Patent ID: 8180958

Claim:
A method for optimizing generation of look-up keys for searching, comprising: generating a first look-up key from a group of look-up key units stored in a data storage, generation of the first look-up key being completed prior to the completion of a key generation processing cycle; skipping over a next look-up key unit from the group of look-up key units stored in the data storage when the next look up key unit corresponds to a second look-up key that has a key length equal to or smaller than a first predetermined key length; selecting a third look-up key unit from the group of look-up key units, the third look-up key unit being associated with a third look-up key having a key length greater than a second predetermined key length, the second predetermined key length being greater than the first predetermined key length; and outputting the first look-up key and at least a portion of the third look-up key sequentially during the same output processing cycle and subsequently outputting the second look-up key.