Patent ID: 6359548
Filing Date: 2002-03-19
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
A data compression method for compressing an input stream of data characters into an output stream of compressed codes, comprising:storing, in storage means, strings of data characters encountered in said input stream, said stored strings having respective codes associated therewith, searching said input stream by comparing said input stream to said stored strings to determine the longest match therewith, outputting the code associated with said longest match so as to provide said output stream of compressed codes, providing an exclusion table structure storing strings of data characters to be excluded from storage in said storage means, forming an extended string comprising said longest match extended by the next data character in said input stream following said longest match, comparing said extended string to said strings of data characters stored in said exclusion table structure to determine if said extended string is included therein, storing said extended string in said storage means and assigning a code corresponding to said stored extended string if said extended string is not included in said exclusion table structure, and bypassing the steps of storing said extended string in said storage means and assigning a code corresponding to said stored extended string if said extended string is included in said exclusion table structure.