter  34  are also interconnected to system bus  12 . I/O adapter  18  may be a small computer system interface (SCSI) adapter that communicates with the disk storage device  20 . Communications adapter  34  interconnects bus  12  with an outside network enabling the data processing system to communicate with other such systems over a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet. It should be noted that the database search system of the present invention may be used with respect to databases which are accessed over a network. I/O devices are also connected to system bus  12  via user interface adapter  22  and display adapter  36 . Keyboard  24  and mouse  26  are all interconnected to bus  12  through user interface adapter  22 . It is through such input devices that the user may interactively search databases according to the present invention in the manner to be subsequently described. Display adapter  36  includes a frame buffer  39 , which is a storage device that holds a representation of each pixel on the display screen  38 . Images may be stored in frame buffer  39  for display on monitor  38  through various components such as a digital to analog converter (not shown) and the like. By using the aforementioned I/O devices, a user is capable of inputting information to the system through the keyboard  24  or mouse  26  and receiving output information from the system via display  38 . 
     There will now be described a simple illustration of the present invention with respect to the display screens of FIGS. 2 through 5. When the screen images are described, it will be understood that these may be rendered by storing an image and text creation programs, such as those in any conventional window operating system in the RAM  14  of the system of FIG.  1 . The operating system is diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1 as operating system  41 . An embodiment of the present invention will be described commencing with the display screen shown in FIG.  2 . This initial display screen is presented to the viewer on display monitor  38  of FIG.  1 . In accordance with conventional techniques, the user may control the screen interactively through a conventional I/O device, such as mouse  26 , FIG. 1, which operates through user interface  22  to call upon programs in RAM  14  cooperating with the operating system  41  to create the images in frame buffer  39  of display adapter  36  to control the display on monitor  38 . 
     The display interface screen of FIG. 2 shows the interactive interface according to the present invention used to provide the user with a vehicle for searching a relational database or any other type of database covering the problems of a given computer system. Thus, the screen is entitled “Work with Problems”. The interface is organized to permit the user to select an already stored SQL query and to have the search executed. While SQL is the most popular current database query language, other query languages could be used with equal effectiveness. A hierarchical tree having, at a high level, a set of root nodes, such as node  52 , “My Problems”, each represent a table view in the relational database which is presented in a first region  50  of the screen. Each of the root nodes may have a hierarchy of levels of subnodes such as subnode  54 , “PC APPLICATIONS”, each of which represent a stored search query into the table view of the root node. The tree of root nodes and their respective subnodes is, of course, configured for the particular database and desired view tables. The tables used in the illustrations may be conveniently configured by the process described in the copending concurrently filed patent application cross-referenced above. 
     In the illustration of FIG. 2, the user has selected subnode  54  which represents the SQL query, “SELECT * FROM PROBLEMS WHERE PROBLEM_CODE=‘OPEN ’AND SYSTEM=‘PC APPLICATIONS’”. Upon user selection of subnode  54 , the search represented by the query is executed, and the result is shown by table  53  in screen region  51  which may be considered to be an aspect of table view represented by the root node  52 . Similarly, in the illustration of FIG. 4, the user has selected subnode  55 , “LOTUS NOTES”, which represents the SQL query, “SELECT * FROM PROBLEMS WHERE PROBLEM_CODE=‘OPEN’ AND SYSTEM=‘PC APPLICATIONS’” AND COMPONENT=‘E-MAIL’ AND ITEM=‘LOTUS NOTES 4.X’. Upon user selection of subnode  55 , the search represented by the query is executed, and the result is shown by table  53  in screen region  51  which may be considered to be an aspect of the table view also represented by the root node  52 . It should be noted that in table  53 , the result of the search is identical in FIGS. 2 and 3 even though the search SQL query of FIG. 3 is limited by two additional hierarchical levels. 
     In the illustration of FIG. 4, the root node  60 , “Problems under the Hardware SLA”, is different from the root nodes in FIGS. 2 and 3 and the selected subnode  56 , “10:15:07”, and represent the SQL query, “SELECT FROM PROBLEMS WHERE THE PROBLEM — IN (SELECT REFERENCE    — ID FROM ACTIVE   — SLA WHERE BREECH   — DATE= 10/06/98 ’ AND BREECH_TIME=‘10:15:07’). This again results in the same table  53  as in FIGS. 2 and 3 which illustrates that different search queries even through different root nodes still may provide the same search results. 
     FIG. 5 is another illustration of the selection of a subnode  58  under another root node  59  which provides the search results in table  57 , which table is quite different from the table results  53  of FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 . 
     Now with reference to FIGS. 6 through 8, we will describe a process implemented by the present invention in conjunction with the flowcharts of these figures. The steps in FIGS. 6 and 7 relate to the setting up of the tree structure of this invention which will provide the search queries. First, step  101 , a display tree is created with a plurality of root nodes, each of which have a respective plurality of subnodes at several hierarchical levels. The relational database to be searched is provided, step  102 . A plurality of search queries are created in sets, each relative to a table view of the database, step  103 . A plurality of root nodes in the tree are set to respectfully represent each of a plurality of table views in the database, step  104 . Links are created between each of the root nodes and the particular tables they respectively represent, step  105 . Then there is set up a plurality of subnodes in the tree to respectively represent a plurality of search queries, step  106 . The flow then branches to FIG. 7 via entry point “A”. Step  107 , links are created between each of the subnodes and the stored query represented by the subnode. Then, a process is set up which, in response to the selection of a subnode, will execute the database search represented by the subnode, step  108 . A process is set up for displaying the search results as a table adjacent to displayed tree, step  109 . A process is set up which, responsive to the selection of another subnode, will execute a search in the database using the query represented by the subnode, step  110 , and a process is set up for displaying the results of the subsequent search as a table replacing the table of step  109 . 
     Now, with reference to FIG. 8, we will describe an illustrative run of a search involving queries set up according to the process described in FIGS. 6 and 7. The search program is run as an application program, either alone or incorporated into a database management system, such as Access(™), dBase IV or dBase 5. First, step  115 , the tree is displayed in one region of a display screen, e.g. region  50 , FIG.  2 . Then, a determination is made, decision step  116 , as to whether the user has selected a subnode representative of a search query. If No, the process is returned to step  116  until there is a Yes decision. Then, the stored search query represented by the subnode is fetched, step  117 , and executed in the database, step  118 . The search results are displayed as a table, step  119 , in a region adjacent to the tree, e.g. region  53 , FIG.  2 . Next, step  120 , a determination is made as to whether the user is finished with the results, step  120 . If Yes, then a further determination is made as to whether the session is over, step  121 . If Yes, then exit, but if No, then the process is branched back to step  116  where a determination is made as to whether another subnode has been selected. If the decision from step  120  is No, the user is still using the results, then the process goes to step  122  where a determination is made as to whether subnode has been selected. If No, then the process remains at step  122  until another subnode is selected, while the last search result table from step  119  continues to be displayed. When another subnode is selected and the decision from step  122  is, thus, Yes then the stored search query represented by the subnode is fetched, step  123 , and executed in the database, step  124 . The search results are displayed as a table, step  125  replacing the last search result table of step  119  in the region adjacent to the tree, e.g. region  53 , FIG. 2, after which the process is branched back to step  120  via entry point “B” where a determination is again made as to whether the user is finished with the search results, and the process then continues as previously described. 
     One of the preferred implementations of the present invention is as an application made up of programming steps or instructions resident in RAM  14 , FIG. 1, during computer operations. Until required by the computer system, the program instructions may be stored in another readable medium, e.g., in disk drive  20 , or in a removable memory such as an optical disk for use in a CD-ROM computer input or in a floppy disk for use in a floppy disk drive computer input. Further, the program instructions may be stored in the memory of another computer prior to use in the system of the present invention and transmitted over a LAN or a WAN, such as the Internet, when required by the user of the present invention. One skilled in the art should appreciate that the processes controlling the present invention are capable of being distributed in the form of computer readable media of a variety of forms. 
     Although certain preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and intent of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8