Method and apparatus for information storage and retrieval
First Claim
1. An information storage and retrieval system comprising:
- a set of stored information bearing records having information stored in a language format which, at least in part, has intelligent meaning because of particular groupings of characters or symbols therein,each of said records being disposed at a predetermined address or location,a stored retrieval file for facilitating the retrieval of particular desired records from said set of information bearing records, said retrieval file comprising a plurality of arrays of binary coded elements,each of said arrays including predetermined elements individually and respectively corresponding to the addresses of each of said information bearing records,each of said arrays being formed to indicate the presence or absence of a predetermined identifiable characteristic of the language structure associated with the information content of each of said information bearing records, wherein said plurality of arrays constituting a comprehensive set of arrays correspond to a comprehensive set of said predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure comprising substantially all such predetermined identifiable characteristics which are to be later utilized in searching for desired information bearing records, andeach element in a given array being binary coded in a first manner to represent the presence in the respectively corresponding record of the predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure corresponding to the given array and being binary coded in a second distinguishable manner to represent the absence in the respectively corresponding record of the predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure corresponding to the given arraywhereby particular desired records bearing certain desired information may be located and thus retrieved by first determining the subset of said predetermined identifiable characteristics present in said desired information and then examining the respectively corresponding subset of said arrays to determine the storage address or location of each stored record containing all of said subset of predetermined identifiable characteristics.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for identifying particular desired information bearing records having desired predetermined identifiable characteristics from a set of such records in a base data file. A special retrieval file including arrays of binary coded elements is produced and maintained from the information content of the base data file. Each array of the retrieval file corresponds to a particular predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure potentially present in or associated with the set of records concerned and each element in such an array corresponds to and is representative of the address or location of a particular one of the records in the base data file. The elements are binary coded to represent the presence or absence of the predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure associated with that particular array in the corresponding record. Furthermore, the set of predetermined identifiable characteristics is itself chosen, in one exemplary embodiment, to represent the alphabetic value and relative sequential location of information characters in associated groups of characters such as words contained in the records. In this manner, the retrieval file itself represents an irreversible information compression of the language structure and/or information contained in the set of information bearing records.
To locate any particular desired record, the retrieval file is first searched by identifying and selecting those arrays representing desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure and comparing the binary values of respectively corresponding elements in the selected arrays thus identifying which records in the base data file have all the desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure. Once the desired records in the base data file have been identified in this manner, they are then selected and displayed, copied, etc., as desired to provide the requisite access or retrieval of information that had previously been stored in the base data file. Particular choices and variations in the selection of the set of predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure to be represented by the arrays in the retrieval file will change the search and retrieval characteristics, capabilities, flexibility, etc., of the system as may be desired for particular types of record sets and particular types of base data file formats, etc.
220 Citations
80 Claims
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1. An information storage and retrieval system comprising:
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a set of stored information bearing records having information stored in a language format which, at least in part, has intelligent meaning because of particular groupings of characters or symbols therein, each of said records being disposed at a predetermined address or location, a stored retrieval file for facilitating the retrieval of particular desired records from said set of information bearing records, said retrieval file comprising a plurality of arrays of binary coded elements, each of said arrays including predetermined elements individually and respectively corresponding to the addresses of each of said information bearing records, each of said arrays being formed to indicate the presence or absence of a predetermined identifiable characteristic of the language structure associated with the information content of each of said information bearing records, wherein said plurality of arrays constituting a comprehensive set of arrays correspond to a comprehensive set of said predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure comprising substantially all such predetermined identifiable characteristics which are to be later utilized in searching for desired information bearing records, and each element in a given array being binary coded in a first manner to represent the presence in the respectively corresponding record of the predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure corresponding to the given array and being binary coded in a second distinguishable manner to represent the absence in the respectively corresponding record of the predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure corresponding to the given array whereby particular desired records bearing certain desired information may be located and thus retrieved by first determining the subset of said predetermined identifiable characteristics present in said desired information and then examining the respectively corresponding subset of said arrays to determine the storage address or location of each stored record containing all of said subset of predetermined identifiable characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for information storage and retrieval comprising:
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maintaining a set of information bearing records having information stored in a language format which, at least in part, has intelligent meaning because of particular groupings of characters or symbols therein, each of said records being maintained at a predetermined address or location, generating and maintaining a retrieval file for facilitating the retrieval of particular desired records from said set of information bearing records, said retrieval file being formed as a function of the language structure of information in said records, the retrieval file comprising a plurality of arrays of binary coded elements, said generating and maintaining step including the generation and maintenance of a comprehensive set of arrays corresponding to a comprehensive set of predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure comprising substantially all such predetermined identifiable characteristics which are to be later utilized in searching for desired information bearing records, providing predetermined elements in said arrays which individually and respectively correspond to the address of each of said information bearing records, forming each of said arrays to indicate the presence or absence of a predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure associated with the information content of each of said information bearing records, said forming step including binary coding each element in a given array in a first manner to represent the presence in the respectively corresponding record of the predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure corresponding to the given array and in a second distinguishable manner to represent the absence in the respectively corresponding record of the predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure corresponding to the given array and, locating and retrieving particular desired records bearing certain desired information by first determining the subset of said predetermined identifiable characteristics present in said desired information and then examining the respectively corresponding subset of said arrays to determine the storage address or location of each stored record containing all of said subset of predetermined identifiable characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for identifying particular desired information bearing records having desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure from a base data file containing a plurality of information bearing records having information stored in a language format which, at least in part, has intelligent meaning because of particular groupings of characters or symbols therein, said method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a retrieval file separately disposed with respect to said base data file, said retrieval file comprising a plurality of arrays of binary coded elements wherein said plurality of arrays constituting a comprehensive set of arrays correspond to a comprehensive set of said predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure comprising substantially all such predetermined identifiable characteristics which are to be later utilized in searching for desired information bearing records, and including the steps of organizing each array to include a binary coded element respectively corresponding to each record in said base data file, and forming each array to correspond to indicate the presence or absence of a predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure associated with each of said records, said forming step including assigning each binary coded element in any given array a predetermined binary value to represent the presence or absence of said predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure represented by said given array in the particular record represented by each element, generating search data representing desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure for sought after records, selecting the subset of arrays representing said desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure, and comparing the binary values of respectively corresponding elements in said selected subset of arrays representing said desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure to identify the addresses or locations of all records in the base data file which have all the desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. Apparatus for identifying particular desired information bearing records having desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure from a base data file containing a plurality of information bearing records having information stored in a language format which, at least in part, has intelligent meaning because of particular groupings of characters or symbols therein, said apparatus comprising:
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means for maintaining a retrieval file separately disposed with respect to said base data file, said retrieval file comprising a plurality of arrays of binary coded elements wherein said plurality of arrays constituting a comprehensive set of arrays correspond to a comprehensive set of said predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure comprising substantially all such predetermined identifiable characteristics which are to be later utilized in searching for desired information bearing records, and including means for organizing each array to include a binary coded element respectively corresponding to each record in said base data file, and means for forming each array to indicate the presence or absence of a predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure associated with each of said records, said means for forming including means for assigning each binary coded element in any given array a predetermined binary value to represent the presence or absence of said predetermined identifiable characteristic of language structure represented by said given array in the particular record represented by each element, means for generating search data representing desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure for sought after records, means for selecting the subset of arrays representing said desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure, and means for comparing the binary values of respectively corresponding elements in said selected subset of arrays representing said desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure to identify the addresses or locations of all records in the base data file which have all the desired predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A computerized information storage and retrieval system for storing and retrieving information stored in a language format which, at least in part, has intelligent meaning because of particular groupings of characters or symbols therein and including a programmed data processor, said system comprising:
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first machine accessible information storage means adapted for storing a set of information bearing records at predetermined addresses and for delivering the stored information content of any given record when provided with the address of the given record, second machine accessible information storage means adapted for storing a retrieval file comprising a plurality of arrays of binary coded elements, each of said arrays including predetermined elements individually and respectively corresponding to the address of each of said information bearing records in said first machine accessible information storage means, each of said arrays being representative of a predetermined identifiable characteristic associated with each of said information bearing records, said plurality of arrays constituting a comprehensive set of arrays corresponding to a comprehensive set of said predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure comprising substantially all such predetermined identifiable characteristics which are to be later utilized in searching for desired information bearing records, each element in a given array being binary coded in a first manner to represent the presence in the respectively corresponding record of the predetermined identifiable characteristic corresponding to the given array and being binary coded in a second manner to represent the absence in the respectively corresponding record of the predetermined identifiable characteristic corresponding to the given array, a programmed data processor computer means operatively connected with said first and second machine accessible information storage means, said data processor being adapted for accepting input retrieval search data, for automatically identifying the subset of predetermined identifiable characteristics present in said retrieval search data and for thereafter selecting a corresponding subset of particular ones of said arrays in response to said search data, for automatically comparing the binary values of respectively corresponding elements of said identified particular arrays thus identifying the addresses of particular records for which retrieval is desired and for automatically providing said identified addresses to said first machine accessible information storage means. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A computerized information storage and retrieval method for storing and retrieving information stored in a language format which, at least in part, has intelligent meaning because of particular groupings of characters or symbols therein and which method utilizes a programmed data processor, said method comprising:
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storing a set of information bearing records at predetermined addresses in a first machine accessible information storage means and delivering the information content of any given record when provided with the address of the given record, storing a retrieval file comprising a plurality of arrays of binary coded elements in a second machine accessible information storage means, arranging each of said arrays to include predetermined elements individually and respectively corresponding to the address of each of said information bearing records in said first machine accessible information storage means, arranging each of said arrays to be representative of a predetermined identifiable characteristic associated with each of said information bearing records wherein said plurality of arrays constituting a comprehensive set of arrays correspond to a comprehensive set of said predetermined identifiable characteristics of language structure comprising substantially all such predetermined identifiable characteristics which are to be later utilized in searching for desired information bearing records, binary coding each element in a given array in a first manner to represent the presence in the respectively corresponding record of the predetermined identifiable characteristic corresponding to the given array and in a second distinguishable manner to represent the absence in the respectively corresponding record of the predetermined identifiable characteristic corresponding to the given array, providing a programmed data processor means operatively connected with said first and second machine accessible information storage means, and adapting said data processor for accepting input retrieval search data, for automatically identifying particular ones of said arrays in response to said search data, for automatically comparing the binary values of corresponding elements of said identified particular arrays thus identifying the addresses of particular records for which retrieval is desired and for automatically providing said identified addresses to said first machine accessible information storage means. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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Specification