Keith A Wozny

US Patent:

6691103, Feb 10, 2004

Filed:

Apr 2, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/114423

Inventors:

Keith A. Wozny - Poolesville MD 20837

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707 2

Abstract:

A method for searching a database includes receiving a search criteria including a plurality of search elements corresponding to at least some of the record elements of a database. Each of the search elements is capable of returning one or more corresponding search results from the records of the database. The search elements of the search criteria are ordered based upon an expected size of the corresponding search results from the database. The database is searched with one of the search elements, which is expected to provide a first group of the search results, before searching the database with another one of the search elements, which is expected to provide a second, relatively larger sized group of the search results, thereby improving the efficiency of the database search.