Patent ID: 6895125

Claim:
A method for extracting information from a data signal having a plurality of data locations, the method comprising: (a) defining a plurality of different basis function sets, each different basis function set comprising a plurality of identical basis functions, wherein each basis function within a basis function set encompasses a portion of the plurality of data locations so that the plurality of basis functions of a basis function set encompasses the entire data signal, and wherein the basis functions within each different basis function set encompass a different quantity of data locations within the data signal compared to the basis functions within other different basis function sets; (b) decomposing the data signal with the plurality of different basis function sets; (c) determining a signal-to-noise ratio and a goodness-of-fit for each basis function by mapping the function into data space and comparing the mapped function to the portion of the plurality of data locations within the basis function; (d) comparing the signal-to-noise ratio and the goodness-of-fit for each basis function against predetermined pass criteria; (e) selecting at each data location an optimal basis function from the plurality of different basis function sets wherein the optimal basis function is the broadest basis function that meets the predetermined pass criteria at that data location; and (f) generating a basis function map comprising a plurality of optimal basis functions, wherein each optimal basis function encompasses at least one data location within the data signal so that the entire data signal is encompassed by the plurality of optimal basis functions.