Patent ID: 7107265
Filing Date: 2006-09-12
Classification: G06F,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for performing a pattern range comparison for a variable length search key in a software managed tree by a computer processing device, comprising the acts of: reading an input key as a search string; using the N most significant bits of the search key as an index into a table representing a plurality of root nodes of search trees wherein each non-empty entry contains a pointer to a next branch in the search tree or a leaf; determining if the pointer in a non-empty table entry points to a leaf or a next branch of the corresponding search tree; reading the next branch contents if the pointer does not point to the leaf of the corresponding search tree; reading the leaf contents when the leaf of a corresponding search tree is reached and comparing a pair of patterns in the leaf with the search key to determine if the range defined by the pair of leaf patterns includes the search key; and returning the contents of the leaf found to the requesting application if the leaf patterns include the search key.