Patent ID: 6564265
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
An apparatus for processing a data signal comprising:means for accepting a protocol specification that includes a plurality of specifications of elements, each of said specifications including a length for encoding the element in the data signal and a name for the element, wherein the specifications of at least some of the elements are in terms of sequences of other of the plurality of elements, and the specification of at least some of the elements includes one or more instructions for performing an action associated with said elements and necessitated by the protocol specification; means for accepting a series of data packets formed from the data signal; for each accepted data packet, means for associating portions of said data packet with elements specified in the protocol specification; and for each of the associated portions of the input packet, means for performing any actions according to the instructions included in the specification of elements associated with that portion of the input packet.