Patent ID: 6882991
Filing Date: 2005-04-19
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of searching in a set of objects a predetermined number of objects that are closest to an example, by utilizing a multilevel partition which has a tree-like structure comprising nodes and leaves, the nodes containing elements representing classes of objects, and the leaves containing objects, said method comprising the execution of the following steps in a repetitive manner: passing through said tree-like structure starting from a node and going to the leaves by passing through the nodes whose representative elements are closest to the example, for selecting one or various leaves; testing whether the number of selected leaves is lower than said predetermined number of objects; and if the number of selected leaves is lower than said predetermined number of objects, a new repetition of said steps starting from the brother node of the node passed through last, closest to said example, otherwise providing the selected leaves having said predetermined number of objects as an output being sufficiently close to a centroid of a class of objects.