Method of storing and retrieving miniaturised data

Abstract

A method of storing data including the steps of providing a first index of first location identifiers, a second index of second location identifiers and a dictionary data base of data items, wherein the first location identifiers are adapted to identify the location of second location identifiers in the second index and the second location identifiers are adapted to identify the location of data items in the dictionary data base, receiving data and separating the data into a plurality of data items and storing the data items in a main data base, whereby at least one of the data items is stored in the main data base as at least one first location identifier, which identifies at least one second location identifier, which identifies the or each data item in the dictionary data base.

1 - 12 . (canceled)  
   
   
       13 . A system for storing data, the system including at least one dictionary data base and at least two index data bases wherein the dictionary data base comprises a plurality of data items, a first one of the index data bases comprising a plurality of data item location identifiers, which respectively identify the location of at least one data item in the dictionary data base and a second one of the index data bases including a plurality of first location identifiers which respectively identify the location of at least one data item location identifier in the first index data bases and wherein the system includes a processing means which is adapted to receive data including data items and to store the data in a compressed form by storing in place of each data item occurring in the dictionary data base, each corresponding first location identifier, whereby each data item occurring in the dictionary data base can be retrieved by referencing the data item location identifier identified by the first location identifier.  
   
   
       14 . The system as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the at least two index data bases include separate lists of location identifiers in one or more other data bases.  
   
   
       15 . The system as claimed in  claim 14  including a storage medium having a sequence of instructions adapted to control a data processor to set up the system.  
   
   
       16 . The system as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the first index data base is part of the dictionary data base.  
   
   
       17 . The system as claimed in  claim 14  including one or more additional index data bases each with location identifiers which identify the location of another location identifier of another index data base.  
   
   
       18 . The system as claimed in  claim 17  including a main data base which is adapted to store a stream of data as a combination of data items which are not represented in the dictionary data base and first location identifiers.  
   
   
       19 . The system as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the stream of data stored in the main data base may have data items and first location identifiers which are stored in an order determined by a further index data base and a reprocessing means which is adapted to control the ordering of data in the main data base with reference to the further index data base.  
   
   
       20 . The system as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the dictionary data base has data items stored in a predetermined order which is determined by how frequently each data items stored therein is expected to occur in a data stream of data items.  
   
   
       21 . The system as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the most common data items have a location in the dictionary data base that is identified by a dictionary data base location identifier having minimal bytes compared to an uncommon data item.  
   
   
       22 . The system as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the dictionary data base index comprises dictionary data base location identifiers arranged sequentially from lowest number to highest number of bytes required to define them.  
   
   
       23 . The system as claimed in  claim 22  wherein each first location identifier comprises a pointer having a number which identifies a position of one data item location identifier in the dictionary data base index.  
   
   
       24 . The system as claimed in  claim 23  wherein each data item location identifier comprises a pointer having a number which identifies the position of one data item in the dictionary data base.  
   
   
       25 . The system as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the dictionary data base is divided into different sections which have data items with locations which are identified by data item location identifiers from different dictionary data base indexes.  
   
   
       26 . The system as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the dictionary data base includes storage space into which data items can be added.  
   
   
       27 . A computer program comprising instructions which are adapted to control a computer to provided at least one dictionary data base and at least two index data bases, the computer program including instructions to control the computer to provide the dictionary data base with a plurality of data items, controlling the computer to provide a first one of the index data bases with a plurality of data item location identifiers, which respectively identify the location of a least one data item in the dictionary database and controlling the computer to provide a second one of the index data bases with a plurality of first location identifiers which respectively identify the location of a least one data item location identifier in the first index data base, controlling the computer to receive data including data items and to store the data in a compressed form by storing in place of each data item which occurs in the dictionaly data base, each corresponding first location identifier, whereby each data item which occurs in the dictionary data base con be retrived by referencing the data item location identifier identified by the first location identifier.  
   
   
       28 . The computer program as claimed in  claim 27  wherein the at least two index data bases include separate lists of location identifiers in a least one other data base.  
   
   
       29 . The computer program as claimed in  claim 28  wherein the first index data base is part of the dictionary data base.  
   
   
       30 . The computer program as claimed in  claim 29  including an exception means for storing data items which do not occur in the dictionary data base.  
   
   
       31 . The computer program as claimed in  claim 30  wherein the exception means includes a predeterminded part of the dictionary data base.  
   
   
       32 . The computer program as claimed in  claim 31  weherein the exception means is adapted to provide a dictionary index location identifier for any new data items stored in the dictionary data base.  
   
   
       33 . The computer program as claimed in  claim 32  wherein the exception means includes an exceptions data base which is adapted to store data items which do not occur in the dictionary data base.  
   
   
       34 . The computer program as claimed in  claim 34  including a means for storing different types of data items in different dictionary data bases.  
   
   
       35 . The computer program as claimed in  claim 24  wherein each dictionary data base has predetermined dictionary location identifiers in the first one of the index data bases, which provide the location of data items in that data base.  
   
   
       36 . The computer program as claimed in  claim 26  wherein each dictionary data base is split into a plurality of data types each having a plurality of data items of that type.  
   
   
       37 . (canceled)  
   
   
       38 . A system for retrieving data items stored in a miniaturised form, the system including at least one dictionary data base and at least two index data bases wherein the dictionary data base comprises of plurality of data items and a first one of the index data bases comprises a plurality of data item location identifiers which respectively identify the location of a least one data item in the dictionary dat base and a second one of the index data bases includes a plurality of first location identifiers which respectively identify the locations of at least one data item location identifier in the first index data base and a processing means, wherein the processing means is adapted to receive a first data stream including a plurality of first location identifiers and produce a second data stream including the data items without the first location identifiers and wherein first location identifiers are replaced by corresponding data items.  
   
   
       39 . The system as claimed in  claim 38  wherein the first data stream is adapted to be received by reading a data base.  
   
   
       40 . The system as claimed in  claim 39  wherein the data base is located in a storage medium which is readable by a computer hardware device.  
   
   
       41 . The system as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the data stream is transmitted and received from a communications system.  
   
   
       42 . The system as claimed in  claim 41  wherein the first data stream is received and stored in a data processor before being read and compressed or decompressed.  
   
   
       43 . The system as claimed in  claim 42  including a scrambling means for reordering data item location identifiers in the first index data and storing a method of reording data item location identifiers utilised by the scrambling means, whereby reordering data item location identifiers can be reversed.  
   
   
       44 . The system as claimed in  claim 43 , wherein the scrambling means includes reversing means for reversing any reordering which has taken place of the dictionary item location identifiers.