Method of lazy contexted copying during unification

Claim 1

A method of unifying edge data structures using a processor, the processor implementing the method by executing instructions stored in a memory, the method comprising the steps of: a) creating a first edge data structure, the first edge data structure having a plurality of associated subtrees, the first edge data structure including a first graph data structure, the first graph data structure including a second graph data structure, the second graph data structure being empty and having a multiplicity of contexted lazy copy links, each contexted lazy copy link pointing to a subtree graph structure, each subtree graph data structure being associated with a one of the plurality of associated subtrees; b) unifying the first edge data structure with a second edge data structure; c) if during unification of the first edge data structure with the second edge data structure a one of the contexted lazy copy links associated with the second graph data structure is activated, expanding the second graph data structure by expanding the contexted lazy copy links associated with the second graph data structure by: 1) selecting a selected contexted lazy copy link from among the contexted lazy copy links associated with the second graph data structure; 2) selecting a selected attribute from the subtree feature structure pointed to by the selected contexted lazy copy link, the selected attribute having a selected attribute value; 3) making a copy of the selected attribute and storing the copy of the selected attribute in the second graph data structure as a second attribute; and 4) adding a contexted lazy copy link from the second attribute to the selected attribute value.

Claim 2

A method of unifying edge data structures using a processor, the processor implementing the method by executing instructions stored in a memory, the method comprising the steps of: a) creating a first edge data structure, the first edge data structure having a plurality of associated subtrees, the first edge data structure including a first graph data structure, the first graph data structure including a second graph data structure, the second graph data structure being empty and having a multiplicity of contexted lazy copy links, each contexted lazy copy link pointing to a subtree graph structure, each subtree graph data structure being associated with a one of the plurality of associated subtrees; b) unifying the first edge data structure with a second edge data structure; c) if during unification of the first edge data structure with the second edge data structure a one of the contexted lazy copy links associated with the second graph data structure is activated, expanding the second graph data structure by expanding the contexted lazy copy links associated with the second graph data structure by: 1) selecting a selected contexted lazy copy link from among the contexted lazy copy links associated with the second graph data structure; 2) selecting a selected attribute from the subtree feature structure pointed to by the selected contexted lazy copy link, the selected attribute having a selected attribute value; 3) making a copy of the selected attribute and storing the copy of the selected attribute in the second graph data structure as a second attribute; and 4) adding a contexted lazy copy link from the second attribute to the selected attribute value.

Claim 3

A method of unifying edge data structures using a processor, the processor implementing the method by executing instructions stored in a memory, the method comprising the steps of: a) creating a first edge data structure, the first edge data structure having a plurality of associated subtrees, the first edge data structure including a first graph data structure, the first graph data structure being empty and having a multiplicity of contexted lazy copy links, each contexted lazy copy link pointing to a subtree graph data structure, each subtree graph data structure being associated with a one of the plurality of associated subtrees; b) unifying the first edge data structure with a second edge data structure; c) if during unification of the first edge data structure with the second edge data structure a one of the contexted lazy copy links associated with the first graph data structure is activated, expanding the first graph data structure by expanding the contexted lazy copy links associated with the second feature structure by: 1) selecting a selected contexted lazy copy link from among the contexted lazy copy links associated with the first graph data structure; 2) selecting a selected attribute from the subtree feature structure pointed to by the selected contented lazy copy link, the selected attribute having a selected attribute value; 3) making a copy of the selected attribute and storing the copy of the selected attribute in the first graph data structure as a first attribute; and 4) adding a contexted lazy copy link from the first attribute to the selected attribute value.

Claim 4

A method of unifying edge data structures using a processor, the processor implementing the method by executing instructions stored in a memory, the method comprising the steps of: a) creating a first edge data structure, the first edge data structure having a plurality of associated subtrees, the first edge data structure including a first graph data structure, the first graph data structure being empty and having a multiplicity of contexted lazy copy links, each contexted lazy copy link pointing to a subtree graph data structure, each subtree graph data structure being associated with a one of the plurality of associated subtrees; b) unifying the first edge data structure with a second edge data structure; c) if during unification of the first edge data structure with the second edge data structure a one of the contexted lazy copy links associated with the first graph data structure is activated, expanding the first graph data structure by expanding the contexted lazy copy links associated with the second feature structure by: 1) selecting a selected contexted lazy copy link from among the contexted lazy copy links associated with the first graph data structure; 2) selecting a selected attribute from the subtree feature structure pointed to by the selected contented lazy copy link, the selected attribute having a selected attribute value; 3) making a copy of the selected attribute and storing the copy of the selected attribute in the first graph data structure as a first attribute; and 4) adding a contexted lazy copy link from the first attribute to the selected attribute value.