Patent ID: 7130467

Claim:
A method for representing source data with a plurality of data patterns, wherein each data pattern includes a unique combination of pattern elements, and wherein data patterns are selected to represent the source data without comparing all of the pattern elements of each of the plurality of data patterns to the source data, said method comprising the steps of: (a) predefining each of the plurality of data patterns with the plurality of pattern elements arranged along at least one dimension, wherein identical pattern elements are disposed at corresponding locations in some of the plurality of data patterns; (b) comparing the plurality of data patterns to each other to define a relationship tree having nodes at a plurality of levels and leaves at a lowest level, said data patterns being grouped within the relationship tree as a function of the pattern elements that are disposed at corresponding locations within the plurality of data patterns, wherein each data pattern is represented by a different leaf of the relationship tree, nodes at each successive level above the lowest level representing pattern elements that are the same and pattern elements that are different in a subset of nodes on an immediately lower level; (c) subdividing the source data into a plurality of source cells, wherein each of the plurality of source cells includes a plurality of source cell elements corresponding in number and arrangement to the pattern elements comprising each of the plurality of data patterns; (d) at selected nodes of the relationship tree, determining a set of deviations for the node by calculating a deviation between: (i) data derived from the plurality of data patterns, and (ii) the plurality of source cells; (e) propagating the set of deviations to related nodes according to a hierarchical structure of relationships between nodes of the relationship tree; and (f) for each source cell of the plurality of source cells, selecting a matching data pattern from among the plurality of data patterns that provides a smallest set of deviations from the source cell, so that the source data are represented by the data patterns thus selected.