Patent Document ID: 5454106
Application ID: 08062502

Base Claim:
1. A database retrieval system means having a user interface means for receiving one or more queries from a user and providing the user with database information, a tokenizer means for separating the query into system recognizable tokens, a parser means for parsing the tokens into parser result elements, a matching means for matching the parser result elements to a list of database names, a query means for converting the matched database names into a database query, and a retrieving means for retrieving results of the database query and presenting the results on the user interface, the system comprising: a matched names list creating means for identifying components of an ambiguous query that are understood by the system by matching one or more query components to the list of database names and retaining on the matched names list the database names of tables that correspond to the components that match one or more database names on the list; and an interface presentation means for presenting to the user one or more database table names associated with the matched components, the matched components being those that the system understands, and one or more relationships among the table names, through the interface means so that the user can use the table names and their relationships to access more database information.

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Claim 4:
4. A system, as in claim 1, where the database table names correspond to the understood components because the understood components match a view name that names a view that includes the corresponding named tables.