초록 ▼

A method to organize, store and retrieve information in a database to facilitate rapid object identification. An interval set is defined as an interval on a number line. The database is built from a list of interval sets as input sets. The method organizes the interval sets such that a binary search

A method to organize, store and retrieve information in a database to facilitate rapid object identification. An interval set is defined as an interval on a number line. The database is built from a list of interval sets as input sets. The method organizes the interval sets such that a binary search may be used to quickly locate all interval sets of which a value is a member, i.e., given a value, all sets that contain the element value are quickly identified. The solution sets are pre-stored or sorted on-the-fly into bins. Bins are created by superimposing all interval set boundaries onto one number line. Two successive boundaries on the number line constitute a bin. All sets which share the interval expressed by a bin are named within a bin. A binary search technique is used to search the bins, given a value, to locate an output set of the intervals which share the value. The method can be nested to accommodate any number of parameters, and can be modified to balance memory versus CPU resource utilization.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A method for rapid multi-set membership determination, comprising the following steps:organizing data sets for a large number of objects, each data set representing an object identifier and a corresponding attribute characteristic having an upper parameter bound value and

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A method for rapid multi-set membership determination, comprising the following steps:organizing data sets for a large number of objects, each data set representing an object identifier and a corresponding attribute characteristic having an upper parameter bound value and a lower parameter bound value as a plurality of interval sets, each including a lower interval parameter boundary value and an upper interval parameter boundary value, said interval sets sorted according to ascending lower interval parameter boundary value order;storing data in a database representing a set of bins, wherein each bin represents a bin set of interval sets which share a bin parameter interval between upper and lower bin parameter bound values, and wherein the database is represented as digital data stored in a digital memory comprising a digital computer system, wherein data may be retrieved from said digital memory once per system clock cycle; andgiven an input characteristic value, determining which interval sets include the input value by performing a binary search of the bins,wherein the method performs said step of determining which interval sets include the input value in a minimum number of clock cycles.