Patent ID: 7277885

Claim:
A method implemented at least in part by a machine, the method comprising: receiving an input that includes hierarchical data; traversing a filter tree according to segments of the hierarchical data to locate one or more matching nodes that correspond to the hierarchical data; comparing at least a portion of the input to one or more filters tree associated with the matching nodes; and executing instructions associated with one or more filters tree satisfied by the input; wherein the traversing further comprises: comparing a first segment of the hierarchical data with a first node in a filter tree level that corresponds with a position of the first segment in the hierarchical data; if the first segment does not match the first node, determining that the input does not match the first node; if the first segment matches the first node and there is a subsequent second segment in the input, comparing the subsequent second segment to one or more second nodes in the filter tree that are subordinate to the first node; and if the first segment matches the first node and there is not a subsequent second segment in the input, determining that the input matches the first node.