Computer architecture using self-manipulating trees

Abstract

A computer architecture operates a computer using self-manipulating trees. A source is input and is matched to a self-manipulating tree using open-ended inviting to match identities to portions of the source. After activating the root node of the self-manipulating tree, the self-manipulating tree self-manipulates according to the instructions for self-manipulating contained in the identities pointed to by the nodes of the self-manipulating tree. The invention may be used as a natural language search engine for electronic data bases, a natural language programming language, a parser-free computer operating system, a computer problem solving system, and as an enhancement feature for general purpose computers and general purpose computer applications, such as a translator and a help engine.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for operating a general purpose computer comprising: 
 inputting a source;    matching identities to the source using open-ended inviting to obtain a self-manipulating tree, wherein instructions for obtaining the self-manipulating tree are contained within the identities; and    activating the self-manipulating tree to operate the computer.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the self-manipulating tree comprises a plurality of nodes connected hierarchically, and wherein each node comprises information for navigating through the self-manipulating tree.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the self-manipulating tree comprises a plurality of nodes connected hierarchically, and wherein each node comprises: 
 information for identifying relationships between nodes in the self-manipulating tree; and    information for identifying an identity.    
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the self-manipulating tree comprises a plurality of nodes connected hierarchically, and wherein each node comprise: 
 first information for identifying a sibling node to the right of the node;    second information for identifying a leftmost child node of the node; and    third information for identifying an identity.    
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identities comprise at least one of an executable code, another self-manipulating tree, and a standard identity.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identities comprise at least one standard identity.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one standard identity comprises at least one of a representation of internal knowledge of the computer, instructions for replacing the source, external constraints for generating nodes in the self-manipulating tree, instructions for evaluating identities for open-ended inviting, instructions for self-manipulating, and a source identifier.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein matching comprises: 
 open-ended inviting a plurality of identities for matching to a root node of the self-manipulating tree;    selecting an identity from the plurality of identities for the root node of the self-manipulating tree; and    modifying the self-manipulating tree with the selected identity.    
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the self-manipulating tree comprises at least one node, and wherein matching comprises: 
 selecting a node of the self-manipulating tree;    open-ended inviting a plurality of identities for matching to the selected node of the self-manipulating tree;    selecting an identity from the plurality of identities for the selected node of the self-manipulating tree; and    modifying the self-manipulating tree with the selected identity.    
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein matching comprises: 
 forming an identities list having a plurality of identities;    selecting an identity from the identities list;    experimenting with the selected identity to determine whether the selected identity matches the source; and    indicating whether the selected identity matches the source.    
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the self-manipulating tree comprises a root node and an identity associated with the root node, and wherein activating comprises: 
 activating the root node of the self-manipulating tree; and    self-manipulating the self-manipulating tree according to the identity associated with the root node, wherein instructions for self-manipulating are contained within the self-manipulating tree.    
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein matching comprises: 
 forming an identities list from identities associated with a plurality of regions.    
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein matching comprises: 
 selecting identities from a plurality of regions.    
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 operating the general purpose computer to access information using a network.    
     
     
         15 . A computer architecture comprising: 
 a general purpose computer; and    a computer-readable medium comprising: 
 a plurality of self-manipulating trees; and  
 a plurality of standard identities.  
   
     
     
         16 . A computer architecture according to  claim 15 , wherein each self-manipulating tree comprises a plurality of nodes being connected hierarchically, and wherein each node comprises: 
 information for determining relationships between nodes in the self-manipulating tree; and    information for identifying one of an executable code, a self-manipulating tree, and a standard identity.    
     
     
         17 . A computer architecture according to  claim 15 , wherein each standard identity comprises at least one of a representation of knowledge, instructions for replacing a source, external constraints for generating nodes in a self-manipulating tree, instructions for evaluating identities for open-ended inviting, instructions for self-manipulating, and a source identifier.  
     
     
         18 . A computer architecture according to  claim 15 , wherein the computer is parser-free.  
     
     
         19 . A computer-readable medium comprising: 
 executable code;    a self-manipulating tree; and    a plurality of standard identities.    
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable medium according to  claim 19 , wherein the self-manipulating tree comprises a plurality of nodes being connected hierarchically; and wherein each node comprises: 
 information for determining relationships between nodes in the self-manipulating tree; and    information for identifying one of an executable code, another self-manipulating tree, and a standard identity from the plurality of standard identities.    
     
     
         21 . A computer-readable medium according to  claim 19 , wherein each standard identity comprises: 
 a representation of knowledge;    instructions for replacing a source;    external constraints for generating nodes in a self-manipulating tree;    instructions for evaluating identities for open-ended inviting;    instructions for self-manipulating; and    a source identifier.    
     
     
         22 . An apparatus for accessing information from a network comprising: 
 a general purpose computer connected to the network and having an input for receiving a source; and    a computer-readable medium comprising a self-manipulating tree matched to the source, the self-manipulating tree being matched to identities using open-ended inviting, the self-manipulating tree being activated to access information from the network.    
     
     
         23 . An apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the network is the Internet.  
     
     
         24 . A computer-readable medium comprising code segments for accessing information requested by a source input to a general purpose computer connected to a network, the code segments comprising: 
 a self-manipulating tree matched to the source, the self-manipulating tree being matched to identities using open-ended inviting, the self-manipulating tree being activated to access information from the electronic data network.