Patent ID: 6438516
Filing Date: 2002-08-20
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
In a computer system capable of storing and processing data and having access to a Unicode database comprising predefined Unicode characters and predefined Unicode rules for decomposition of Unicode combined character sequences, a method for generating a canonical equivalent Unicode composition or a canonical equivalent Unicode decomposition from a Unicode source combined character sequence string upon request, comprising:A) creating a mapping table database from a plurality of Unicode source combined character sequence strings, including: A.1) creating a canonical equivalent Unicode decomposition which contains no precomposed Unicode characters from each of the source combined character sequence strings; A.2) creating a set of canonical equivalent Unicode compositions which each comprise the maximum amount of composed Unicode characters possible in accordance with the Unicode database and rules from each of the Unicode source combined character sequence strings; and A.3) populating the mapping table database with each of the plurality of Unicode source combined character sequence strings and canonical equivalent Unicode decompositions and canonical equivalent Unicode compositions derived therefrom and data defining an association between each of the plurality of Unicode source combined character sequence strings and the canonical equivalent Unicode decompositions and the canonical equivalent Unicode compositions derived therefrom; B) receiving,from a requesting entity, a request for one of a canonical equivalent Unicode composition and a canonical equivalent Unicode decomposition, given one of the Unicode source combined character sequence strings as part of the request; C) retrieving from the mapping table database one of the requested canonical equivalent Unicode composition and canonical equivalent Unicode decomposition based on the Unicode source combined character sequence string provided with the request; and D) providing one of the located and canonical equivalent Unicode composition and canonical equivalent Unicode decomposition to the requesting entity.