Specifying and applying rules to data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11334536-B2
Application number	US-201916258776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2019
Priority date	Oct 20, 2014
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A method for applying a rule to data includes receiving data from a data source and processing a particular data unit of an ordered number of data units derived at least in part from the received data. The processing includes determining a set of data units including an ordered subset of data units from the ordered number of data units, each data unit of the ordered subset being related to the particular data unit and occurring before the particular data unit in the ordered number of data units. Prior to applying the rule the state variable is updated to a state that would result from iterating in order through the set of data units and, for each data unit of the ordered subset, applying the rule to the data unit. The rule is then applied to the particular data unit including reading the updated value of the state variable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method that includes using at least one processor for:
receiving an ordered set of data units, the ordered set of data units having a first subset of data units and a particular data unit, wherein each data unit of the first subset of data units is related to the particular data unit and precedes the particular data unit in the order of the ordered set of data units;
receiving a rule for characterizing the ordered set of data units;
determining a state characterizing the first subset of data units; and
applying said rule including combining the state and the particular data unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including updating the state based on applying said rule.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each data unit of the ordered set of data units is formed from a primary data-source and from an auxiliary data-source.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each data unit of the ordered set of data units includes a key obtained from a primary data-source and auxiliary data obtained from an auxiliary data source using said key.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein there exist inter-data unit dependencies between the ordered set of data units.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state depends at least in part on previous applications of the rule to data units of the first subset of data units.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the previous applications of the rule to data units of the first subset of data units occurs according to the order of the ordered set of data units.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein an order of the ordered set of data units is defined by a sort order of a key that is present in each of said data units.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein, for each data unit of the ordered set of data units, a value that results from applying said rule to said data unit depends at least in part on already having applied said rule to at least one other data unit.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a result of applying said rule to the particular data unit depends on the state.

Assignees

• Ab Initio Technology Llc

Inventors

• Studer Scott
• Weisman Amit
• Phillimore David

Classifications

• G06Q30/02 Primary

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title

• G06F16/2365 Primary

  Ensuring data consistency and integrity · CPC title

• G06F16/2379 Primary

  Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing · CPC title

• G06F16/24564

  Applying rules; Deductive queries · CPC title

• G06F16/214 Primary

  Database migration support · CPC title