Property-Value Table Transformation for Indexed Search

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Solution Overview

Problem

Property-value tables in database systems face inefficiencies during search operations due to resource-intensive searches in unindexed single columns, particularly as the table size grows, and the inability to use conventional indexing or column-based searches.

Innovation Solution

Transforming the property-value table into a structured format with separate columns for each property and rows for each key, allowing for indexing and column-based searches, and periodic updates to maintain data persistence across application upgrades.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If property-value table stores all values in a single column to allow flexible property addition, then adaptability is improved, but search efficiency deteriorates due to inability to use indexing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility to add propertiesVSAvoidsearch efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the single-column property-value table into multiple columns, with each column representing a specific property. This segmentation enables the creation of indexes on individual property columns, transforming the search process from examining all rows to efficiently querying indexed columns, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural flexibility and search efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If property-value table uses single-column storage to maintain simple schema, then device complexity is reduced, but search performance deteriorates as table size grows

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveschema simplicityVSAvoidsearch performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a single-dimensional storage structure (one column for all properties) to a multi-dimensional structure (multiple columns for different properties). This dimensional change enables the application of conventional indexing techniques and column-based search methods, improving search performance while maintaining manageable schema complexity through structured organization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If property-value table examines each row individually to find matching keys, then adaptability to any property combination is improved, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesearch capability for any propertyVSAvoidresource demand

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-organizing data into property-specific columns and creating indexes on these columns before search operations. This preliminary structuring eliminates the need for row-by-row examination during searches, reducing resource consumption while maintaining the ability to search for any property combination through efficient indexed queries

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12105707B2Transformation of property-value table to facilitate search

Publication Date: 2024.10.01 SAP SE

AI summary

A system includes identification of first distinct values of a key column of a property-value table, creation of a new table including a new key column, the new key column populated with only one of each of the identified distinct values, identification of second distinct values of a property column of the property-value table, creation of one property column of the new table for each of the identified second distinct values, population of each cell of the property columns with a value of the property-value table, and, after population of each cell of the property columns, performance of a search on the new table.