System and method for mining sequential patterns in a large database

Patent 5819266 Issued on October 6, 1998. Estimated Expiration Date:

October 6, 2015. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventors

Application

No. 398640 filed on 03/03/1995

US Classes:

707/6Pattern matching access

Examiners

Primary: Amsbury, Wayne

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Baker Maxham Jester & Meador

International Class

G06F 017/30

Abstract

A system and method for mining databases includes a computer-implemented program which identifies patterns of transaction sequences that are stored in a database and which recur in the database with a user-defined regularity. The invention first identifies which sequences are large, i.e., which recur with the defined regularity, and then determines which sequences are maximal, i.e., which large sequences are not subsets of other large sequences. The set of maximal large sequences is returned to the user to indicate recurring purchasing patterns over time.

Other References

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