17934814. PROJECTION CONSTRAINTS IN A QUERY PROCESSING SYSTEM simplified abstract (Snowflake Inc.)

PROJECTION CONSTRAINTS IN A QUERY PROCESSING SYSTEM

Organization Name

Snowflake Inc.

Inventor(s)

Khalid Zaman Bijon of Santa Cruz CA (US)

Thierry Cruanes of San Mateo CA (US)

Simon Holm Jensen of Menlo Park CA (US)

Allison Waingold Lee of Pebble Beach CA (US)

Daniel N. Meredith of Laguna Beach CA (US)

Subramanian Muralidhar of Mercer Island WA (US)

David Schultz of Piedmont CA (US)

Zixi Zhang of San Mateo CA (US)

PROJECTION CONSTRAINTS IN A QUERY PROCESSING SYSTEM - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17934814 titled 'PROJECTION CONSTRAINTS IN A QUERY PROCESSING SYSTEM

Simplified Explanation

Abstract: A constraint system is used to enforce projection constraints on data values stored in specific columns of a shared dataset when queries are received by a database system. These projection constraints restrict the presentation or output of data in response to a query, while still allowing certain operations to be performed on the data and providing a corresponding output. The constraints can be triggered based on various contexts, such as the user submitting the query. This approach enables the sharing and use of data anonymously without the need for data tokenization.

• The patent application describes a constraint system for enforcing projection constraints on data values in a shared dataset.
• Projection constraints restrict the presentation or output of data in response to queries.
• The constraints allow specified operations to be performed on the data and provide a corresponding output.
• The constraints can be triggered based on various contexts, such as the user submitting the query.
• This approach enables the sharing and use of data anonymously without the need for data tokenization.

Potential Applications:

• Data sharing platforms that require anonymity while allowing certain operations on shared data.
• Collaborative databases where users can perform operations on shared data without revealing sensitive information.
• Research databases that allow researchers to access and analyze data while protecting the privacy of individuals.

Problems Solved:

• Ensures privacy and anonymity of shared data by restricting its presentation or output.
• Allows for the use of shared data without the need to tokenize or anonymize it.
• Enables controlled access to sensitive data while still allowing useful operations to be performed.

Benefits:

• Protects the privacy of individuals by restricting the presentation or output of shared data.
• Simplifies the sharing and use of data by eliminating the need for data tokenization.
• Enables secure and controlled access to sensitive data for authorized operations.

Original Abstract Submitted

A constraint system enforces projection constraints on data values stored in specified columns of a shared dataset when queries are received by a database system. A projection constraint identifies that the data in a column may be restricted from being projected (e.g., presented, read, outputted) in an output to a received query, while allowing specified operations to be performed on the data and a corresponding output to be provided. For example, the projection constraint may indicate a context for a query that triggers the constraint, such as based on the user that submitted the query. Enforcing projection constraints on queries received at the database system allows for data to be shared and used anonymously by entities to perform various operations without the need to tokenize the data.