Patent ID: 7308468

Claim:
A method for searching for a match to a sequence of bits, comprising: selecting a predetermined number of bits from a data stream received via a communication adaptor; applying a message digest function to the selected bits; determining whether a pattern of bits resulting from the application of the message digest function to the selected sequence of bits matches a predefined pattern stored in a search table, the search table including at least one entry pointing to a sub-table of the search table; facilitating communication with a remote device via the communication adaptor in accordance with a matched pattern of bits in the received data stream; comparing the selected bits from the data stream to a second predefined pattern stored in the search table when the resulting pattern of bits matches the predefined pattern; and identifying the selected bits from the data stream as a match when the selected bits from the data stream match the second predefined pattern, wherein the search table includes: a root table; at least one trie sub-table; at least one strand sub-table; at least one match sub-table; and at least one wildcard sub-table.