Distributed database schema

Abstract

A computer system and a method of searching for information to construct an information object includes querying a resource having information stored as bindable data elements and returning results of the query. The system and method includes a fragment base that stores the bindable data elements as fragments and/or primitives that may be used to satisfy the query. The computer based system and method can include a sense process that reads data referred to a client process and tests the data to determine whether the data can be bound to existing data or produces new data within the fragment database. Fragments and primitives represent information in small pieces that can have both generalized structure and particular data. As information changes and grows incrementally, fragments can be added to or modified within a fragment base to define a larger composite concept that is an information object.

1 - 19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . A memory for storing a data structure for a primitive data element, the data structure for use with an application program, the data structure comprising: 
 a type field that specifies the type of primitive element data structure;    a binding field that defines how-primitive data structure can connect to other primitive data structures to provide fragments; and    a content field that specifies a value associated with the type, said content field including a referral that specifies a location.    
   
   
       21 . The data structure of  claim 20  wherein the type field of the primitive data structure is a classification, instance, attribute, assigned-value, condition, action, or container.  
   
   
       22 . The data structure of  claim 20  wherein the binding field further comprises: 
 a binding storage directionality field that specifies whether the binding is to be stored, where the binding primitive resides or where the bound-to primitive came from.    
   
   
       23 . The data structure of  claim 20  further comprising: 
 an ownership field that specifies past owners or intended destinations of the primitive data structure.    
   
   
       24 . The data structure of  claim 20  further comprising: 
 an ownership field that specifies past owners or intended destinations of the primitive data structure;    a life span field that specifies an expiration date of the primitive data structure; and    wherein a selected combination of type, content, bindings, ownership or life span fields can designate a key used to determine uniqueness or similarity of the primitive data structure.    
   
   
       25 . The data structure of  claim 22  further comprising a life span field, and wherein the life span field further comprises a refresh field that specifies a time period to refresh content of the data structure.  
   
   
       26 . The data structure of  claim 20  further comprising: 
 a life span field that specifies an expiration date of the primitive data structure.    
   
   
       27 . The data structure of  claim 20  further comprising: 
 a life span field that specifies the data structures status.    
   
   
       28 . The data structure of  claim 20  wherein the binding field further comprises: 
 a mode field that specifies how the data structure can bind to other primitive data structures.    
   
   
       29 . The data structure of  claim 28  wherein the mode field in the binding field further comprises: 
 an ask, deny, allow and require mode.    
   
   
       30 . The data structure of  claim 20  wherein the binding field further comprises: 
 a source field that specifies of the data structure.    
   
   
       31 . The data structure of  claim 30  wherein the source field includes tag that specifies whether the source is a specified universal resource locator (URL), a domain, a host, a machine, a file, an owner or an organization or any source of a resource.  
   
   
       32 . The data structure of  claim 31  wherein the binding field further comprises: 
 a content string field that specifies a value for the source field.    
   
   
       33 . The data structure of  claim 20  wherein the binding field further comprises: 
 a relation field that specifies a relationship established by the binding to another primitive data structure.    
   
   
       34 . The data structure of  claim 33  wherein the relationship can be a superordinate, subordinate, identity, or an implicitly defined by the specified the primitive type to be bound to.  
   
   
       35 . The data structure of  claim 20  further comprising a number filed that specifies an optimal number of bindings for the data structure.  
   
   
       36 . A memory for storing a fragment data structure the data structure for use with an application program the data structure comprising: 
 at least two primitive elements that have an binding relation to each other.    
   
   
       37 . The data structure of  claim 36  wherein each primitive element comprises: 
 a type field;    a content field; and    a binding field with the binding field specifying how the primitive elements are associated into the fragment data structure element.    
   
   
       38 . The data structure of  claim 37  wherein the type field can be of a classification instance, attribute, value, condition, action or container type.  
   
   
       39 . The data structure of  claim 37  wherein the content field comprises: 
 a value field that can hold a local value;    a cast field that specifies a data type or filter for the local value.    
   
   
       40 . The data structure of  claim 37  wherein the content field comprises: 
 a referral field that specifies that content is for a value that is specified from an external reference.    
   
   
       41 . The data structure of  claim 36  wherein the binding field further includes a mode field, a source field and a relation field.  
   
   
       42 . The data structure of  claim 36  wherein the data structure further comprises an ownership field.  
   
   
       43 . The data structure of  claim 36  wherein the data structure further comprises a life span field.  
   
   
       44 . The data structure of  claim 36  further comprising: 
 a fragment data structure content field; and    a fragment data structure binding field with the binding field specifying how the primitive elements of the fragment data structure are associated into the fragment data structure element.    
   
   
       45 . The data structure of  claim 44  wherein the fragment data structure ownership, life span, and binding fields selectively supersede like fields of the primitive data structures.  
   
   
       46 . A memory for storing a canonical, two primitive fragment data structure the data structure for use with an application program the data structure comprising: 
 a primitive of a first primitive type bound to a primitive of a second type.    
   
   
       47 . The data structure of  claim 47  wherein the first primitive is of any one of an instance, attribute, value, condition, action, or container type and the second primitive that is bound to the first primitive is also of any one of an instance, attribute, value, condition, action or container type.  
   
   
       48 . The data structure of  claim 47  wherein the first primitive is a classification primitive, and the second primitive that is bound to the first primitive is of any one of an instance, attribute, value, condition, action, and container type to allow the second primitive of the any one primitive type to be classified.  
   
   
       49 . The data structure of  claim 47  wherein the first primitive is a classification primitive and the second primitive is a classification primitive type that is bound with the first classification primitive in a super-ordinate or subordinate relationship.  
   
   
       50 . A method of constructing an information object from primitives and/or fragments provided as a result of a query comprises: 
 providing a set of primitives that correspond to a starting set of primitives that are related to the information object;    linking primitives in accordance with binding fields of the primitives to produce the information object.    
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 50  further comprising: 
 searching for a primitive with a particular name to provide a first primitive for the set of focused primitives.    
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 50  further comprising: 
 selecting search algorithms from an available set based upon the query and the type of primitives in the focused set; and    searching through the primitives to find at least one primitive that corresponds to results of the query; and wherein linking links the at least one primitive to other primitives to construct the information object.    
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 52  further comprising: 
 queuing starting primitives into a search queue, with each queued primitive being accompanied by search algorithms to use and a search depth.    
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 53  further comprising: 
 removing a primitive from the queue; and    applying search algorithms to the primitive.    
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 50  wherein the search algorithms are at least one of classification hierarchy searching, classified-instance searching, instance-attribution searching, primitive equivalence searching, contained-instance searching, container hierarchy searching, transform pattern searching, instance-action searching, and condition-action searching.  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 50  further comprising: 
 identifying identical or equivalent primitive that can be treated as a single primitive.    
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 50  further comprising: 
 determining a binding specification for the primitives.    
   
   
       58 - 62 . (canceled)