Configurable framework for storing and retrieving arbitrary information from a database

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method are provided that enable the receipt of answers to questions from users and to make those answers persistent within a generalized database schema. A set of one or more middleware entities and components are provided to process the user's answers that are submitted to the system. The middleware entities differentiate one user from another user by use of a session. Different sets of questions are grouped into encounters, and the answers to the questions for a particular encounter are given a unique identifier. The unique identifier can be used to identify the user and/or the particular encounter. The answers to the questions can be retrieved and viewed in numerous ways, such as by user, by encounter, by question, by question type, by answer, by answer type, etc. The selection of database schema and the structure of the middleware enables the system to handle any answer to any question without requiring the restructuring of the database or database schema.

1 . A data storage apparatus implemented on an information handling system comprising: 
 one or more nodes entities;    one or more tree roots entities that reference said nodes entities; and    one or more parent-child link entities linked to said nodes entities;    wherein said entities store a set of information, said set of information having elements related to other elements within said set.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said nodes object has one or more attributes.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said tree roots object has one or more attributes.  
   
   
       4 . A data storage apparatus implemented on an information handling system comprising: 
 one or more question nodes entities;    one or more tree roots entities that reference said question nodes entities;    one or more parent-child link entities linked to said nodes entities; and    one or more question answer entities that map with said question nodes object;    wherein said entities store a set of information, said set of information having elements related to other elements within said set.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said question nodes object has one or more attributes.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said tree roots object has one or more attributes.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said question-answer map object as a selection-type property.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said question-answer map object references a unique question nodes object.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said question-answer map has a selection identifier.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each of said question nodes entities has a unique identifier.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each of said tree roots entities has a unique identifier.  
   
   
       12 . A data storage apparatus implemented on an information handling system comprising: 
 one or more question nodes entities;    one or more tree roots entities that reference said question nodes entities;    one or more parent-child link entities linked to said nodes entities;    one or more question answer entities that map with said question nodes object; and    one or more user answer entities associated with said question nodes object;    wherein said entities store a set of information, said set of information having elements related to other elements within said set.    
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 one or more user selection entities associated with one or more of said user answer entities.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 one or more user encounter entities associated with one or more of said user answer entities.    
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said question nodes object has one or more attributes.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said tree roots object has one or more attributes.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said question-answer map object as a selection-type property.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said question-answer map object references a unique question nodes object.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said question-answer map has a selection identifier.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein each of said question nodes entities has a unique identifier.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein each of said tree roots entities has a unique identifier.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said user answer object has one or more attributes.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said user answer object has a unique identifier.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said user encounter object has a unique identifier.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said user answer object references a user encounter object by said unique identifier of said user encounter object.  
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said user encounter object has one or more attributes.  
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said user selection object has a unique identifier.  
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said user selection object has a selection-type attribute.  
   
   
       29 . A method for submitting answers on an information handling system comprising: 
 registering a user on said information handling system;    creating a session for said user;    submitting an answer by said user;    creating a user answer instance for said answer;    adding one or more selections to populate said user answer instance with said selections; and    adding said answer submitted by said user with said user answer instance into a database that is operative with said information handling system;    whereby said answer submitted by said user is made persistent within said database.    
   
   
       30 . A method for retrieving a question from an information handling system comprising: 
 signaling said information handling system to return a set of one or more questions and one or more selections;    querying a tree roots table of a database to obtain one or more tree roots for an encounter, said database being operative with said information handling system;    retrieving one or more question nodes associated with said tree roots; and    retrieving one or more selections associated with said one or more question nodes;    wherein said user is provided with one or more questions and one or more selections for each of said questions.    
   
   
       31 . A system for submitting answers on an information handling system comprising: 
 means for registering a user on said information handling system;    means for creating a session for said user;    means for submitting an answer by said user;    means for creating a user answer instance for said answer;    means for adding one or more selections to populate said user answer instance with said selections; and    means for adding said answer submitted by said user with said user answer instance into a database that is operative with said information handling system;    whereby said answer submitted by said user is made persistent within said database.    
   
   
       32 . A system for retrieving a question from an information handling system comprising: 
 means for signaling said information handling system to return a set of one or more questions and one or more selections;    means for querying a tree roots table of a database to obtain one or more tree roots for an encounter, said database being operative with said information handling system;    means for retrieving one or more question nodes associated with said tree roots; and    means for retrieving one or more selections associated with said one or more question nodes;    wherein said user is provided with one or more questions and one or more selections for each of said questions.