Patent ID: 7881544

Claim:
A mechanism for reducing storage size needed for information represented by input data present in a randomly accessible memory window, the mechanism comprising: (a) a prediction-based entropy encoder operatively coupled to receive an input data stream sourced from the memory window; (b) a walk generator operatively coupled to the memory window for defining a sequence of address signals supplied to the memory window; (c) a compression efficiency evaluator operatively coupled to measure a length of encoded output produced by the entropy encoder in response to an input data stream received from the memory window for a given sequence of address signals defined by said walk generator and operatively coupled to measure a length of input data stream supplied to the entropy encoder in response to the given sequence of address signals; the compression efficiency evaluator calculating a corresponding compression efficiency value as a function of said measured lengths of encoded output and length of input data stream; and (d) a walk modifier operatively coupled to the compression efficiency evaluator and to the walk generator and structured to supply two or more different walk definitions to the walk generator and structured to determine, by trial and error operation of the walk generator and of the encoder, which of the two or more walk definitions causes the compression efficiency evaluator to calculate a superior compression efficiency value.