Patent ID: 7965207

Claim:
A method executing on a computing system for encoding a byte-stable variable-length integer, the method comprising: obtaining an N-byte fixed-length integer, N being an integer inclusively between 4 and 128, said fixed-length integer comprising i) at least M leading-zero bits, M being a predetermined integer constant inclusively between two and six, and ii) a contiguous pattern of significant bits of length P; selecting an M-bit byte-length code from a group of 2 M predetermined byte-length codes, each byte-length code corresponding to a predetermined variable-byte-length constant inclusively between one and N, said selected M-bit byte-length code corresponding to a variable-byte-length constant (J); encoding a J-byte variable-length integer comprising a rightmost M bits corresponding to said M-bit byte-length code, and left-adjacent to said rightmost M bits, P contiguous bits corresponding to said contiguous pattern of significant bits; and storing said encoded J-byte variable-length integer to a storage device associated with the computing system.