Decoding a hierarchical multi-layer data package

A method for decoding a hierarchical multi-layer data package, the method comprising:

• decoding the hierarchical multi-layer data package including a plurality of layers and one or more subpackages in each layer, whereby a subpackage in an outer layer is related to a subpackage in an inner layer and each subpackage includes metadata describing its encoding, a summary of a subset of data in the hierarchical multi-layer data package and a link or ID of the subset of data in a compressed form;
• creating an objective function based on parameters for identifying data in the hierarchical multi-layer data package most relevant to information of interest, the objective function providing a representation describing a relevance of identified data to information of interest and an amount of data decompression to find the identified data;
• selecting a subpackage in a layer in the hierarchical multi-layer data package that is associated to information of interest by evaluating subpackages in one or more layers in the hierarchical multi-layer data package using the objective function;
• receiving at least one of the summary for the selected subpackage and the metadata for the subpackage;
• and
• determining from at least one of the received summary or the metadata whether the selected subpackage satisfies an information need or whether to identify one or more other subpackages in one or more lower levels in the hierarchical multi-layer data package,
• wherein creating the objective function comprises using device attributes and information associated with the information of interest to create the objective function, and
• wherein evaluating the subpackages using the objective function comprises using the device attributes and the information associated with the information of interest to evaluate the subpackages and to select a subpackage most relevant to the information of interest.

A method of decoding a hierarchical multi-layer data package, the method comprising:

• creating, via a processor executing instructions stored in a memory, an objective function for determining an amount of data decompression and a relevance to information of interest to find data in the hierarchical multi-layer data package, wherein the objective function is created based on device attributes and information associated with the information of interest;
• incrementally evaluating layers in the hierarchical multi-layer data package, using the objective function, for a subpackage that satisfies an information need, wherein the incremental evaluation comprises:
• identifying the relevance of one or more subpackages in a layer in a plurality of layers in the hierarchical multi-layer data package using the objective function;
• selecting a subpackage from the one or more subpackages in the layer most relevant to the information of interest;
• determining whether the selected subpackage from the layer satisfies an information need, and
• traversing to another layer in the plurality of layers in the hierarchical multi-layer data package for evaluation, if the information need is not satisfied by the selected subpackage;
• and
• identifying at least one subpackage in the hierarchical multi-layer data package for decompression.