Patent ID: 6959297

Claim:
A process for electronically searching a data stream, comprising the steps of: (a) defining a pointer matrix based on a set of terms, said terms comprising a plurality of term characters having a plurality of character lengths and a plurality of character combinations and said pointer matrix comprising a set of one-to-one pointers uniquely corresponding with said set of terms, wherein said one-to-one pointers are stored in said pointer matrix at row and column coordinates defined according to said character lengths and according to a set of patterns defined by said character combinations, and wherein said set of terms includes at least one term and said set of patterns includes at least one pattern corresponding with said at least one term; (b) receiving the data stream at an input device during a time period, the data stream comprising a set of data characters having a data length and a data combination and said time period comprising a plurality of clock cycles, (c) sequencing the data stream through a trap matrix during said time period, said trap matrix comprising a set of trap elements and a set of delay elements, wherein said trap elements are in multiplexed communication with said input device and wherein said trap elements have a hierarchy according to said set of delay elements, wherein an increasing series of said delay elements between each of said trap elements and said input device defines an increasing order in said hierarchy of said trap elements, said sequenced data stream comprising a set of data lengths according to said hierarchy of said trap elements, said sequenced data stream further comprising a set of data combinations, said set of data combinations corresponding with said set of data lengths according to said hierarchy of said trap elements; and (d) performing a pattern match check between said set of patterns and said set of data combinations in each of said trap elements according to said hierarchy of said trap elements.