Method and apparatus for predicting object properties and events using similarity-based information retrieval and modeling

A method of predicting one of a source, an origin and an environmental property of a target object upon receiving a query input to search manager apparatus coupled to at least one reference database containing first type micro-body assemblage input information, the micro-body assemblage information for one of pollen, charcoal, diatom and foraminifera and at least one second reference database of second type input information obtained by one of electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic, chemical, mechanical, optical and isotopic measurement, the micro-body assemblage and second reference databases being related to at least two sample objects, the at least one second reference database including one of source and origin property information about at least two sample objects in which the micro-body assemblage information and the second type of information are stored, the processor search manager apparatus comprising a processor and memory, the method comprising:

• receiving at least one input query comprising information describing a sample of micro-bodies of the target object comprising the first type micro-body assemblage input information and said second type input information obtained by a measurement of one of an electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic, chemical, mechanical, optical and isotopic property of the target object for which information of the same type is stored in database memory;
• for a type of information present in the query and reference database determined by the information type:
• (a) utilizing a tree-structured index to identify stored information from the reference database that is most similar to the input query comprising said first type micro-body assemblage and said second type information of the target object obtained by measurement of one of an electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic, chemical, mechanical, optical and isotopic property of the target object, wherein the processor identifies reference database information of one or more samples or objects to which the target object input information is related;
• and
• (b) retrieving, from the reference database, one of geographic location, origin or region and environmental property information included in the reference database about the identified sample or object;
• and
• (c) predicting at least one geographic location, origin, or region and an environmental property of the target object using a model for processing the retrieved geographic location, origin or region and environmental property information and the first and second types of input information.

A method of predicting properties of a target object by receiving an input query at search manager apparatus coupled to a reference core database containing micro-body assemblage information, said micro-body assemblage information including one of geographic distributions of micro-bodies comprising pollen, charcoal, dust or soil property data and an environmental characteristic of sample collection sites, the reference core database being coupled to processor search manager apparatus, the processor search manager apparatus comprising a processor and memory, the method comprising

• inputting the query comprising said micro-body assemblage information describing a sample of one of pollen, charcoal, dust and soil found on or in the target object;
• utilizing a tree-structured index to retrieve stored information from the reference core database that is most similar to said input information;
• obtaining a geographic distribution or an environmental characteristic associated with said retrieved information;
• and
• predicting at least one property of the target object using a model for processing said retrieved information comprising at least one of the geographic distribution and the environmental characteristic.

A method of predicting properties of a target object by receiving an input query at search manager apparatus coupled to a reference core database containing micro-body assemblage information, said micro-body assemblage information including one of geographic distributions of micro-bodies, the micro-bodies comprising one of pollen, charcoal, dust and soil property data and an environmental characteristic of sample collection sites, the reference core database being coupled to processor search manager apparatus, the processor search manager apparatus comprising a processor and memory, the method comprising

• inputting the query comprising information describing a sample of one of pollen, charcoal, dust and soil found on or in the target object;
• utilizing a tree-structured index to retrieve stored information from the reference core database that is most similar to said input information;
• obtaining a geographic distribution or an environmental characteristic associated with said retrieved information;
• and
• predicting at least one property of the target object using a model for processing said retrieved information comprising at least one of the geographic distribution and the environmental characteristic.