Patent ID: 6651052
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for storing and retrieving information, the method comprising:running a bitmask generator on a main data file having a plurality of data records each having a data field, the bitmask generator generating a bitmask value representative of the data in the data field of each data record; appending to each data record in the main data file a bitmask data field containing the results generated by the bitmask generator; running a prefix file generator on each data record in the main data file, the prefix file generator generating a plurality of prefix files into which selected portions of selected data records of the main data file are copied as a function of an alphanumeric prefix of the data contained in the data field of each data record so as to provide each of the plurality of prefix files with data that is homogenous with respect to an alphanumeric prefix; and making the appended main data file and the plurality of prefix files available for use in performing a search to retrieve selected data.