{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9747363","patent":{"patent_number":"US-9747363","title":"Efficient storage and retrieval of sparse arrays of identifier-value pairs","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2012-03-01T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2017-08-29T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["G06F","G06F","G06F","G06F","G06F","G06F"],"num_claims":22,"abstract":"Some computer applications, such as database applications, generate sparse arrays that map identifiers to field values. To reduce memory usage, only those blocks of the array with non-empty entries are stored, and only the entries between and including the first non-empty entry and the last non-empty entry are stored. The offset and length of this range of non-empty entries is stored. To retrieve a value for an entry of the array, it is determined whether the entry is in an empty block or a non-empty block. If the entry is in an empty block, a null value is returned for the entry. If the entry is not in the stored range of entries for a non-empty block, a null value is returned for the entry. Otherwise, the value stored in the block for that entry is returned."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Efficient storage and retrieval of sparse arrays of identifier-value pairs","description":"Some computer applications, such as database applications, generate sparse arrays that map identifiers to field values. To reduce memory usage, only those blocks of the array with non-empty entries ar","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9747363","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9747363","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Efficient storage and retrieval of sparse arrays of identifier-value pairs\" (US-9747363). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9747363","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9747363","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-9747363","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-06-06T17:27:43.766Z"}