Abstract: A streaming metatree data storage structure in which each data item is stored as a procession of nodes and where data units common to more than one data item are stored only once. The nodes are stored in a logically linear fashion, or stream, and information within a node indicates its relationship to the other nodes and with the tree hierarchy. The data structure provides a mechanism for distributing the nodes among multiple physical memory blocks and for traversing backwards through the tree. Data items are added by creating a temporary tree for new items until it becomes too large, and then merging the temporary tree into the main tree.

Abstract: Data storage space and access time are significantly decreased by use of an Enhanced MTree data structure, in which data is stored in the nodes of the tree. Two kinds of nodes--predecessor nodes and successor nodes--are coexisting in the data structure and are interrelated by a distribution of pointers. Both types of nodes may be further subdivided into packed nodes and alternate list nodes where the distribution of pointers includes next node pointers in the packed nodes and alternate node pointers in the alternate list nodes. The progressions of nodes are associated with progressions of items of coded data with each of the progressions of nodes associated with at least one identifier. The identifiers give the progression of nodes the ability to locate other progressions of nodes or the ability to be located by another progression of nodes or by an external object.

Abstract: Data storage space and data access time are significantly decreased by utilizing a tree structure to store data in memory. Only one copy of each data element common to different data units is stored. Each data element is stored in a node that has a next pointer and an alternate pointer. The next pointer points to a list of alternatives for the next sequential element of the data unit. The alternate pointer defines that list of alternatives. Thus, a progression of next pointers and alternate pointers corresponds to a unique data unit. Associated with each data unit is one or more identifiers, which tie the data unit to data units in another trees or to external objects. The last alternate pointer in an alternative list points back to the preceding element of the data unit in order to reconstruct a data unit from the identifier. Nodes in memory that are not currently being used in the tree are linked together to form a list of free nodes.