Data processing system

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out a method comprising:

• obtaining input data comprising a plurality of data values, wherein each data value is associated with a time value;
• obtaining a plurality of threshold criteria;
• and
• (a) selecting a dataset which is a subset of the input data and comprises not all of the plurality of data values from the input data, wherein selecting the dataset comprises iteratively:
• (i) selecting a subset of data values from the input data for the selected dataset,
• (ii) generating a union dataset comprising the subset of data values in the selected dataset and data values in previously stored datasets, and
• (iii) determining whether the union dataset meets a threshold criterion of the plurality of threshold criteria, until said union meets said threshold criterion, wherein the threshold criterion is a statistical measurement based on a comparison between the union dataset and the input data and is expressed numerically, the threshold criterion being
• a desired level of accuracy with which the union dataset represents the input data and the desired level of accuracy is a numerical difference between the subset of data and the input data;
• and
• (b) causing the selected dataset to be stored in memory in association with the threshold criterion,
• repeating (a) and (b) for each threshold criterion of the plurality of threshold criteria, thus causing a plurality of datasets to be stored in the memory, wherein a union of each stored dataset with the previously stored datasets meets a threshold criterion of the plurality of threshold criteria and wherein all of the data values taken from all of the stored datasets are the same as all of the data values from the input data, such that the stored datasets can be combined to form the input data;
• and
• in response to a request including at least one indicator of a threshold criterion, returning a union of the stored datasets meeting said threshold criterion, and where in the returned union is guaranteed to represent the input data to at least a minimum statistical measure of accuracy.

A data processing system comprising:

• a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor in conjunction with the memory configured to provide an input module and a processor module;
• the input module arranged to:
• obtain input data comprising a plurality of data values, wherein each data value is associated with a time value;
• and
• obtain a plurality of threshold criteria;
• the processor module configured to:
• (a) select a dataset which is a subset of the input data and comprises not all of the plurality of data values from the input data, wherein selecting the dataset comprises iteratively:
• (i) select a subset of data values from the input data for the selected dataset,
• (ii) generating a union dataset comprising the subset of data values in the selected dataset and data values in previously stored datasets, and
• (iii) determine whether the union dataset meets a threshold criterion of the plurality of threshold criteria, until said union dataset meets said threshold criterion, wherein the threshold criterion is a statistical measurement based on a comparison between the union dataset and the input data and is expressed numerically, the threshold criterion being
• a desired level of accuracy with which the union dataset represents the input data and the desired level of accuracy is a numerical difference between the subset of data and the input data;
• (b) cause the selected dataset to be stored in memory in association with the threshold criterion;
• and
• repeat (a) and (b) for each threshold criterion of the plurality of threshold criteria, thus causing a plurality of datasets to be stored in the memory, wherein a union of each stored dataset with the previously stored datasets meets a threshold criterion of the plurality of threshold criteria and wherein all of the data values taken from all of the stored datasets are the same as all of the data values from the input data, such that the stored datasets can be combined to form the input data;
• and
• in response to a request including at least one indicator of a threshold criterion, returning a union of the stored datasets meeting said threshold criterion, and where in the returned union is guaranteed to represent the input data to at least a minimum statistical measure of accuracy.