Patent ID: 8214381

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for retrieving query results, comprising: providing a data abstraction model comprising a plurality of field specifications mapping at least one logical field to physical fields of a database, wherein each field specification comprises at least a logical field name and an access method, and wherein the access method associates logical field names to a particular physical data representation in the database; receiving an abstract query specifying a name of at least a first logical field defined in the data abstraction model, wherein the first logical field comprises a plurality of conditions for determining whether a second logical field having a first value will have a predefined second value in the future, wherein at least one condition is expressed in terms of at least one logical field, the plurality of conditions comprising a precursor condition indicating the predefined second value and at least one predictor condition, wherein the abstract query does not specify: (i) the first value; (ii) the second value; and (iii) any of the plurality of conditions; and executing the abstract query by operation of one or more computer processors, comprising: identifying the logical field referenced by the abstract query through the data abstraction model to retrieve the precursor condition and the at least one predictor condition; negating the precursor condition; identifying at least one logical field referenced by the at least one predictor condition through the data abstraction model; identifying at least one physical field referenced by the identified at least one logical field through the data abstraction model; generating a concrete query based on the negated precursor condition, the at least one predictor condition, and the at least one physical field; and executing the concrete query to retrieve query results responsive to the abstract query.