Episodic Memory Graph Retrieval With Shared Event Nodes

The patent merges multiple episode storage into a shared graph structure where common events are represented by shared nodes. Instead of storing each episode independently in separate tree structures, the system combines episodes into a single graph where nodes represent events and edges represent temporal relationships. This merging eliminates redundant storage of common events across multiple episodes while maintaining efficient access paths for each episode.

The patent uses node sharing as a form of copying where a single node representing a common event can be referenced by multiple episodes simultaneously. Rather than creating duplicate copies of event data for each episode, the system creates references from multiple episodes to the same underlying node, reducing storage requirements while allowing each episode to maintain its complete event sequence through the graph structure.

The patent merges the element lists of multiple episodes into a shared graph structure where common events are represented by shared nodes. This consolidation reduces storage redundancy by eliminating duplicate event representations while maintaining the ability to retrieve complete episode information through the graph's path structure. The merging enables efficient retrieval by allowing the system to traverse shared paths for common events rather than processing redundant data.

The patent segments episodes into discrete events that can be independently represented as nodes in the graph. By segmenting the continuous episode data into atomic event units, the system can efficiently share common segments (events) across multiple episodes while maintaining the unique sequence and context of each episode. This segmentation enables selective sharing of common portions while preserving episode-specific information.

The patent performs preliminary organization of episodes into a graph structure during the storage phase, creating an optimized layout that facilitates efficient retrieval. By pre-organizing episodes into a shared graph with common events grouped into shared nodes and edges representing temporal relationships, the system eliminates the need for exhaustive tree searches during retrieval. This preliminary structuring enables faster access by allowing direct traversal along pre-established paths rather than searching through unorganized episode lists.

The patent transitions from a one-dimensional linear search through episode lists to a multi-dimensional graph structure where episodes are interconnected through shared events. This dimensional change allows the system to navigate through the episode space along multiple paths simultaneously, exploiting the graph's topology to find matching episodes more efficiently. The graph structure adds dimensional relationships between episodes through shared nodes, enabling parallel traversal paths and reducing access time compared to sequential tree-search methods.