Patent ID: 7747635
Filing Date: 2010-06-29
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: a computer system receiving a first input string; determining the length of the first input string; using the length of the first input string to select, from a plurality of data structures, a selected data structure, wherein each of the plurality of data structures stores a corresponding set of target strings, wherein each target string in a given one of the plurality of data structures has the same length, wherein the selected data structure has a selected set of target strings, each of which has a length equal to the length of the first input string; the computer system attempting to match the first input string with one of the selected set of target strings stored in the selected data structure, including performing one or more successive comparison operations between 1) a character value at a current character position within the first input string, and 2) a set of one or more character values, each of which is located at the current character position within one of a current subset of the selected set of target strings; wherein the current character position for each successive comparison has been selected to produce the greatest amount of partitioning among the current subset of target strings, wherein each successive comparison results in selecting a subset of the current subset of target strings for performing any remaining comparison operations; and wherein the successive comparison operations are performed until the first input string is matched or it is determined that none of the selected set of target strings matches the first input string.