Patent ID: 7693812

Claim:
A method for querying relational data and semi-structured ontology data in a database management apparatus, the method comprising: extracting encoded class hierarchies and encoded transitive properties from the semi-structured ontology data into trees; constructing implication graphs by extracting encoded implication rules; encoding the trees and the implication graphs into extensive markup language; registering a virtual view in the database management apparatus by: associating a subset of data elements in the relational data with the encoded trees and implication graph data; and creating in a virtual view the associated subset of data elements into actual columns and the associated encoded data into virtual columns, wherein the associated encoded data in the virtual columns is not materialized and only inferred when a query is made that requires that values be derived; responsive to the query requiring an inference of the virtual view data contained in the virtual columns, rewriting, by the virtual view query processor, the query and sending the rewritten query to a query engine processor of the virtual view for processing and returning a result of the rewritten query, wherein the result comprises identified relational data and materialized values derived in real time from the virtual view data contain in the virtual columns of the virtual view; and responsive to the query not requiring an inference of the virtual view data contained in the virtual columns, querying, by a virtual view query processor of the virtual view, the virtual view data contained in the actual columns and returning the results of the query.