Associative database scanning and information retrieval
First Claim
1. A data storage device comprising an approximate matching and pre-fetch processor connected to a storage medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and device are disclosed for an associative and approximate, analog or digital scanning of databases that allows for the asynchronous accessing of data from a mass storage medium. The invention includes providing dedicated analog and digital circuitry and decision logic at the mass storage medium level for determining a key identifying the data of interest, continuously comparing the key to a signal generated from a reading of the data from the mass storage medium with an approximate or exact matching circuit to determine a pattern match, determining a correlation value between the key and the data as it is read in a continuous fashion, and determining a match based upon a preselected threshold value for the correlation value. The pattern matching technique eliminates any need to compare data based on its intrinsic structure or value, and instead is based on an analog or digital pattern. The key and data may be either analog or digital. This device and method may be provided as part of a stand-alone computer system, embodied in a network attached storage device, or can otherwise be provided as part of a computer LAN or WAN.
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Citations
42 Claims
- 1. A data storage device comprising an approximate matching and pre-fetch processor connected to a storage medium.
- 9. A retrieval device for retrieving data from a mass storage medium including a matching circuit for comparing a determined key representative of the data sought to be retrieved with a data signal representative of a continuous stream of data read from said mass storage medium, said determined key being an analog signal representative of the data itself and the data signal also being an analog signal.
- 12. A retrieval device for retrieving data from a mass storage medium, said retrieval device being directly coupled to said mass storage medium and interfacing said mass storage medium with a processor desiring said retrieved data for processing thereof, said retrieval device comprising a matching circuit for making a pattern comparison between a determined key representative of the data sought to be retrieved with a data signal representative of a continuous stream of data read from said mass storage medium.
- 18. A retrieval device for retrieving data from a mass storage medium, said retrieval device being directly coupled to said mass storage medium and interfacing said mass storage medium with a computer network desiring said retrieved data for processing thereof, said retrieval device comprising an approximate matching circuit for making a pattern comparison between a determined key representative of the data sought to be retrieved with a data signal representative of a continuous stream of data read from said mass storage medium.
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20. A computer having a main processor, a working memory, a supplemental memory, and an approximate matching and pre-fetch processor, said pre-fetch processor being directly coupled to said supplemental memory and configured to match a determined key representative of data sought to be retrieved from said supplemental memory with a data signal representative of a continuous stream of data read from said supplemental memory.
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21. A computer having a main processor, a working memory, a supplemental memory, and a circuit coupled to said supplemental memory for pattern matching a key to a continuous stream of data read from said supplemental memory.
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22. A network attached mass storage device (NASD), said NASD comprising a mass storage device coupled to an approximate matching and pre-fetch processor, said NASD having a network addressable input/output port for receiving data inquiries and responding thereto.
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23. A network attached mass storage device (NASD), said NASD comprising a mass storage device coupled to a circuit for pattern matching a key to a continuous stream of data read from said mass storage memory, and said NASD having a network addressable input/output port for receiving data inquiries and responding thereto.
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24. A method for retrieving data from a mass storage medium, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a search command from a processor for said mass storage medium, determining a key representative of the data desired to be retrieved from said mass storage medium, making a pattern comparison between said key with a data signal representative of a continuous stream of data read from said mass storage medium, said key not being representative of any particular data structure and not necessarily the same structure in which said data is stored in said mass storage device, and determining which data matches said key. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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- 31. An intelligent mass storage medium device, said device having a circuit for making a pattern comparison between a key and a signal representative of a continuous read of data from a data storage medium.
- 34. A retrieval device for retrieving data from a mass storage medium including a matching circuit for comparing a determined key representative of the data sought to be retrieved with a data signal representative of a continuous stream of data read from said mass storage medium, said determined key being a digital representation of the data itself and the data signal also being digital.
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42. A computer having a main processor, a working memory, a supplemental memory, and an approximate matching and pre-fetch processor, said pre-fetch processor being directly coupled to said supplemental memory and configured to approximately match a determined key representative of data sought to be retrieved from said supplemental memory with a data signal representative of a continuous stream of data read from said supplemental memory.
Specification