JPS63282835A - Information retrieving system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify a hardware and to rapidly execute retrieving processing by jumping a column read out from a recording buffer when a column number read out from a column retrieving condition buffer does not coincide with the value of a column counter. CONSTITUTION:The titled system is provided with the column retrieving condition buffer 2 for correspondingly storing a column retrieving condition and a column number (n) to which the column retrieving condition is applied and a column number comparator 8 for comparing the column number (n). Even if comparatively many column retrieving conditions are formed, a large scale memory or control circuit can be omitted and the hardware can be simplified. Since the column number (n) to which the column retrieving condition is applied is compared with the column number (n) of the read out column prior to decision based upon a prescribed column retrieving condition, the column to which retrieving processing in each record is to applied can be retrieved. Consequently, rapid record retrieval having no useless operation can be attained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to information retrieval technology, and in particular, to selecting a target record from a group of records by combining column search conditions for each of a plurality of columns constituting a record. It relates to techniques that are effective when applied to processing.

[Conventional technology]

For example, in a relay database, etc.
A search processing method that selects a record from a group of records that satisfies column search conditions specified for any column that constitutes a record is based on a search pattern specified under a control circuit including a processor, etc. A method that determines whether a column search condition is satisfied or not by comparing the column with a column using an arithmetic logic operation circuit, or
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 30034, a method is known in which control information related to a search operation is stored in a control memory as many times as there are multiplicities of column search conditions to perform a search process.

[Problems that Hatsuko tries to solve] However, with the above-mentioned conventional technology, when the multiplicity of search conditions for multiple columns that make up a record increases, the control circuit becomes complicated and the size of the control memory increases. There are problems such as the size of the data becomes large and the creation of control information to be stored becomes complicated.

An object of the present invention is to provide an information retrieval technique that can simplify hardware such as a control circuit and a control memory.

An object of the present invention is to provide an information retrieval technique that can quickly perform retrieval processing.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides an information retrieval method in which a record consisting of one or more columns of a predetermined length is selected from a group of records based on predetermined column search conditions for each column. a column search condition buffer that stores column numbers indicating the array position in the record of the column to which the column search condition is applied in ascending or descending order of the column number;
A record buffer in which multiple records are stored and the columns of each record are read out in ascending or descending order of column numbers, a column counter that counts the number of columns read from the record buffer, and a column number read out from the column search condition buffer. A column number comparison circuit is provided to compare the value of the column counter, and if the column number read from the column search condition buffer and the value of the column counter match, a search is performed using the column search condition, and if they do not match, a search is performed. This allows columns read from the record buffer to be skipped.

[Effect]

According to the above-mentioned means, even if the column search condition is complicated, it is only necessary to store the column search condition in association with the column number indicating the position in the record of the column to which this column search condition is applied. There is no need to create complex search control data or install control circuits, simplifying the hardware.

In addition, by comparing the column value indicating the order of columns read from the record buffer with the column number in the column search condition buffer, it is possible to quickly reach the column to which a given column search condition should be applied. Search processing can be quickly performed without any operations.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an information retrieval method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a table showing an example of a group of records to be searched.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, each record of the record group to be searched in this embodiment is composed of a plurality of predetermined long columns arranged in order from the beginning, and each column is sequentially arranged as follows. "Membership number", "Name", "Gender"
, ``address,'' and ``age.''

In this case, each column will contain 1 in order from the beginning of the record.
．． 2.3. , , and column numbers n are assigned, and each column within one record is identified by this column number.

On the other hand, the hardware constituting the information search method of this embodiment is a record buffer 1 and a column search condition buffer 2.
It is equipped with

A plurality of records are stored in the record buffer 1, and the columns constituting each record are sequentially read from the record buffer 1 in ascending order of column number n, and are held in the column content register 3. It is configured.

In addition, in the column search condition buffer 2, the column number n of the column for which the column search condition is set and the column search condition for that column among the plurality of columns constituting each record are stored as a pair. They are stored in ascending order of number n, and the column search conditions and column numbers n are configured to be sequentially read into column search condition register 4 and column number register 5, respectively.

Column content register 3 and column search condition register 4
is connected to a column search condition determination circuit 6, and in this column search condition determination circuit 6, the data stored in the column content register 3 is connected to the column condition register 4.
It is determined whether the column matches the column search conditions stored in .

Further, the column number register 5 is connected to a column number comparison circuit 8 together with a column counter 7.

The column counter 7 counts up each time the contents of one column in one record is inputted from the record buffer 1 to the column contents register 3, and counts up to "1" each time the contents of the first column of each record are inputted manually. is configured to be reset to

That is, the column counter 7 has a record buffer l.
Column contents register 3 from one record stored in
The column number n corresponding to the corresponding record of the column read out is set.

Then, in the column number comparison circuit 8, the column number n of the column number register 5 is compared with the column number n of the column stored in the column content register 3 set in the column counter 7, and when the two match, , the column search condition determination circuit 6 is activated, and if there is no match, the data in the current column content register 3 is skipped and the next column is input from the record buffer 1 to the column content register 3. It is configured as follows.

Further, a record search condition judgment circuit 9 is connected to the column condition judgment circuit 6, and this record search condition judgment circuit 9 is activated when the column search conditions for multiple columns in one record are satisfied. It is configured to send the record detection signal 10 to a higher-level control unit (not shown).

The operation of this embodiment will be explained below.

Here, as an example of a search, from the record group shown in the table in Figure 2, "Gender is male (column search condition I),
Consider the case where records that satisfy the condition "A person whose age is 40 years or older (column search condition ■)" are to be selected.

First, in column search condition buffer 2, as shown in FIG. 1, column search condition 1 (=male) and column number n (=
3>, and pairs of column search condition ■ (≧40) and column number n (=5) of the column in which age is entered in each record are stored in ascending order of column number n.

Furthermore, the record search condition determination circuit 9 is set with a logical value of ``column search condition I and column search condition {circle around (2)} are satisfied simultaneously'' as a record search condition.

Next, column search condition ■ and column number n (=3) to which this column search condition I is applied are read out from column search condition buffer 2 to column search condition register 4 and column number register 5, respectively. Set.

Then record buffer 1 to column content register 3
, the columns of the first record are read out sequentially in the order of column number n, and the values of column counter 7 are "l" and "2".
, "3", etc., and the column number comparison circuit 8 receives the contents of the column number register 5 (-
3) and the incremented value of the column counter 7, and if they are different, the column read into the column content register 3 is considered to be outside the search target and is skipped.

Then, the value of column number register 5 and column counter 7
If the values match, the data read into the column content register 3 and the contents of the column search condition register 4 are input to the column search condition determination circuit 6, and a determination operation regarding the column search condition ■ is performed. .

That is, in the above example, the data of "membership number" and "name" with column numbers n of 1 and 2 are skipped,
"Gender" in column number 3 is first searched for, and a determination operation is performed.

Next, when the determination for "gender" in column number 3 is completed, the next column search condition ■ and this column search condition ■ are applied from column search buffer 2 to column search condition register 4 and column number register 5. Each column number n (=5) is read and set, and the next column is sequentially read out to the column content register 3, and the value of the column counter 7 increases to "4" and "5". .

Then, when the value of the column counter 7 becomes "5" and matches the value "5" of the column number register 5, that is, when the data of "age" is read into the column content register 3, the data of "age" is Since the column is also a search target, the column search condition determination circuit 6 determines whether or not the column search condition H is matched.

The results of column search condition I and column search condition (2) in column search condition determination circuit 6 are cumulatively evaluated in record search condition determination circuit 9.

In this example, for the first record, the column search condition (■) is met and the column search condition (■) is not met, so the record search condition is not met.

Thus, when the first column of the next second record is entered into the column content register 3, the column counter 7 will be “
1'' and the same search process continues.

In this case, in the second record, the "gender" in column number 3 is "male" and the "age" in column number 5 is "≧40".
Therefore, column search conditions 1 and ■ are satisfied, the record search condition is satisfied, and the record search condition determination circuit 9 transmits a valid record detection signal lO of the "1" level to a higher-level control unit, etc. (not shown). .

As described above, in this embodiment, the column search condition buffer 2 stores column search conditions and column numbers n to which the column search conditions are applied in association with each other, the column number comparison circuit 8 that compares column numbers n, etc. By providing this, for example, even when the number of column search conditions is relatively large, a large-scale memory, control circuit, etc. are not required, and the hardware is simplified.

In addition, before making a determination based on a predetermined column search condition, by comparing the column number n to which the column search condition is applied and the column number of the column to be read, the column to which the search process in each record should be applied is determined. Because it is searched, there are no endless operations and records can be searched quickly.

In the above embodiment, pairs of search conditions and column numbers n to which the search conditions are applied are stored in the column search condition buffer 2 in ascending order of the column numbers n, and each record from the record buffer 1 is Although the columns are read in ascending order of column number n, it goes without saying that the same operation and effect can be obtained even if both are read in descending order.

Furthermore, a plurality of column search condition buffers 2 may be provided so that comparisons using a plurality of search conditions can be performed simultaneously for one column.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, in an information retrieval method in which a record consisting of one or more columns of a predetermined length is selected from a group of records based on predetermined column search conditions for each of the columns, a column search condition buffer that stores a column search condition and a column number indicating the array position in the record of the column to which the column search condition is applied in ascending order or descending order of the column number; a record buffer in which the columns of each record are read out in ascending or descending order of the column numbers; a column counter that counts the reads of the columns from the record buffer; and a column number read out from the column search condition buffer. a column number comparison circuit that compares the value of the column counter, and when the column number read from the column search condition buffer matches the value of the column counter, a search is performed according to the column search condition to determine a match. If not, the column read from the record buffer will be skipped, so even if the column search condition is complex, the column that indicates the column search condition and the position in the record of the column to which this column search condition should be applied will be used. It is only necessary to store the information in association with the number, and there is no need to create complex search control data or install a control circuit, which simplifies the hardware.

In addition, by comparing the column value indicating the column order read from the record buffer with the column number in the column search condition buffer, it is possible to quickly reach the column to which a given column search condition should be applied. Search processing can be quickly performed without performing determination processing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an information search method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a table showing an example of a record group to be searched. 1... Record buffer, 2... Column search condition buffer, 3... Column content register, 4... Column search condition register, 5... Column number register, 6...
...Column search condition determination circuit, 7.Column counter, 8.Column number comparison circuit, 9.Record search condition determination circuit, 10.Valid record detection signal, n.
...Column number, 1. II...Column search condition.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An information search method in which records consisting of one or more columns of a predetermined length are selected from a group of records based on predetermined column search conditions for each column, comprising:
a column search condition buffer that stores column search conditions for the columns constituting the record and column numbers indicating the array positions in the record of the columns to which the column search conditions are applied, in ascending or descending order of the column numbers; , a record buffer in which a plurality of the records are stored and the columns of each record are read out in ascending order or descending order of the column numbers; and a column counter that counts the number of reads of the columns from the record buffer;
a column number comparison circuit that compares the column number read from the column search condition buffer and the value of the column counter, and when the column number read from the column search condition buffer and the value of the column counter match; An information retrieval method characterized in that a search is performed according to the column search condition, and if there is no match, the column read from the record buffer is skipped. 2. In the column search condition buffer, pairs of the search condition and the column number to which the search condition is applied are stored in ascending order of the column number, and the columns constituting the record can be read from the record buffer. 2. The information retrieval method according to claim 1, wherein the information retrieval method is performed in ascending order of the column numbers. 3. The database according to claim 1, wherein the record group is a relational database in which the positions and lengths of columns constituting each record are unified among the records. Information retrieval method.