WO2005116870A1 - Method and device for supplementing a data file - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method consisting in selecting attributes (3) in a global file of entity attributes (23) containing the identifiers (2) of the entities (1) each of which is associated to an individual list (24) of said attributes (3) and in storing the corresponding entity (1) identifiers (2) with a link (52) addressing to the identifier, in retrieving other attributes (3) of the thus addressed individual lists (24) by means of the addressing links (52) and in writing a representation (5) in a file of selected entities.

Description

 METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR ENRICHING A DATA FILE

The present invention relates to the processing of information related to the activity of a user selecting attributes belonging to entities, each entity being associated with a spectrum of such attributes that the user cannot easily perceive globally. If we consider for example a computer system comprising a data transmission network connecting terminals and servers each offering a spectrum of services specific to each server, a terminal using a server for a given service may not have a good perception of the whole spectrum of services of the server considered. Therefore, if the user of the terminal needs a service other than the one for which he called the server, he will break the link in question to call another server, which he knows is capable of providing the new desired service. . However, it may be that the user has used these two services to deal with the same problem, that the first service could not fully deal with, and that in particular it is interesting to correlate the response of the first service with the response from the second service. Even if the user memorizes the first and second responses, these memorizations will only be juxtaposed, that is to say without the possibility of directly generating a synergy. Such a desired synergy can for example be linked to the fact that the first response will have provided a first result of sorting of entities according to certain criteria, that is to say certain attributes of these entities, and that it is then useless that the second answer, relating to a second sorting of entities as a function of others of their attributes, includes entities rejected by the first sorting. However, the second server ignores the response of the first server and therefore cannot take it into account to optimize the second response. The present invention therefore aims to allow a user, human or computer, having selected at least one attribute associated with an entity having several attributes such as, by way of nonlimiting example, services associated with a server, to receive information representing all or part of the other attributes of the entity considered. Obviously, the same problem arises if the user has selected, simultaneously or successively, several entities. To this end, the invention firstly relates to a method for enriching a file of selected entities, comprising a first plurality of entities selected from a second plurality of entities, method in which: in a first phase , establishing the first plurality of entities: a global file of attributes of entities is established, containing a said second plurality of identifiers of respective entities, each associated with an individual list of attributes, to constitute the file of selected entities, a number, specific to each entity, of attributes is selected from the global file of entity attributes and the identifiers of the components are stored as the first plurality of entities. entities with at least one attribute selected, the file of selected entities is completed by associating, with each selected entity, an addressing link to the identifier of the entity considered in the global file of attribute attributes and, in a second phase, of said enrichment of the file of selected entities: we browse the file of selected entities to, by means of the addressing links, access in reading, in the global file of attributes of entities, to the identifiers of entities specified by the links, a certain number of the attributes of each individual list thus addressed are retrieved, and in the file of selected entities, a representation of each attribute retrieved is written. Thus, the selection of an attribute by a user leads to the creation of an addressing link allowing access, in the global file, to the list also containing the other attributes of the entity considered, therefore representing the entire spectrum attributes of the entity, to then copy all or part of this list "next to" the selected attribute. The field of "vision" of the user is thus widened to encompass if necessary the whole spectrum of attributes of each entity, or only some of these attributes, chosen according to desired selection criteria. It is then easy to provide the means required to become aware of such attribute spectra. The above process can be implemented by a human and / or electronic operator. It will be noted that the representation of each attribute retrieved can, as desired, explicitly represent this attribute or else be a link representing an address of a means of storage where the attribute is located, for example an address in the global file. The invention also relates to computer equipment for processing information for the implementation of the method of the invention, comprising: calculation means arranged to establish, in memory means, a global file of attribute attributes, containing a said second plurality of entities identifiers of respective entities, and arranged to associate each entity identifier with an individual list of attributes, selection storage means, arranged to receive selection information from a number, specific to each entity, of attributes in the individual lists and arranged to memorize accordingly, as a file of selected entities, the identifiers of the entities from which at least one attribute has been selected, means for specifying addressing, arranged to complete the file of selected entities by associating, with each identifier of selected entity, an addressing link to the i entity identifier considered in the global file of attributes of entities, addressing means in reading the file of selected entities arranged to, by means of the addressing link, point in the global file of attributes d 'entities, on the entity identifier specified by the link, so as to read access to the specific list of associated attributes, recovery means, arranged to recover, from the global file of entity attributes, a certain number of the attributes of the individual list thus addressed, and means of information arranged to, in the file of selected entities, write a reference of each attribute retrieved. Advantageously, the calculation means are arranged to update the global file of attributes of entities, housed in an information server, by reception of update messages sent by a management terminal and received through circuits d network interface connected to a computer network. The network interface circuits preferably comprise circuits of OSI level 3, of establishing communications with external network link circuits, and circuits of OSI level

2, format management and packet throughput of said communications. In this way, the computing means, processing the tasks linked to the considered intelligence application, are freed from the communications management tasks. The file of selected entities is preferably housed in a selection management server connected to the computer network and arranged to process a first protocol, for receiving attribute selection information by the selection storage means, and a second protocol. , interrogation of the intelligence server. The technical responsibilities of the servers are thus well separated. The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of a preferred method of implementing the method of the invention and of equipment for implementing the above method, with reference to the appended drawing , in which: FIG. 1 schematically represents a networked equipment for implementing the method of the invention, FIG. 2 schematically represents a file containing various lists of attributes, specific to respective entities, and a file of such entities which have been selected, and FIG. 3 represents a functional diagram of the equipment. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the equipment shown here is in the form of distributed computer devices, connected by a computer network 100, here the Internet network, with a view to preparing a file 51 containing a first plurality of identifiers 2 of respective entities 1 which have been selected, from a second plurality of such entities 1, eligible as a function of attributes 3 which they possess. To this end, a selection device, here a terminal 10 of the type of a PC, transmits, via the computer network 100, to a server 110 for managing selections, information representing, directly or indirectly, the entities 1 selected, so that the management server 110 stores them to constitute the file of selected entities 51, the content of which is intended to be presented to a user of the terminal 10. The information thus transmitted by the terminal 10 is in fact an implicit request for additional information 5, specified below, of representation of attributes 3 of the entities 1 selected. In this example, it is also planned to integrate an identifier 6 of user in the file of selected entities 51. The management server 110 has the main function of arranging the identifiers 2, specifying the entities 1 selected, according to a specified format provided so that the file of selected entities 51 can be read by a device for presenting these, for example a printer or a display screen, possibly by reading through a data transmission network such as for example the computer network 100. The selection of the entities 1 from the terminal 10 may result from '' a direct designation of these, if the user has a list of entities 1 locally, or it can result from an indirect designation if the user has lists of attributes 3, of the kind of specific lists d attributes 24 exposed below, in which he will make a choice according to his needs, without necessarily knowing the corresponding entities 1. The management server 110 is also linked, here through the computer network 100, to an information server 120 which is arranged to take cognizance of the selections made by the selection terminal 10. Thus, for each selection, a message containing information entity selection correspondents 1 is, for this purpose, sent by the terminal 10 on the network 100 to a first network address IP1, for the management server 110, which will then consult the information server 120 by call an IP2 network address, corresponding to this one. The information server 120 serves to fill in the file of selected entities 51 by adding said information 5 representing attributes 3 of these selected entities 1, that is to say that, if the selection has been made of after an attribute 3, which can therefore be integrated into the file of selected entities 51, other attributes 3, not selected, of the entity 1 considered will also be integrated there. To do this, and in With reference to FIG. 3, the information server 120 includes memory management circuits 21 managing memory circuits 22 containing a global file 23 of attributes 3 of entities 1, global file 23 containing a said second plurality of identifiers 2 d respective entities 1, each entity identifier 2 being associated with the specific list of attributes 24 occupying a memory area (24) of determined address, each list 24 thus determining a spectrum of attributes 3 specific to each entity 1. The reference in parentheses (24) therefore designates the memory area of a list 24. The entity identifier 2 is for example, without limitation, a name or code word designating a server or a company or an object, or even a network address for such entities 1. Each attribute 3 can be, for example, without limitation, a service provided by a server, a characteristic of a company such as for example the volume of personnel or a list of products manufactured, or of the technical characteristics of certain products it manufactures. The file of selected entities 51 therefore consists of a subset of the global file of attributes of entities 23, this subset being established, from the terminal 10, by reading and selecting from the global file d attributes of entities 23, through a return path to the terminal 10 not drawn here, or, more simply, by direct input of the identifiers of entities 2, by means of the selection terminal 10 if the user thereof it has locally the identifiers of entities 2, this entry being carried out for example by a keyboard thereof or by reading a local memory of the terminal 10. Each memory zone address (24) of specific list of attributes 24 is initially communicated to the management server 110, which stores these addresses, as well as the IP2 address, routing "hat", which constitutes a sort of prefix supplementing the addresses of memory areas (24) and which is provided by the intelligence server 120 or a person managing the equipment. The file of selected entities 51 thus contains identifiers of entities 2, each being specific to each entity 1 which has been selected and being associated with an addressing link 52, supplied by the information server 120 to specify the address IP2 of the information server 120 as well as address information of the memory area (24) considered for the specific list of attributes 24 associated with the entity identifier 2 considered. It will be noted that the above address information, of specific list of attributes 24, can be constituted by the entity identifier 2 itself, that is to say that, in such a case, the information server 120, reached by virtue of its IP2 address, includes a conversion directory, for, according to the entity identifier 2 which is transmitted to it by the management server 110, internally providing a pointing address on the memory area (24) desired in order to read it and retransmit all or part thereof to the management server 110, which will serve as an intermediary for adapting the format so that the information thus read, relating to attributes 3, is integrated in the form desired for the attribute representation information 5. In the file of selected entities 51, attribute references 4, optional, represent respective attributes 3 which have been selected by the terminal 10, that is to say that is to say that it is generally of the same nature as the s representation information 5. However, as indirectly mentioned above, the various attributes 3 associated with the same entity 1 can be mutually disparate, since some may for example relate to the volume of personnel of a company or to its location or to the products it manufactures. The management server 110 and the information server 120 therefore have two respective basic functions generally of the same nature, since each aims to supply the file of selected entities 51. In particular, if the selection of entity 1, from the terminal 10, was performed directly, and not through the choice of one of its attributes 3, there is therefore no need to integrate, in the file of selected entities 51, the attribute references 4. Conversely, in the file of selected entities 51, the attribute reference 4 can be provided to further allow the location of the memory area (24) concerned, that is to say to replace, for this function, the entity reference 2. In such a case, the memory management circuits 21, receiving the attribute reference 4, carry out a search for it by scanning various elementary memory positions for the attribute references 4 in all of the specific lists attributes 24 so locate the desired memory area (24). It is therefore an indirect addressing, by recognition of the content in memory (24) in one of these elementary memory positions, and, the scanning being stopped thereby at a certain address, the memory management circuits 21 determine that this address, where the content coincidence has been found, belongs to a memory area (24) which is thus identified, for example by most significant bits of the coincidence address. Function references of entities 2 in the file of selected entities 51 and in the specific lists of attributes 24 is then superfluous. It will also be noted that, as the file of selected entities 51 has the essential function of presenting the additional desired final representation information 5 relating to attributes 3 that the user does not perceive, since, precisely, he requests such information 5, it follows that the address links 52 only constitute service information for developing the file of selected entities 51, and that they may therefore not be presented to the user, or even be arranged in another file, which can possibly be deleted after the complete compilation of the file of selected entities 51. In general, as mentioned above, the user can therefore only be presented with additional information 5, that is, in particular, entity reference 2, which also constitutes service information with link 52, may not be near grafted. This equipment can for example be used to manage access to a spare parts warehouse used for the maintenance of devices. The warehouse can operate a window mode, that is to say that a repair technician will use a terminal 10 above, for example a PC, located at a window of the warehouse, to determine a spectrum of parts of spare parts available in this warehouse. The user will enter, by an associated keyboard, the name of a device, that is to say a reference 2 of entity 1, or else he will enter an attribute reference 4 of a spare part of this device, this spare part being thus to an attribute 3 of the entity device 1. It will thus cause the creation of a file of selected entities 51 which will be presented to it on a screen of the terminal PC 10 and it will therefore be able to know which parts are in stock in the field of interest, i.e. parts for the specified device or parts of certain types which are fairly similar to each other, i.e. a set of parts which meet certain general specifications and which may possibly be used on various devices respectively. The user thus informed can then go and ask a warehouse manager to go and get the parts they want. The manager can for example be a human operator or an automatic system with conveyors fed by robots for gripping the pieces on a shelf, or any other delivery system. As a variant, the equipment according to the invention may in particular supply, on the basis of a request relating to a type of spare part, additional information 5, of representation of attributes 3, specifying several warehouses capable of supplying this type of room. In this case, it is therefore the spare parts which are entities 1 and the warehouses are attributes 3 of these spare parts forming entities 1. Thus, according to the method of the invention, enriching the file of selected entities 51 comprising the first plurality of entities 1 selected from the second plurality of entities 1, the following steps are carried out: in a first phase, of establishing the first plurality of entities 1: the global file 23 of attributes 3 of entities 1, containing a so-called second plurality of identifiers 2 of respective entity 1, each associated with an individual list 24 of attributes 3, to constitute the file of selected entities 51, a certain number is selected from the global file of attributes of entities 23 , specific to each entity 1, of attributes 3 and the identifiers 2 of the entities 1 are stored as first plurality of entities 1 of which at least one attribute 3 has been selected, the file of entities is completed selected 51 by associating, with each selected entity 1, the addressing link 52 to the identifier 2 of the entity 1 considered in the global file of attributes of entities 23 and, in a second phase, of said enrichment of the file of selected entities 51: the file of selected entities 51 is browsed in order, by means of the addressing links 52, to read access, in the global file of attributes of entities 23, to the identifiers of specified entities 2 by the links 52, we recover a number of attributes 3 of each individual list 24 thus addressed, and in the file of selected entities 51, a representation (additional information 5) of each attribute 3 retrieved is written. The above method is here implemented by a human operator, performing an initial integration of the hardware and software components of the servers 110 and

120, and the latter then serve as tools carrying out the following steps. In this example, the management server 110 stores the attribute references 4 of the selected attributes 3 and, for retrieving attributes 3 from the specific attribute lists 24, the management server 110 reads said attribute references 4 stored in order to choose the attributes 3 to be retrieved as a function of determined selection criteria taking into account the attribute references 4 of the attributes 3 selected. If we take the example of the warehouse, the selection criteria above are for example the fact that a particular type of selected spare part is considered to be an attribute 3 among several possible belonging to a general type of spare part which is then considered to be an entity 1. Thus, the selection criterion will be such that the initial selection, by the terminal 10, of one of the particular types will cause the choice, from the list 24 containing the attribute 3 corresponding to a particular type, other attributes 3 belonging to the same group, of general type, as attribute 3 selected. In particular in this example, the management server 110 reads the stored attribute references 4 of the selected attributes 3, in order to locate attribute references 4 associated with the same entity 1, which therefore turns out to be multiple selection, and it chooses the attributes 3 to be retrieved, from the list 24, as a function of said determined selection criteria specifically treating the multiple-selection entities 1 thus identified. The selection of said number of attributes 3 can be done by means of a reader 13 of an information computer support which is here a smart card constituting a removable element of the terminal 10. As a variant, the computer support could for example be a bar code or alphanumeric sheet read by an optical or magnetic reader, or a floppy disk or equivalent. The smart card can contain all or part of the selection information to be transmitted or only additional access control information used by the management server 110 or the information server 120 to validate the information request 5 or refuse it if the access control information does not correspond to homologous information , of reference, initially stored in the server 110 or 120 considered. Thus, the reading of the global file of attributes of entities 23 can in particular be carried out by means of requests for access to the global file of attributes of entities 23 which are controlled as a function of access criteria linked to a said user identifier 6, entered during selection, and any request associated with a user identifier 6 which does not meet said criteria is rejected. The user identifier 6 can be provided by reading the smart card, with an optional keyboard input. This user identifier 6 may however be provided to authorize certain types of requests and to refuse others, that is to say that, in a population of users, there may be provided a hierarchy of access rights individual. For example, using the example of the warehouse, a specific specialty convenience store will not be authorized to carry out a transaction consisting in selecting a part that it wants to take away (part constituting an attribute 3 corresponding to attribute references 4), and to launch a search request for information 5, only for parts entering its technical field. A certain secret can thus be preserved as to the overall content of the warehouse. The management server 110 presents the user with the enriched file of selected entities 51, for example according to a cycle of determined period or at each selection. In the example of the warehouse, this user can be each user or the manager of the warehouse. There will now be explained, with reference to FIG. 3, the detail of the functional circuits of the above computer equipment, for processing information for the implementation of the method of the invention. As explained above, the separation into two distinct servers 110, 120 is by no means a necessity, so that the description which follows is functional and not geographical. The terminal 10 is, as indicated, a PC which includes network link circuits 11 connected to the computer network 100, as well as circuits 12, for selecting attributes 3, associated with, or integrated with, the card reader 13 to chip, for transmitting, via the network link circuits 11, requests for establishing the file of selected entities 51, a file which is established by, and located in, selection storage circuits 50 cooperating with the central unit 20 The rest of the equipment, called central equipment, which processes the requests, comprises calculation circuits in the form of a central unit 20 arranged to establish, in memory circuits 22 managed by memory management circuits 21, the file global 23 of attributes 3 of entities 1, containing the said second plurality of entities 1, and arranged to associate each entity 1 with the proper identifier 2 and with the individual list 24 of attributes 3. The central unit 20 is r linked to all the circuits of the central equipment, and in particular to network interface circuits 9 connected to the network link circuits 11 through the computer network 100. The network interface circuits 9 comprise circuits 91 for physical connection with the network 100, that is to say level 1 in the OSI classification of Open Systems, as well as circuits 92, level 2, for managing format of the data exchanged in packets through the network 100, and adaptation of the speed of the exchanges, and of the circuits 93, level 3, of establishment and breakdown of the network communications. The link circuits 11 comprise circuits homologous to these, with in particular level 3 circuits managing an IP0 address of the terminal 10. The physical link circuits 91 provide a bidirectional physical connection between the network 100 and the circuits 92. The circuits 92 include a buffer memory in which they store the messages received from the computer network 100 and they include circuits for measuring the filling of the buffer memory in order to optionally send back to the terminal 10, a service message requesting to reiterate subsequently a received request message which could not be memorized, due to lack of space, due to an average speed, arrival of such request messages, excessive during the preceding moments. On the other hand, in the well received request messages, in buffer memory, the circuits 92 locate, next to various service fields such as address fields, a useful data field containing the request. The content of this field is then transmitted to the circuits 93. The circuits 93 manage the exchanges at the address IP1, here combined with the address IP2, that is to say receive the said request coming from the address IP0 and send a return receipt. The circuits 92 thus perform, in transmission, an insertion of the acknowledgment of receipt in a message to be sent, they fill in the required service fields, including a recipient address field receiving the IPO address, and a sender address field, receiving the IP1 address, and they transmit the message to circuits 91. The terminal selection 10, selects a number, specific to each entity 1, of attributes 3 in the individual lists 24, and sends the above request to the central unit 20. The central unit 20 then commands, at the selection storage circuits 50, to store, as a file of selected entities 51, identifiers 2 of the entities 1 of which at least one attribute 3 has been selected, thus initiating the constitution of the file of selected entities 51, that is to say the representation of information representing the selected attribute or attributes 3. The central equipment further comprises addressing specification circuits 30, arranged to complete the file of selected entities 51 by associating, with each identifier 2 of selected entity, a link 52 of addressing to the identifier 2 of the entity 1 considered in the global file of attributes of entities 23. The addressing specification circuits 30 receive for this purpose, from the memory management circuits 21, address information specifying the addresses of the memory areas ( 24) of the second plurality of specific lists of attributes 24, and in particular the second plurality of addresses of entity identifiers 2 respectively associated with these lists in the memory circuits 22. As mentioned at the beginning, it can furthermore be added, in link 52, the second IP2 address, if the equipment is distributed among several servers 110, 120. The above circuits thus constitute

The technical environment required to respond to a so-called request to receive additional information

5 representing attributes 3 of the selected entities 1. The following circuits are responsible for processing the request. They include circuits 40 for addressing in reading the file of selected entities 51 for, in a following phase and under the control of the central unit 20 forming a sequencer, access for reading, in the global file of attributes of entities 23, to the identifiers of entities 2 at addresses specified by the links 52. The read addressing circuits 40 are therefore first obtained, by reading the file of selected entities 51 being prepared, the address d '' a memory zone (24) associated with the entity 1 whose representation 2 is associated with the link 52 considered, then they transmit (two dotted arrows) this memory zone address (24) to the memory circuits 22, possibly as here at through the memory management circuits 21, if for example, as mentioned above, the link is in fact the identifier 2 and that then transcoding, by a directory, into a memory area address value (24) is necessary. Recovery circuits 60 then recover (dotted arrow), at the output of the global file of attributes of entities 23 thus addressed, and according to the selection criteria indicated below and stored in processing circuits 61 belonging to the recovery circuits 60, a certain number of attributes 3 of each individual list 24 thus addressed, and they transmit them to intelligence circuits 70 which, in the file of selected entities 51, will write the reference 5 of each attribute 3 recovered. In this example, the selection circuits 12 command the central unit 20, by their request interpreted by the central unit 20, to store, in the file of selected entities 51, the said attribute references 4 of the attributes 3 selected. The attribute recovery circuits 60, receiving, through the interface circuits 9, the requests containing these attribute references 4, read the stored references 4 of the attributes 3 selected and choose the attributes 3 to be recovered according to criteria of determined choices taking into account the references of attributes 4 of the attributes 3 selected. The recovery circuits 60 are here arranged to locate, in the file of selected entities 51 under development, said attribute references 4 of attributes 3 selected associated with the same entity 1, which is therefore multiple selection . The above identification can be carried out by reading the file of selected entities 51 or by keeping track of the attribute references 4 previously recovered. The processing circuits 61 will then choose the attributes 3, to be retrieved from a specific list of attributes 24, as a function of said determined selection criteria specifically treating the entities 1 with multiple selection. The processing circuits 61 therefore carry out a correlation examination between a history relating to previous requests, which consists of the file of selected entities 51 in the course of preparation, and a current request from the terminal 10, in order to adapt the result of this query, that is to say to make a suitable choice of information 5 for representing attributes 3 which will be integrated into the file of selected entities 51. For example here, the processing circuits 61 include selection tables 62 associating, with each possible attribute reference 4, a subset specific attribute 3 from the specific attribute list

24 considered. Using the example of the warehouse, a request for a spare part consisting of an electrical connector specified by a reference of the type of attribute references 4 will be transcoded, by the associated individual transcoding table 62, into a plurality of individual addresses of attributes 3, in the specific list of attributes 24 considered, each address of the plurality corresponding to attribute 3 concerning a connector having for example the same number of pins, that is to say belonging to the same subfamily. However, if the file of selected entities 51, under preparation, turns out to contain two attribute references 4 for respectively two different connectors, this represents an indication suggesting that the user has needs in the field of connectors . In such a case, the processing circuits 61 will provide richer information (information 5) than the simple reunion of the two attribute subfamilies 3 to which the two connectors belong. In such a case, the processing circuits 61 use, in place of the two individual transcoding tables 62 considered, a more global transcoding table 63, that is to say providing the individual addresses of the whole family considered attribute 3, that is, say including the sub-families thereof not selected. To do this, there is provided a row of reading addressing multiplexers 65, 66 and 67 allowing each to address and read any individual address of attribute representation 4 in each memory area (24) respectively. A common multiplexer 68 collects the attribute references 4 which are thus read and transmits them to the intelligence circuits 70. The multiplexers 65, 66, 67 and 68 have turnout control inputs (arrows) making it possible to connect the output of the multiplexer considered to that of its inputs which is connected to the desired address in the memory area (24). The read addressing circuits 40, in response to the reception of a said request from the terminal 10, thus issue read access requests to the global file of attribute attributes 23, requests received and processed by the memory management circuits 21. The memory management circuits 21 are further here arranged to control access to the global file of attributes of entities 23 as a function of access criteria linked to a user identifier 6, entered by the selection terminal 10 and retransmitted to the memory management circuits 21 through the interface circuits 9, and thus invalidate any request associated with a user identifier 6 which does not meet said access criteria. The user identifier 6 is here provided by a smart card through the reader 13 and / or by a code word entered on a keyboard connected to the selection terminal 10. The file of selected entities 51 remains stored in electronic form so that it can be archived and used for statistical purposes, for example. The file of selected entities 51 is however associated with circuits 55 for presenting said file of selected entities 51 to a user, for example a screen of the terminal 10, after transmission through the computer network 100, or even, as drawn , a local printer, for sending a print by post, or a remote printer, for example at the user's. The central unit 20 comprises software memory circuits 20M containing, inter alia, instructions necessary for managing the presentation circuits 55, that is to say transmitting to them the file of selected entities 51 and in particular adjusting the periodicity of their activation. The memory circuits 20M are for example read only memories, possibly rewritable, or network circuits of combinative logic, of the so-called FPLA type (Field Programmable Logic Array, for Network of logic doors writable on site). The central unit 20 can therefore be of the universal computer type or else be dedicated to the present particular application, for example in the form of an automaton programmed by the FPLA circuits, which, under the control of a time base, establish and break, as desired, links between various functional circuits of the controller, thereby successively creating the functions required to carry out the successive stages of the process. This therefore amounts to modifying, cyclically and in an appropriate manner, the wiring between these circuits. Using the example of the warehouse, each user or manager can, for example, every month receive a statement of transactions made, corresponding to each of the requests issued. The presentation circuits 55 may however, in addition or instead, be provided to operate at each selection of attribute 3, that is to say in real time. The presentation circuits 55 are here arranged to, under the control of the central unit 20, present the references 5, of the attributes 3 recovered, in a specific zone of a document representing the file of selected entities 51. The references 2 of the entities 1 selected and the references 5 of the attributes 3 recovered are represented respectively according to two different types of presentation, for example with a type in italics, oblique, in bold, therefore in line thickness, in specific color or else of different size of that of the other type. It is in fact the central unit 20 which, during the final elaboration of the file of selected entities 51, commands the intelligence circuits 70 to transform the references of attributes 4, of representation of attributes 3, retrieved so selective in attribute list 24, in references 5 having a different presentation. The instructions in memory 20M provide that the intelligence circuits 70, in cooperation with the central unit 20, locate any identifier 2 of selected entity appearing in multiple copies in the file of selected entities 51, so as to modify the file of selected entities 51 so that the presentation circuits 55 only present in a single copy the references 5 of the corresponding attributes recovered. The intelligence circuits 70 are also provided for, with the central unit 20, modifying the type of presentation of the attributes 3 recovered which are associated with a said entity 1 appearing in several copies. The user receiving the statement of his transactions will thus be able to better analyze his activities and his needs. The information circuits 70 are here arranged to store the user identifiers 6 in association with the attribute reference 4 of a selected attribute 3 associated in the file of selected entities 51, and to associate, with each reference of entity 2 of the file of selected entities 51, a history of the users and attribute references 4 that they have selected. Each entity 1 is thus associated with a list of identifiers 6 of its users during a determined period. The history is therefore a set of data blocks, each as represented in the functional block drawn to represent the file of selected entities 51. The intelligence circuits 70 are also here arranged to classify, in the history, the user identifiers 6 based on attribute references 4 of attributes 3 selected. For each manager of a given entity 1, a spectrum of users is thus constituted, opposite the spectrum of attributes 3 of the entity 1 considered in the specific list of attributes 24. The file of selected entities 51 can therefore serve as a source file for developing operating files, such as the so-called historical files, the content of which has been sorted first according to each entity 1, or each attribute 3, or each user identifier 6. The circuits of information 70 are also here provided for, with the central unit 20, classifying the representations 5 of the attributes of the selected attribute file 51 according to an order defined by the expiration dates of the attributes 3 recovered. If the warehouse, taken as an example above, is used for the storage of drugs of which each family of molecule constitutes an entity 1 covering several specific drugs constituting attributes 3, the manager and the users clearly see what are, in the stock, the specific drugs to be used quickly. Irrespective of the existence of the above classification, recent information may also be provided concerning restrictions on the use of certain medicinal products. In particular, the criteria for choosing attributes 3 in a specific list of attributes 24 can make it possible to associate, in a subfamily of which all the references 5 will be presented, drugs which have just been revealed to be incompatible. Returning to the distribution of the central equipment into the two servers 110 and 120 exposed at the beginning, it will be understood that the central unit 20 must then be duplicated for some of its basic functions. In the management server 110, the central unit 20 considered will first receive the request from the terminal 10 through the interface circuits 9 and begin to prepare the file of selected entities 51, associated with the addressing circuits read 40 which will call the IP2 address of the information server 120 to access the memory circuits 22, after reception, in the file of selected entities 51, of the link 52, sent through the computer network 100, by the circuits of addressing specification 30, themselves informed on this subject by memory management circuits 21. In the information server 120 there are also the recovery circuits 60 and the information circuits 70, which transmit the references 5 to the management server 110 so as to complete the preparation of the file of selected entities 51 It is understood that such a distribution of functions between the two servers 110, 120 makes it possible to separate the respective responsibilities as best as possible, since the information server 120 provides all the processing for searching and extracting references 5. Its only exchanges with the exterior (terminal 10 and management server 110) are in the form of messages the format of which is determined and processed by the circuits 92, and of which an application protocol for exchanging request and other data, for the present application, is managed by software memory circuits 20M. The circuits 92 of the management server 110 therefore ensure the adaptation of format and bit rate of the messages for, at the same time, the establishment messages, and subsequently break, of communication messages, for which the network 100 is the interlocutor, and then the application messages, for which the network 100 is transparent, the terminal 10 being the interlocutor. The software memory circuits 20M then replace the circuits 93, vis-à-vis the circuits 92 for format and bit rate adaptation. The above application protocol in fact comprises two protocols, a first protocol for exchanges with terminals such as terminal 10, that is to say exchanges "peripheral" or "external" to the central part constituted by the servers. 110 and 120, and a second protocol for inter-server exchanges 110, 120, if these constitute two autonomous systems, neighboring or distant. The first protocol provides a step of receiving a so-called request from the terminal 10, and for example a step of sending back a request for a user identifier 6, and / or a request for re-transmission of '' such an identifier not recognized for the first time. In the case of separate servers 110, 120 here assumed, the first protocol in the management server 110, which received the request, activates, in the management server 110, the second protocol, for interrogating the intelligence server 120, to order a call to the IP2 address of the information server 120, in order to retransmit the request from the terminal 10 there, possibly after adaptation to a message format specific to the exchanges between the two servers 110 and 120, this format thus being able to remain secrecy vis-à-vis terminals such as terminal 10. The speed between the servers 110 and 120 can also be higher than for terminal 10. The circuits 92 of the management server 110 are then provided to process the two bit rates and both formats. The second protocol, in the information server 120, then activates the memory management circuits 21 as well as the recovery circuits 60 and the information circuits 70. The information 5 representing attributes 3 thus obtained is then transmitted by them. ci to the computer network 100 through the network interface circuits 9 of the information server 120, after formatting according to the format desired for the second protocol. In order to secure the exchanges between the servers 110 and 120, the exchanged packets are numbered, in order to detect on arrival any loss or any duplication. The second protocol may also provide for coding of the data exchanged. In order to secure the file of selected entities 51 and the global file of attributes of entities 23 against any intrusion in reading or writing, it can also be provided to distribute them in memory in a fragmented and duplicated manner, this is that is to say to segment them into files of fragments of limited size, each memorized in several copies in various memory zones, each such memory zone being associated with an addressing link to at least one other memory zone relating to another fragment, and preferably several such addressing links to all the memory areas of all the other fragments. Such addressing links can be stored with each memory area considered or in one or more map memory areas provided for this purpose. For dynamic management of the specific lists of attributes 24 by the entities 1, the central unit 20 updates the global file of attributes of entities 23, housed in the intelligence server 120, by reception of update messages. day sent by the terminal 10, selection and also management, and received through the network interface circuits 9 of the intelligence server 120.

Claims

Claims 1. Method for enriching a file of selected entities (51), comprising a first plurality of entities (1) selected from a second plurality of entities (1), method in which: in a first phase, establishment of the first plurality of entities (1): a global file (23) of attributes (3) of entities (1) is established, containing a said second plurality of identifiers (2) of entities ( 1) respective, each associated with an individual list (24) of attributes (3), to constitute the file of selected entities (51), one selects, in the global file of attributes of entities (23), a certain number, specific to each entity (1), of attributes (3) and the identifiers (2) of the entities (1) of which at least one attribute are stored, as the first plurality of entities (1) (3) has been selected, the file of selected entities (51) is completed by associating, with each entity (1) selected, a l ien (52) of addressing to the identifier (2) of the entity (1) considered in the global file of attributes of entities (23) and, in a second phase, of said enrichment of the file of entities selected (51): the file of selected entities (51) is browsed to, by means of the addressing links (52), access, in reading, in the global file of attribute attributes (23), to the identifiers d 'entities (2) specified by the links (52), we recover a certain number of attributes (3) from each individual list (24) thus addressed, and in the file of selected entities (51), we write a representation ( 5) of each attribute (3) retrieved. 2. Method according to claim 1, in which references (4) of the attributes (3) selected are stored and, for retrieving attributes, said references of selected attributes (4) are read in order to choose the attributes ( 3) to be retrieved according to determined selection criteria taking into account the references of the selected attributes (4). 3. Method according to claim 2, in which the stored references of the selected attributes (4) are read in order to locate said stored references (4) of attributes (3) associated with the same entity (1), with multiple selection. , and the attributes (3) to be recovered are chosen as a function of said determined selection criteria specifically treating the multiple selection entities (1). 4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the selection of said number of attributes (3) is carried out by means of a smart card reader. 5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the reading of the global file of attributes of entities (23) is carried out by means of requests for access to the global file of attributes of entities (23 ) which are controlled according to access criteria linked to a user identifier, entered during selection, and any request associated with a user identifier that does not meet said criteria is rejected. 6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which a file of selected entities (51) is presented to a user, according to a cycle of determined period. 7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the file of selected entities is housed (51) and the global file of attributes of entities (23) in servers and is accessed through a computer network (100). 8. IT equipment for processing information for implementing the method of claim 1, comprising: calculation means (20) arranged to establish, in memory means (22), a global file (23) of attributes (3) of entities (1), containing a said second plurality of identifiers entities (2) of respective entities (1), and arranged to associate each entity identifier (2) with an individual list ( 24) of attributes (3), selection storage means (50), arranged to receive selection information of a certain number, specific to each entity (1), of attributes (3) in the individual lists (24) and arranged to store accordingly, as a file (51) of selected entities (1), the identifiers (2) of the entities (1) of which at least one attribute (3) has been selected, means of addressing specification (30), arranged to complete the file of selected entities (51) by associating, with each identifier (2) of selected entity, a link (52) for addressing to the entity identifier (2) considered in the global file of attribute attributes (23), means (40) of addressing in reading the file of selected entities (51) arranged to, by means of the addressing link (52), point, in the global file of attribute attributes (23), to the entity identifier ( 2) specified by the link (52), so as to read access to the associated specific list of attributes (24), retrieval means (60), arranged to retrieve, from the global file of attribute attributes (23), a certain number of attributes (3) from the individual list (24) thus addressed, and means of information ( 70) arranged to, in the file of selected entities (51), write a reference (5) of each attribute (3) retrieved. 9. Equipment according to claim 8, in which the selection storage means (50) are arranged to store the references (4) of the attributes (3) selected and the attribute recovery means (60) are arranged to read the stored references (4) of the selected attributes and choose the attributes to be retrieved according to determined selection criteria taking into account the references (4) of the selected attributes. 10. Equipment according to claim 9, in which the recovery means (60) are arranged to locate said references (4) of selected attributes associated with the same entity (1), with multiple selection, and arranged to choose the attributes to be retrieved as a function of said determined selection criteria specifically treating multiple selection entities (1). 11. Equipment according to one of claims 8 to 10, comprising means (10) for selecting attributes (3), comprising a reader (13) of computer information support, arranged to control the selection storage means. (50) by transmission of attribute selection information (3). 12. Equipment according to claim 11, in which the reader (13) is a smart card reader. 13. Equipment according to one of claims 11 and 12, comprising means (21) for managing the memory means (22), arranged to receive and process access requests in said reading to the global file of attribute attributes. (23) from the read addressing means (40), and arranged to control access to the global file of attribute attributes (23) according to access criteria linked to a user identifier (6 ), entered by the selection means (10) and retransmitted to the memory management means (21), and thus invalidate any request associated with a user identifier (6) which does not meet said access criteria. 14. Equipment according to claim 13, in which the information means (70) are arranged to store the user identifiers (6) in association with a reference (4) of selected attribute associated in the file of selected entities ( 51), and to associate, with each entity reference (2) of the file of selected entities (51), a history of the users and of the attributes they have selected. 15. Equipment according to claim 14, in which the information means (70) are arranged to classify, in the history, the user identifiers (6) according to the references of selected attributes (4). 16. Equipment according to one of claims 8 to 15, in which the file of selected entities (51) is of electronic type and is associated with means (20, 20M, 55) for presenting said file of selected entities (51) to a user. 17. Equipment according to claim 16, in which the presentation means (20, 20M, 55) are arranged to operate at each attribute selection (3). 18. Equipment according to claim 16, wherein the presentation means (20, 20M, 55) are arranged to perform said presentation cyclically. 19. Equipment according to one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the presentation means (20, 20M, 55) include means for printing the selected attribute file (51). 20. Equipment according to one of claims 16 to 19, in which the presentation means (55) are arranged to present the references (5), of the attributes (3) recovered, in a specific zone of a document representing the file. selected entities (51). 21. Equipment according to one of claims 16 to 20, in which the presentation means (20, 20M, 55) are arranged to present the references (25) of the entities (1) selected and the references (5) of the attributes ( 3) recovered according to respectively two different types of presentation. 22. Equipment according to claim 21, in which the presentation means (20, 20M, 55) are arranged so that the two types of presentation differ by at least one of the characteristics of symbols identifying the various attributes (3) recovered and corresponding entities (1), characteristics belonging to the group constituted by the color, the size, the obliquity of the outline of the symbols, the line thickness. 23. Equipment according to one of claims 16 to 22, in which the information means (70) are arranged to locate any identifier (2) of selected entity appearing in multiple copies in the file of selected entities (51) and arranged not to present that in a single copy the references (5) of the corresponding attributes recovered. 24. Equipment according to claim 23, in which the information means (70) are arranged to modify the type of presentation of the references (5) of the attributes retrieved which are associated with a said entity (1) appearing in multiple copies in the file. selected entities (51). 25. Equipment according to one of claims 16 to 24, in which the information means (70) are arranged to classify the representations (5) of the attributes of the selected attribute file (51) according to an order defined by dates of expiration of the attributes (3) recovered. 26. Equipment according to one of claims 8 to 25, in which the information means (70) are arranged to provide, in the file of selected entities (51), total information representing, for each entity (1) , the number of attributes (4) that have been selected. 27. Equipment according to one of claims 8 to 26, wherein the information means (20) are arranged to establish histories. 28. Equipment according to one of claims 8 to 27, wherein the calculation means (20) are arranged to update the global file of attribute attributes (23), housed in an information server (120) , by receiving update messages sent by a management terminal (10) and received through network interface circuits (9) connected to a computer network (100). 29. Equipment according to claim 28, in which the network interface circuits (9) comprise circuits (93) at OSI level 3, establishing communications with external network link circuits (11), and OSI 2 level circuits (92) for managing the format and packet throughput of said communications. 30. Equipment according to one of claims 28 and 29, wherein the file of selected entities (51) is housed in a selection management server (110) connected to the computer network (100) and arranged to process a first protocol , for receiving attribute selection information by the selection storage means (50), and a second protocol, for interrogating the intelligence server (120).