Normalized Watchlist Database Schema for Fast Querying

Solution Overview

Problem

Border agencies face challenges in efficiently identifying potentially risky travelers among international travelers due to the volume of passengers and limited resources, necessitating improved data management and access systems for watchlists.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing a relational database management system with a normalized layout, including a watchlist table for metadata, a watchlist entry table for high-level information, and detail tables for storing key attributes, optimized for fast querying and flexible use, allowing for efficient data retrieval and separation of high-level and detailed information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a normalized database layout with multiple tables is used to store watchlist data, then data flexibility and maintenance capability are improved, but query performance may deteriorate due to the need for joining multiple tables

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata flexibilityVSAvoidquery performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The database is segmented into multiple normalized tables (watchlist table, watchlist entry table, detail tables) to separate high-level metadata from detailed information. This segmentation improves data flexibility and maintenance capability while allowing optimized query paths through the hierarchical structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The database schema is pre-optimized with index-organized tables and partitioning strategies implemented in advance. This preliminary structural preparation enables fast query execution without requiring complex joins during actual operation, resolving the performance-flexibility tradeoff.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If detailed watchlist information is stored in separate detail tables, then data maintenance and flexibility are improved, but data access time may increase due to additional retrieval steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata maintenanceVSAvoiddata access time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The database is segmented into multiple normalized tables (watchlist table, watchlist entry table, detail tables) to separate high-level metadata from detailed information. This segmentation improves data flexibility and maintenance capability while allowing optimized query paths through the hierarchical structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The watchlist entry table acts as an intermediary layer between the watchlist metadata table and the detailed information tables. This intermediary structure enables efficient access patterns where high-level queries bypass detailed tables while detailed queries can quickly retrieve information through pre-established relationships.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of information

If a complex database model is used to store comprehensive watchlist data, then information completeness is improved, but system complexity and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The database is segmented into multiple normalized tables (watchlist table, watchlist entry table, detail tables) to separate high-level metadata from detailed information. This segmentation improves data flexibility and maintenance capability while allowing optimized query paths through the hierarchical structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different tables in the database model have different levels of detail and different query optimization strategies. The watchlist table stores metadata with optimization for list operations, while detail tables store comprehensive information with optimization for attribute queries. This local quality approach manages complexity by applying appropriate optimization strategies to appropriate data levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8412745B1Relational database model optimized for the use and maintenance of watchlist data in a high demand environment

Publication Date: 2013.04.02 RAYTHEON CO

AI summary

A data structure embodied on a computer-readable medium in conformance with a database schema for accessing and managing data related to a plurality of watchlists in a relational database system in a high demand environment, wherein the database schema comprising a watchlist table, a watchlist entry table for storing high-level information, and a plurality of detail tables for storing detailed information associated with a watchlist.