Patent ID: 9251440
Filing Date: 2016-02-02
CPC Classification: G06F,G06K,H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method of multiple step non-deterministic finite automaton (NFA) matching of input symbols in an NFA cell array having a plurality of cells, the method comprising: consuming at least two successive input symbols in a first clock cycle of a clock signal at each cell in the plurality of cells; comparing at least one symbol class in a cell of the plurality of cells in a second clock cycle of the clock signal with the at least two successive input symbols; emitting at least two output transitions from the cell of the plurality of cells in a third clock cycle of the clock signal corresponding to successive symbol positions, said output transitions being destined to a same destination cell; performing status updates in the cell of the plurality of cells in the third clock cycle; and receiving at least two input transitions in the cell of the plurality of cells in the third clock cycle corresponding to successive symbol positions, said input transitions being received by the cell and from a same emitting cell.