Patent ID: 7007032

Claim:
A method of removing redundancies from an original list of data structures, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: sorting the original list of data structures into lists that include at least a first list and a second list, wherein a first attribute of each data structure in the first list equals a first value, and wherein a first attribute of each data structure in the second list equals a second value; sorting data structures in the first list into sub-lists that include at least a first sub-list and a second sub-list, wherein a second attribute of each data structure in the first sub-list equals a third value, and wherein a second attribute of each data structure in the second sub-list equals a fourth value; sorting data structures in the second list into sub-lists that include at least a third sub-list and a fourth sub-list, wherein a second attribute of each data structure in the third sub-list equals a fifth value, and wherein a second attribute of each data structure in the fourth sub-list equals a sixth value; and combining data structures in the first sub-list into a first data structure, wherein a third attribute of the first data structure equals a set that includes, without duplication, third attributes of each data structure in the first sub-list; wherein said combining reduces a size of the original list.