Method and apparatus for storing and retrieving multi-dimensional data in computer memory

An apparatus for storing multi-dimensional data, each unit of which is identified by one or more members of each of a plurality of dimensions, in computer memory, comprising:

• input means for selecting a first group of a number of dimensions and a second group of a number of dimensions;
• means for allocating a first portion of memory which contains cells corresponding to combinations of the members of the first group of dimensions;
• means for allocating a second portion of memory which contains a plurality of data blocks, each of which contains cells corresponding to combinations of members of the second group of dimensions, and wherein each data block corresponds to a different combination of the first group of dimensions, and the size of the data blocks depends upon the dimensions selected and the number of members in each;
• means for storing each unit of data in the data block which corresponds to the combination of members of the first group of dimensions which identifies that unit of data, and in the location within that data block which corresponds to the combination of members of the second group of dimensions which identifies that unit of data;
• and
• means for inserting a pointer to each data block corresponding to a particular combination of members of the first group of dimensions in the cell in the first portion of memory which corresponds to the same combination of members of the first group of dimensions.

An apparatus for retrieving multi-dimensional data, each unit of which is identified by one or more members of each of a plurality of dimensions, comprising:

• memory means containing the multi-dimensional data, in which a first portion of the memory contains cells corresponding to combinations of the members of a first group of one or more of the dimensions and a second portion of the memory contains a plurality of data blocks, each having cells corresponding to combinations of the members of a second group of one or more of the remaining dimensions, and wherein the cells in the first portion of memory contain pointers to the data blocks which correspond to the combinations of the members of the first group of dimensions represented by the cells;
• input means for receiving input signals from a user which indicate the members of the dimensions of the data desired by the user;
• and
• processing means responsive to the input signals for calculating the location of the cell in the first portion of memory containing the pointer to the block of data which contains the desired data, then calculating which cell within the block of data indicated by the pointer contains the data, and retrieving the data from the indicated cell.

An apparatus for allowing a plurality of users to retrieve multi-dimensional data, each unit of which is identified by one or more members of each of a plurality of dimensions, comprising:

• memory means containing the multi-dimensional data, in which a first portion of the memory contains cells corresponding to combinations of the members of a first group of one or more of the dimensions and a second portion of the memory contains a plurality of data blocks, each having cells corresponding to combinations of the members of a second group of one or more of the remaining dimensions, and wherein the cells in the first portion of memory contain pointers to the data blocks which correspond to the combinations of the members of the first group of dimensions represented by the cells;
• a plurality of input means for receiving input signals from users which indicate the members of the dimensions of the data desired by the users;
• a plurality of processing means responsive to the input signals for generating command signals;
• server means responsive to the command signals from the plurality of processing means for calculating the location of the cell in the first portion of memory containing the pointer to the block of data which contains the data desired by each user, then calculating which cell within the block of data indicated by the pointer contains the data, and retrieving the data from the indicated cell.

A method of retrieving multi-dimensional data, each unit of which is identified by one or more members of each of a plurality of dimensions, and which is stored in memory in which a first portion of the memory contains cells corresponding to combinations of the members of a first group of one or more of the dimensions and a second portion of the memory contains a plurality of data blocks, each having cells corresponding to combinations of the members of a second group of one or more of the remaining dimensions, and wherein the cells in the first portion of memory contain pointers to the data blocks which correspond to the combinations of the members of the first group of dimensions represented by the cells, comprising:

• means for receiving input signals from a user which indicate the members of the dimensions of the data desired by the user;
• means for calculating from the input signals the location of the cell in the first portion of memory containing the pointer to the block of data which contains the desired data;
• means for calculating from the input signals which cell within the block of data indicated by the pointer contains the desired data;
• and
• retrieving the data from the indicated cell.