Patent US5687367A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5687367A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Facility for the storage and management of connection (connection server)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1996-10-30
•
Granted: 1997-11-11
•
Expires: 2016-10-30
Abstract
Abstract A Connection Server provides very flexible structures for the identification of objects to be interconnected, the identification of the links which connect them, and the auxiliary information needed to materialize objects when they are referenced. The connection Server is designed as a stand-alone reusable component. It interfaces with other independent components for services such as classification attributes, distributed database services, Noumena (object) storage, etc. Clean public programming interfaces are available for all components. It is independent from the "front-end", the user driven display of the Connections and associated meta-data. It is independent from any authoring facilities which may be used to customize the services, meta-data, etc., that are provided.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael J. Dockter
- 👤 Joel F. Farber
- 👤 Kevin D. Seppi
- 👤 David W. Tolleson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 18:28
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/20; G06F16/28; G06F16/284; G06F16/288; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects, comprising the steps of: receiving a first symbolic representation of a source data object, the first symbolic representation including a first unique object identifier; receiving a second symbolic representation of a destination data object, the second symbolic representation including a second unique object identifier; assigning a globally unique connection identifier to identify one or more connections between the two data objects, said connection reflecting a relationship between said source and destination objects; receiving attributes of said relationship; in computer memory, associating with the globally unique connection identifier: the first object identifier of the source object, identified as a source identifier, the second object identifier of the destination object, identified as a destination identifier and the received attributes with the object identifier, and whereby the connection of said source and destination objects, the objects or the attributes are retained within said computer memory for future retrieval and can be retrieved by using said globally unique connection identifier.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
168 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects, comprising the steps of: receiving a first symbolic representation of a source data object, the first symbolic representation including a first unique object identifier; receiving a second symbolic representation of a destination data object, the second symbolic representation including a second unique object identifier; assigning a globally unique connection identifier to identify one or more connections between the two data objects, said connection reflecting a relationship between said source and destination objects; receiving attributes of said relationship; in computer memory, associating with the globally unique connection identifier: the first object identifier of the source object, identified as a source identifier, the second object identifier of the destination object, identified as a destination identifier and the received attributes with the object identifier, and whereby the connection of said source and destination objects, the objects or the attributes are retained within said computer memory for future retrieval and can be retrieved by using said globally unique connection identifier.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 1, wherein the attributes of the data object may be modified upon receiving a request and description of a modification.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: responsive to an operation request, identifying a set of object attributes associated with the data object, and responding to the operation request with the identified set of object attributes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: responsive to an operation request, identifying a set of object attributes associated with a data object, and deleting the object attributes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 1, wherein said retrieval step further comprises: receiving a server operation request; responsive to the operation request, receiving a globally unique object identifier, identifying a data object in the computer memory corresponding to the object identifier, and responding to the server operation request with the identified data object.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 5, further comprising the step of responding to the server operation request with only the data needed to materialize the identified object.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
76 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: receiving a server operation request, responsive to the operation request, receiving a globally unique object identifier, identifying a data object in the computer memory corresponding to the object identifier, identifying a set of connections in the computer memory which connect with the data object, deleting the data object and deleting the set of connections.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
90 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 1, wherein said retrieval step further comprises: receiving a server operation request, responsive to the operation request, receiving a globally unique object identifier, identifying a source data object in the computer memory corresponding to the object identifier, identifying a set of data objects in the computer memory which are destination objects of the set of connections from the source object, and responding to the server operation request with the identified set of data objects.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
84 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 1, wherein said retrieval step further comprises: receiving a server operation request, responsive to the operation request, receiving a globally unique object identifier, identifying a source data object in the connection server corresponding to the object identifier, identifying a set of data objects in the connection server which are sources to the source object, and responding to the server operation request with the identified set of data objects.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer memory is non-volatile memory.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of: in computer memory, associating with the connection identifier a connection timestamp for identifying a time of creation for the connection.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A computer-based method for creating, storing and managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of: in computer memory, associating with the connection identifier a connection version for identifying format.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
100 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects, comprising the steps of: receiving a first server operation request; responsive to the first server operation request, receiving an identified connection, a preexisting source object having a globally unique object identifier within the connection server, and a preexisting destination object having unique object identifier within the connection server, assigning a unique connection identifier to the identified connection, associating with the connection identifier the object identifier of the preexisting source object and the object identifier of the preexisting destination object, and inserting the connection and the identifiers into the connection server.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
100 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects, comprising the steps of: receiving a first server operation request; responsive to the first server operation request, receiving an identified connection, a preexisting source object having a globally unique object identifier within the connection server, and a preexisting destination object having unique object identifier within the connection server, assigning a unique connection identifier to the identified connection, associating with the connection identifier the object identifier of the preexisting source object and the object identifier of the preexisting destination object, and inserting the connection and the identifiers into the connection server.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 13, further comprising the steps of: receiving attributes of the data object, and in computer memory, associating the received attributes with the object identifier.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 14, wherein the attributes of the data object may be modified upon receiving a request and description of a modification.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 14, further comprising the steps of: responsive to a retrieve object attributes operation request, identifying a set of object attributes associated with the data object, and responding to the server operation request with identified set of object attributes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
48 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 14, further comprising the steps of: responsive to an unidentify object attributes operation request, identifying a set of object attributes associated with the data object, and deleting the object attributes from the connection server.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 13, further comprising the steps of: receiving attributes of the connection, and in computer memory, associating the received attributes with the connection identifier.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 18, wherein the attributes of the connection may be modified upon receiving a request and description of a modification.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising the steps of: responsive to a retrieve connection attributes operation request, identifying a set of connection attributes associated with the set of connections, and responding to the retrieve connection attributes operation request with the identified set of connection attributes.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
47 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 18, further comprising the steps of: responsive to a delete connection attributes operation request, identifying a set of connections attributes associated with the connection, and deleting the connection attributes from the connection server.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
63 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 18, further comprising the steps of: receiving a retrieve object operation request, responsive to the retrieve object operation request, receiving a unique object identifier, identifying a data object in the connection server corresponding to the object identifier, and responding to the server operation request with the identified data object.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
88 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 13, further comprising the steps of: receiving a delete phenomena operation request, responsive to the delete phenomena operation request, receiving a unique object identifier, identifying a data object in the connection server corresponding to the object identifier, identifying a set of connections in the connection server which connect with the data object, deleting the reference to the pre-existing data object from the connection server, and deleting the set of connections from the connection server.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
91 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 13, further comprising the steps of receiving a retrieve source connections operation request; responsive to the retrieve source connections operation request: receiving a unique object identifier, identifying a source data object in the connection server corresponding to the object identifier, identifying a set of data objects in the connection server which are destination objects of the set of connections from the source object, and responding to the server operation request with the identified set of data objects.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
91 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 18, further comprising the steps of: receiving a retrieve destination connections operation request, responsive to the retrieve destination connections operation request, receiving a unique object identifier, identifying a source data object in the connection server corresponding to the object identifier, identifying a set of data objects in the connection server wherein the identified source data object is a destination from other data objects, and responding to the server operation request with the identified set of data objects.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
22 words
A computer-based connection server for managing connections between data objects as recited in claim 13, wherein said connection server uses non-volatile memory.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4930071A
Cited
US5369778A
Cited
US4914586A
Cited
US4905163A
Cited
WO1990010913A1
Cited
US5418942A
Cited
US5410688A
Cited
EP0467591A2
Cited
EP0483576A2
Cited
EP0483577A2
Cited
US5404534A
Cited
EP0501770A2
Cited
US5448727A
Cited
US5421008A
Cited
US5446891A
Cited
US5423043A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-11-10 | 2001-05-12 | 2001-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-11-10 | 2005-05-12 | 2005-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-11-10 | 2009-05-12 | 2009-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |