The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 22, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 25, 1997
Valery I Garger, Ithaca, NY (US);
Ann Marie Shepherd, Endwell, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method and apparatus for storing and accessing data. The preferred embodiment hybrid tree-array database provides the ability to perform fast searching using tree database search techniques and the ability to search all user data fields using array search techniques. In particular, fast key searching as a typical tree database and sequential array searching of all data fields as a typical array database are provided in a single database, without requiring the user data be duplicated and stored in two separate databases. Thus, the preferred embodiment provides searching flexibility without the excessive storage requirements and complexity inherent in managing separate array and tree databases. The preferred embodiment also provides the advantage of allowing individual users of the database to search the data using either tree or array search techniques without requiring any detailed knowledge of the dual nature of the hybrid tree-array database.