Christopher Alan Mcconnell

US Patent:

6993475, Jan 31, 2006

Filed:

May 3, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/563901

Inventors:

Christopher Clayton McConnell - Redmond WA, US
Pär Jonas Barklund - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 17/28
G06F 17/27

US Classification:

704 7, 704 9, 704 4, 704 10

Abstract:

An authoring tool (or process) to facilitate the performance of an annotation function and an indexing function. The annotation function may generate informational annotations and word annotations to a database design schema (e. g. , an entity-relationship diagram or “ERD”). The indexing function may analyze the words of the annotations by classifying the words in accordance with a concordance and dictionary, and assign a normalized weight to each word of each of the annotations based on the classification(s) of the word(s) of the annotation. A query translator (or query translation process) to (i) accept a natural language query from a user interface process, (ii) convert the natural language query to a formal command query (e. g. , an SQL query) using the indexed annotations generated by the authoring tool and the database design schema, and (iii) present the formal command query to a database management process for interrogating the relational database.

US Patent:

6996571, Feb 7, 2006

Filed:

Jun 28, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/186029

Inventors:

Christopher Clayton McConnell - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707101, 707100

Abstract:

A relational database management system having an XML storage implementation to reduce overhead associated with consuming data from multiple data providers, where each having proprietary database schemas. The XML storage solution allows data from any arbitrary relational database schema to be loaded, rearranged and retrieved. The system is adapted to receive and managing data from external content providers by exposing a predetermined provider content file formats. These formats use XPath as a schema reference, as a definition of legal combinations, and as a pattern to match other XPaths.

US Patent:

6999963, Feb 14, 2006

Filed:

May 3, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/563900

Inventors:

Christopher Clayton McConnell - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707100, 707 2, 715731

Abstract:

An authoring tool (or process) to facilitate the performance of an annotation function and an indexing function. The annotation function may generate informational annotations and word annotations to a database design schema (e. g. , an entity-relationship diagram or “ERD”). The indexing function may analyze the words of the annotations by classifying the words in accordance with a concordance and dictionary, and assign a normalized weight to each word of each of the annotations based on the classification(s) of the word(s) of the annotation. A query translator (or query translation process) to (i) accept a natural language query from a user interface process, (ii) convert the natural language query to a formal command query (e. g. , an SQL query) using the indexed annotations generated by the authoring tool and the database design schema, and (iii) present the formal command query to a database management process for interrogating the relational database.

US Patent:

7043498, May 9, 2006

Filed:

Jun 30, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/184775

Inventors:

Christopher Clayton McConnell - Redmond WA, US
David Dawson - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707102, 707 3, 707100

Abstract:

A system and method for connecting to a set of phrases joining multiple schemas is disclosed. A phrase identifying particular content corresponding to a particular schema is submitted by an affiliated data provider to a portal. The portal matches the phrase to a set identifying particular content corresponding to multiple schemas. The portal may match the phrase to the same set as another phrase identifying the particular content in the particular schema. The portal may match the phrase to a set in a particular group of sets identifying content across common schemas. The portal may match the phrase to a set in the same group as another phrase identifying content in the particular schema. The portal may match the phrase to a previously established set or to a newly established set.

US Patent:

7310642, Dec 18, 2007

Filed:

Jan 14, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/036872

Inventors:

Christopher Clayton McConnell - Redmond WA, US
Par Jonas Barklund - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 7/00
G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707 6, 707 2, 707 3

Abstract:

An authoring tool (or process) to facilitate the performance of an annotation function and an indexing function. The annotation function may generate informational annotations and word annotations to a database design schema (e. g. , an entity-relationship diagram or “ERD”). The indexing function may analyze the words of the annotations by classifying the words in accordance with a concordance and dictionary, and assign a normalized weight to each word of each of the annotations based on the classification(s) of the word(s) of the annotation. A query translator (or query translation process) to (i) accept a natural language query from a user interface process, (ii) convert the natural language query to a formal command query (e. g. , an SQL query) using the indexed annotations generated by the authoring tool and the database design schema, and (iii) present the formal command query to a database management process for interrogating the relational database.

US Patent:

7346598, Mar 18, 2008

Filed:

Jun 28, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/185019

Inventors:

Siddhartha Cingh Arora - Redmond WA, US
Christopher Clayton McConnell - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 7/08

US Classification:

707 1, 7071041

Abstract:

A relational database management system having an XML storage implementation to reduce overhead associated with consuming data from multiple data providers, where each having proprietary database schemas. The XML storage solution allows data from any arbitrary relational database schema to be loaded, rearranged and retrieved. The present invention is directed to an implementation of an edge table such that large volumes of XML data of any structure can be stored effectively. The edge table may be designed as one large XML document where the schema information is stored separately from the instances, and relationships and constraints are expressed using foreign keys. The edge table further provides for full type support and validation. Indices and clustering provide efficient data access and query execution.

US Patent:

7346626, Mar 18, 2008

Filed:

Nov 2, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/265682

Inventors:

Christopher Clayton McConnell - Redmond WA, US
David Dawson - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707102, 707 3, 707100

Abstract:

A system and method for connecting to a set of phrases joining multiple schemas is disclosed. A phrase identifying particular content corresponding to a particular schema is submitted by an affiliated data provider to a portal. The portal matches the phrase to a set identifying particular content corresponding to multiple schemas. The portal may match the phrase to the same set as another phrase identifying the particular content in the particular schema. The portal may match the phrase to a set in a particular group of sets identifying content across common schemas. The portal may match the phrase to a set in the same group as another phrase identifying content in the particular schema. The portal may match the phrase to a previously established set or to a newly established set.

US Patent:

7512609, Mar 31, 2009

Filed:

Jul 22, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/188058

Inventors:

Christopher Clayton McConnell - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 17/00

US Classification:

707100, 707102, 707 5

Abstract:

An authoring tool (or process) to facilitate the performance of an annotation function and an indexing function. The annotation function may generate informational annotations and word annotations to a database design schema (e. g. , an entity-relationship diagram or “ERD”). The indexing function may analyze the words of the annotations by classifying the words in accordance with a concordance and dictionary, and assign a normalized weight to each word of each of the annotations based on the classification(s) of the word(s) of the annotation. A query translator (or query translation process) to (i) accept a natural language query from a user interface process, (ii) convert the natural language query to a formal command query (e. g. , an SQL query) using the indexed annotations generated by the authoring tool and the database design schema, and (iii) present the formal command query to a database management process for interrogating the relational database.