Patent ID: 7126500

Claim:
A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for compressing symbols in a string of symbols, comprising: generating sequences of symbols from the string of symbols, wherein the sequences of symbols are ordered according to an associated frequency of occurrence of each sequence of symbols in the string of symbols; selecting a current candidate replacement sequence from the ordered sequences of symbols; determining a target cost savings and a minimum frequency of occurrence associated with the current candidate replacement sequence, the target cost savings being associated with a reduction in an encoded length in the string of symbols resulting from replacing the candidate replacement sequence with another symbol; and for other sequences of symbols in the ordered sequence of symbols having an associated frequency of occurrence that is greater than the minimum frequency of occurrence, performing actions including: identifying an alternative candidate replacement sequence, wherein the identified alternative candidate sequence has an associated cost savings that is greater than the target cost savings; and replacing the identified alternative candidate replacement sequence in the string of symbols by the other symbol.