Patent ID: 6756923
Filing Date: 2004-06-29
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
Data compression apparatus for compressing an input stream of data characters into an output stream of compressed codes, comprisinga plurality of coincidence elements corresponding to a respective plurality of string codes to be assigned to strings, a string being comprised of a prefix string of at least one of said data characters followed by an extension character, a prefix string having a prefix code associated therewith, a coincidence element providing a coincidence output and having a prefix code input and a character input for enabling the coincidence element to energize the coincidence output thereof upon coincidental energization of the prefix code input and character input thereof so that energization of the coincidence output of the coincidence element provides a representation of the string code corresponding to the coincidence element, first coupling means for selectively coupling the representations of the string codes corresponding to the coincidence elements to the prefix code inputs of the coincidence elements, second coupling means for selectively coupling representations of data characters fetched from said input stream to the character inputs of the coincidence elements, means for fetching a plurality of said data characters from said input stream and applying said fetched characters to said second coupling means so as to enable the coincidence element corresponding to the string code assigned to the string that is a longest matching string to said fetched plurality of data characters, and means for outputting the string code assigned to said longest matching string, thereby providing said output stream of compressed codes.