Patent ID: 7864175

Claim:
A computer implemented method for producing a gridded data set, having M rows by N columns of grid, from a number of irregularly located P sampling points in a very large data set used for modeling and analysis of spatial data and stored in computer memory, the method comprising: computing for each sampling point P, corresponding grid indices in an M by N grid pattern by taking a modulus of coordinates associated with each sampling point; matching each of the P sampling points to a small rectangular pattern of m i rows by n i columns, where m i and n i define a small region of influence, selected independently of the number of sampling points, distributed around each sample point P; accumulating grid index values in a first M row by N column computer memory storage array for each P sampling point; incrementing counters in a second M row by N column computer memory storage array where multiple P sampling points are matched to the same grid index; scanning the grid a single time, once all P sampling points have been processed, and calculating, for each grid index, a grid value based on the interpolation of the grid index values; and storing the calculated grid value of the first array to the computer memory storage.